PBS Books, in collaboration with WETA, is thrilled to present ICONIC AMERICA’s Host and Executive Producer David M. Rubenstein, author of The American Experiment.  Rubenstein’s book The American Experiment is part of the ICONIC AMERICA SUMMER READING Challenge and has been designated June’s book. Join us to learn about The American Experiment and David Rubenstein’s extraordinary work to explore America’s democracy, culture, innovation, and ideas. Then, Mr. Rubenstein will share special insights into his series ICONIC AMERICA: OUR SYMBOLS & OUR STORIES.  As we consider this series, we also are challenged to think about the symbols that endure that speak to what a society values and how people see themselves.

Also available on Facebook and Youtube.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: The AMERICAN EXPERIMENT

The capstone book in a trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of How to Lead and The American Story and host of Bloomberg TV’s The David Rubenstein Show—American icons and historians on the ever-evolving American experiment, featuring Ken Burns, Madeleine Albright, Wynton Marsalis, Billie Jean King, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and many more.

In this lively collection of conversations—the third in a series from David Rubenstein—some of our nations’ greatest minds explore the inspiring story of America as a grand experiment in democracy, culture, innovation, and ideas.

Exploring the diverse make-up of our country’s DNA through interviews with Pulitzer Prize–winning historians, diplomats, music legends, and sports giants, The American Experiment captures the dynamic arc of a young country reinventing itself in real-time. Through these enlightening conversations, the American spirit comes alive, revealing the setbacks, suffering, invention, ingenuity, and social movements that continue to shape our vision of what America is—and what it can be. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DAVID RUBENSTEIN

David M. Rubenstein Host and Executive Producer of Iconic America: Our Stories and Symbols Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm. Mr. Rubenstein is Chairman of the Boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Gallery of Art, the Economic Club of Washington, and the University of Chicago.

Mr. Rubenstein has made transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Monticello, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Mr. Rubenstein is an original signer of The Giving Pledge; the host of The David Rubenstein Show and Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein; and the author of The American Story, How to Lead, The American Experiment, and How to Invest.

ABOUT ICONIC AMERICA

ICONIC AMERICA: OUR SYMBOLS AND OUR STORIES WITH DAVID RUBENSTEIN premiered earlier this spring.  It explores American history through a close examination of iconic national symbols: indelible artifacts, places, and archetypes. Hosted by co-founder of The Carlyle Group and patriotic philanthropist, David M. Rubenstein engages in conversation with historical thinkers, community members, and subject matter experts. Together, they dive deeply into each symbol’s history and how its meaning has changed over time, using these symbols as a gateway to understanding America’s past and present. The series focuses on eight American icons: The subjects of the series’ eight episodes are: Fenway Park, the Hollywood Sign, the Gadsden Flag, the American Cowboy, the Statue of Liberty, the American Bald Eagle, Stone Mountain, and the Golden Gate Bridge.