As a writer for The New Yorker magazine, George Packer has captured the big ideas and events of the past decade spanning the September 11 attacks to the election of Barack Obama through the voices of individuals around the world. Packer's new book, Interesting Times, unites investigative pieces with personal essays and detailed narratives of travels through war zones and failed states.

Join the Center for American Progress for a discussion with Packer moderated by the Center's Senior Vice President of National Security and International Policy Rudy deLeon. The conversation will include key issues of the day such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Obama administration's foreign policy, and current trends in America's ideological debates, as well as broader themes such as the temptations and dangers of idealism, the moral complexities of war and politics, and the American capacity for self-blinding and self-renewal.