Alain de Botton is a cultural theorist from Switzerland by way of Great Britain, where he's a member of the U.K.'s well-regarded Royal Society of Literature. He's written a range of essays, literary fiction, and nonfiction about everything from Marcel Proust and Western philosophy to sex and architecture. De Botton's appearances on TV and radio have fine-tuned his ability to relate to audiences, as have his numerous interviews, lectures and even a blog called “The Philosopher's Mail.” In this Zócalo Public Square event at the Getty, Alain de Botton: Is the News Driving Us Crazy?, the esteemed intellectual discusses the most important points from his latest book, The News: A User's Manual, which analyzes 25 stock stories that represent the state of journalism today. De Botton offers a deep analysis of how our fast-paced, bite-sized news culture distorts our perspective of current events, and how the resulting schadenfreude affects our psyche. Expect a profound, thought-provoking discussion that questions how modern journalism affects our intellect as well as our emotional health. The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood; Thu., March 6, 7 p.m.; free ($10 parking after 5 p.m.). zocalopublicsquare.org/event/?postId=51693.

Thu., March 6, 7 p.m., 2014
(Expired: 03/06/14)

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