World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

Will China’s growth continue to outpace other countries or is it headed for a downturn? What impact will China’s policies have on the country and world? Listen to this Global I.Q. with The Economist as Jim Falk discusses these questions and more with The Economist’s China correspondent, James Miles.

In The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, McCullough reveals the untold stories of talented American artists, writers, doctors, politicians and others who traveled to the “City of Lights” between 1830 and 1900 to gain the experience they needed to impact their crafts and, ultimately, U.S. history.

A highly decorated four-star general regarded as the operational architect of the Iraq surge, General Raymond Odierno is the 12th American military officer to command at the Division, Corps and Army level during the same conflict.

General Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, who was recently nominated by President Obama to be the next Army Chief of Staff. General Odierno shares his viewpoint on the imminent December 31 U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and more.

The eyes of the world are on North Korea and its notorious ruler this week as a U.S. delegation visits the isolated country to determine its need for food assistance. In this Global I.Q. Minute, Jim Falk speaks with N.C. Heikin, director of Kimjongilia, a documentary that exposes life in North Korea under the dictatorship of Kim Jong Il as told by concentration camp refugees, defectors and former Korean Army officers. Excerpts of Kimjongilia will air on PBS Newshour on Thursday, May 26. Kimjongilia is part of The Economist Film Project.

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, is the first publication based on recently declassified documents and interviews with firsthand eyewitnesses to base activities — 74 individuals linked to the secret location. Jacobsen reveals for the first time the true story of Area 51, from testing nuclear reactors to building top-secret supersonic jets to pursuing the War on Terror.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the true story of Kamila Sadiqi, who was only a teenager when the Taliban seized control of her hometown of Kabul. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Sadiqi was left to fend for her family. Despite the odds, she was able to start a successful dressmaking business that supported her family and gave hope to her neighborhood.

A strong economic partner and security ally of the United States, Australia shares similarities in culture, historical background and democratic values. Fifty thousand Australians visit Dallas annually and, in 2009 alone, Texas generated $1.6 billion in trade with the country.

Which countries will emerge as leaders? Has China overtaken the U.S. as the world’s financial superpower? Listen to this audiocast of Global I.Q. with The Economist, featuring Leo Abruzzese, director of Global Forecasting for the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), to get the business intelligence you need to stay ahead of the competition.

Amid new violent clashes in Tunisia, the country is preparing for its first democratic election in July. Will Tunisia be able to rise as a new Arab democracy? Listen to this Global I.Q. Minute with Council President Jim Falk and University of Tunis Professor, Akram Khelifa to hear exclusive insight from someone on the frontlines of the transformation in Tunisia.

With more than 15 books to his name, Richard North Patterson is known for his ability to tackle some of today’s most pressing legal issues — abortion, gun violence, capital punishment and human rights, among others — through suspenseful storytelling. In his latest thriller, The Devil’s Light, he takes on the possibility of a nuclear threat from al-Qaeda and the complex politics in the Middle East.

What is California doing to improve its political model and avoid future economic catastrophes and what other looming challenges face this Golden State? These questions and more are addressed in this audiocast of Global I.Q. with The Economist, featuring Andreas Kluth, U.S. West Coast correspondent for the magazine.

A new round of sanctions had been implemented on the country, Russia began cutting off sales of advanced weaponry and a sophisticated computer worm destroyed nearly one-fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges. With the international community distracted by the movements sweeping across the region, will Iran continue to pursue its nuclear ambitions? Dr. Barry Blechman, national security and nuclear disarmament expert, addresses these questions and share findings from the Iran Study Group.

Tune in to this Global I.Q. Minute with Admiral Patrick Walsh, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet. As one of the highest-ranking officers in the Navy, Walsh knows many of the classified secrets surrounding threats to our national security and discusses the importance of a U.S. presence in the Pacific.

Admiral Patrick Walsh, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet, tackles questions about China's military, the U.S. Navy's releif efforts in Japan and more.