Dinesh D'Souza
February 7, 2006

Dinesh D'Souza, a nationally recognized conservative author and speaker, was both humorous and serious during a 90-minute speech, which also included a Q&A session with the audience at Marietta College's McDonough Center Auditorium on Feb. 7.

D'Souza kicked off the 2006 Point of View speaker series in front of about 250 people. The event was free and open to the public. It is also co-sponsored by WLTP-AM 910 talk radio.

D'Souza's topic was "What's So Great About America," but he also spent a great deal of time discussing the War on Terrorism, the Islamic world, and the Bush Administration.

"My goal is really to widen some horizons, raise some interesting questions, and get young people to think about the issues that are going to face them in the future," said D'Souza, prior to his talk.

D'Souza signed his books for audience members following the talk and enjoyed a small reception. D'Souza also spoke to a news writing class on Wednesday before leaving Marietta for the Columbus Airport.

D'Souza's articles have appeared in virtually every major magazine and newspaper, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, Vanity Fair, New Republic, and National Review. He has appeared on numerous television programs, including the Today Show, Nightline, The News Hour, O'Reilly Factor, and the Dennis Miller Show.

Currently the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, D'Souza has been called one of the "top young public-policy makers in the country" by Investor's Business Daily. The New York Times Magazine named him one of America's most influential conservative thinkers.

D'Souza's two most recent books are the New York Times bestseller What's So Great About America (2002) and Letters to a Young Conservative (2002). In 1995 D'Souza published The End of Racism, which became one of the most controversial books of the time and a national bestseller. D'Souza's 1997 book, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, was the first book to make the case for Reagan's intellectual and political importance.