A Thousand Times No

 

 InTheNo 1: Author Tom Zoellner [59:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

~ Click the triangle above to hear this interview ~

A broken engagement spurred journalist and author Tom Zoellner to research and write a comprehensive examination of the global diamond industry. Zoellner also helped recount the story of Paul Rusesabagina, the man who saved hundreds of lives during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. We discuss both books during this inaugural podcast episode.

The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of
Diamonds, Deceit, and Desire
~ St. Martin’s Press, 2006 ~
[to read an excerpt, visit theheartlessstone.com]

An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography
(Paul Rusesabagina, with Tom Zoellner)
~ Viking, 2006 ~

During the podcast, we also touch on two films:

Blood Diamond ~ [IMDB] [Official site]
Hotel Rwanda ~ [IMDB] [Official site]

Zoellner has a piece on diamonds in the the Nov. 26 issue of Time magazine, in conjunction with their coverage of the Blood Diamond film.

The LA Times takes note of several of the initiatives surrounding the film’s release.

For more information on how to take action on conflict diamonds, visit blooddiamondaction.org.

Who needs a diamond ring? Those of you with commitment issues can sample the podcast, right here, right now. Just click the black triangular “Play” button at the top of this entry to begin. (Many thanks to Peter M. of CrushingKrisis for pointing me to the podPress plug-in that makes this possible.) Since the changes allow you to listen and download directly from this blog, I’m presenting the complete show notes above.

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