>> next, hugh hewitt talks about the elements that go in to achieving happiness. this is about an hour. >> thank you, jonathan quite a lot actually. it's always great to be back at the nixon library, especially on the eve of the 101st anniversary of nixon's birth, especially to celebrate with friends of the library who come offing. as many of you know, in late 1988, the phone rang. i was searching for president reagan and his administration. on the other end this president nixon asking me to come back to your belinda to oversee construction of the library for a couple years. so i was very, very pleased to do so. it was a shining jewel and anyone watching on c-span across the united states who has never been to the nixon library, you want to come here. it's an extraordinary celebration of the american presidency, but also extra or a lead, the small house that frank nixon built from a kit and continued through a life measure in decades that achievement, not hours of achievement, but a truly significant life. i am happy to hear that julia david for two things. david gave me my first job for which i am intent grateful. graduate from harvard in 1978 and had no job and no plans to nothing to do and i've ended up becoming an editorial assistant for david on his first book, eisenhower were before went to work for president nixon over at san clemente at lacoste at pacifica as an editorial assistant. but that is not my favorite book by david. if you leave the library tonight, we strongly recommend that you pick up going home to glory, which is his memoir of living with his grand father would take retired. and it is really special. it is special from the very first part where he describes how ike in amy left the white house in the company of one longtime staff sergeant with secret service guard front of the drove up to gettysburg. the secret service guys honked, waved, turned around and left. and they win in the house and went about their life. that was 1961. but a change. it also talks about how kennedy would call eight and the cuban missile crisis and how ike would be a stern father appointed his grandson david. it's just a magnificent. they are happy people. when i wrote "the happiest life," it is easy to include stories about julian david and president nixon because they were crucial figures in my life, which is in a very happy life in this room has been especially a happy room for me. i thought it was merited this room. so i've actually danced in this room. it's very happy for me to be at the east room. it's so happy for a major recall 40,000 people by president and unhappy times were buried the former first lady and the former president here. so it's always moving to come back here and talk about a new book. i've done it many, many times. it's a pleasure to see my friends like caroline ddn bruce who come to every event i do and i appreciate it very much. i started last night's radio show is a good friend. he's the manager and partner of the los angeles office of the national law firm here at fox. he is for the lead delegate to the u.n. and from a state department official in afghanistan, running the department of justice or their justice program there. he was on to talk with me about not the law, and extraordinarily gifted litigator, but robert cates memoir because he spoke to the era in which robert o'bryan was part of the team of the national security apparatus of the dubya administration. i wish i had my wits about me because he is two things as well as a great educator. he's a trademark lawyer and he's a fashion lawyer. if i had my wits about me, i would've asking you trademark happiness quakes that would be a good thing. if i could get a happiness brand, i would like. the only problem with it as they went about writing the happiest life, i discovered quickly there are thousands of books. thousands of books that happy. pretty much everyone has what about it from aristotle to dennis prager. my book deals a lot in steals a lot from all of those who have written about it before, but in particular, from aristotle, dennis and arthur brooks. arthur rhodes a book on the road to freedom a couple of years ago and he gave a lecture and happiness that greatly influenced me. i attended it with my two wonderful sons. he turned to me and said that's the best thing i've ever heard. they told arthur that and he let out. it was a lecture on happiness and what you will end up evaluating your life by. that inspired to start readiness. i started with dennis prager's book, happiness is a serious problem. he wrote that the 15 years ago. it's still in print. the goal is to get prager and brooks at myself in a happiness to her and see if we can't bring a little joy as opposed to political progress. i also was moved to write this book, which is not a political boat. i've written a dozen books on politics, to about my christian faith in one of the happiness. i may rest a while, but i was inspired by the fact 2012 is it her resolve for me, for many of you. is deeply invested emotionally and professionally in the success of the romney camp and good i thought it was for the country and it was supposed that he didn't bring. it would've been better for the country had he won. i try to mind at the root of much every other year of the semi was due to write one. so i thought about what would i do. the topic happiness i heard arthur speak about an attack to myself, i've been broadcast since 1989. ksi on the radio in 1989. i am 57, so i got a broadcast in 33. i had a blast on the weekends and then i moved to los angeles, pbs affiliate for a dozen years through the nightly news and public affairs show life and times on five nights a week. as a forerunner of cable land. a local news talk. pat morrison and rubin martinez produced by the wonderful mark burns who died this past year. just extraordinary, great fun. evidence syndicated radio this is a great good graces of salem communications and the owners us to a person who given the opportunity to do what i love doing every day, which is three hours of radio. i've been interviewing people since 1989. i began to do the math. he do three hours of radio five days a week or 15 segments today, 75 segments of the. if you only have the people and half of those come you over 25 dozen interviews accounting collars. for the book, and "the happiest life," i make the claim is interviewed more than 10,000 people. an immutable list of the most interesting, happy people that i had met. then they reverse engineered what i do about them to characteristics and disciplined about happiness. and then i wrote them down in the context in which i occurred and out of that came "the happiest life: seven gifts, seven givers, and the secret to genuine success." jonathan was kind to mention at the beginning of this, that it's been very widely above us eat by an extraordinary brave people. archbishop charged up to philadelphia, important person in my life give it a glowing review. the soda jonathan alter, who as you know is an msn ec analyst dave bloomberg columnist and a very fine popular historian. but we don't agree on much. in fact regret nothing. jonas i was gone. but he's a terrific guest on the radio and he wrote on the book in these polarized times is a blessing to find someone like you who reaches across the chasm of ugliness with wisdom and good cheer. maybe i do, maybe i don't. eric for taxis and terry pluto, america's finest sportswriter and others. i got to thinking, why are so many people so nice about this book? indeed in my launch this past week i was in new york during the blizzard and i had a variety of settings. the recount go on cnbc. i was on the fox and friends morning show. great reception there. i went instead morning show. mika brzezinski did it and mika likes it. i am astonished that left right center, young and old like the happiest life. i began to consider in fact all of us, every single one of us every single day think about our happiness a rethink about the happiness of those we are close to to and that anything that promises to and then delivers sendkeys to happiness, whether it's poorly written above it will find an audience because we are all constantly thinking about it. how obvious is that? we talked today. i don't know if c-span will show this, but we are talking today's the day of the longest press conference ever. the chris christie passed on since today. at one point i researched how long did it at the longest ran for. the longest day ran for 178 minutes and governor christie came up short of two hours. they didn't match the longest day of the longest press conference. it was a fascinating display of emotion. he was in tape, transparent, insincere, powerfully different than what we've grown used to. he is one word again and again and again. i bet it is the word used most that i don't have a transcript. he used the word sat. again and again and again. saddest the opposite of happy. he was sad at this turn of events by the betrayal involved in them, by the terrible results that have been to the people of new jersey and new york and others involved in the bridge by his inability to prevent a bad thing happening to those folks. kathryn jean lopez, a wonderful editor of mine and a good dear friend sent me a q&a. this is the root of much reserve. for those of you who follow on twitter im@hugh hewitt and i to it a lot. i message him of hundred treats. the kalo -- that's her nickname, a series of question. she asked what i do at q&a. i was getting ready to do a lecture about the happiest life. here's the question, think about your recent book on happiness, what do you think about governor christie's comment about human nature and what do they have to do with leadership, trust impossibility of happiness? i wrote that betrayal is a terrible thing. it's a huge impediment to happiness. dealing with it in such a candid and resolute way is perhaps the best advice i could give to anyone. so i thought about that the rest of the day through today's radio shade. he was featured. it's not as political consequences. someone he loved it trusted absolutely undid everything he'd been working to do. everything there is unhappiness whether this note cup of coffee in your lap and how many of us have done that? who got in the car, driving somewhere and we are at that moment extremely unhappy and perhaps vocal about it. it's serious stuff. betrayal of the marriage by his south. the diction of a child to the death or illness of a parent or loved one. the crime of violent or even just a recently returned from south america and i take an ngo sponsored tour of the deeply impoverished vertical slums of rio. that is pretty depressing. so in every situation come you can choose to be set to the dennis talk and other third and preach, you put it on like a coat and there are practices that allow you to do so. we all know the seven habits of highly successful people could have been subtitled the seven disciplines a very happy people because it involves those things which we do if we do them often enough, will allow them to maintain for the most part happy attitude. most about his hurt and the radio knows this. it is an attitude i've developed over the years. they are naturally ers out there. for those of you who are winnie the pooh folks know i'm talking about for whom everyday is a great day, for whom every storm will never add and for whom life is a grind to the ground through. i am tager and i'm happy to be taker. i would rather be taker than e.u. or any single day. if you have lost happiness, i write and "the happiest life" u.k. and canada. if it has been forfeited, someone can give it back to a very specific context. my friend, arthur brooks, and taking asked my watch so i don't pull over. the powerfully impacted me and my son before context in which at the end of your life you'll measure happiness. friends, family, faith and her success. if you have two out of four come you will have lead a happy life and you will be happy at your desk. friends, family, faith and her success. a high concept for which we are just simply famous and more famous because of not to do with wealth. current success can come to the impoverished. success can come to the very wealthy, but it is that which you were for yourself that can be the best violin player is making whatever it is violin players make. it can be the best teacher or social worker is my friends in the front row happen to be. if you're the best at it, the best cameraman for c-span, the best assume for the nixon library, a fever and her success, you'll be happy. but arthur's contacts were empty result measurements. they were not the practices that got you there. so when i reverse engineered these 10 dozen interviews, i came up with setting gifts and i came up to the conclusion that if you are constantly giving away all seven of these or at least some of these, you'll be happy. to precondition his generosity. i began the book by talking about my late friend, tom fuentes or whom i gave the eulogy for jiang and his life. he was chairman for 20 years and he was the most generous man i've ever met. he continued endeavor to help every single individual he came in contact with. i try to explain this to brian lamb, who may be the country's greatest interviewer and i was honored to sit down with ryan lamb to do a q&a about "the happiest life" a couple weeks ago. i was explaining, i can't remember on air or off air. unless you live in orange county california he did know how ubiquitous u.s. he was out every night hoping every candidate in every forum and signing chad suburbia person who came through. while he was collecting musical instruments for the freed nicaraguans are used furniture to mexico or arranging for a food they in orange county. meanwhile, racing three wonderful children and having a wonderful life, his six short nearly generous. i was explaining mr. bryant. if i reverse engineered all these other kids, you would have nothing. to paraphrase of karen the units come with a sort of that way. if you have the mall but don't give them away you are my your guests. energy, and to csm, empathy, good graciousness and for attitude. you wouldn't believe how often i haven't enabled to remember that. i feel okay for governor perry when he wanted it abolished three agencies. i've been with governor perry and he makes fun of himself. we'll bring freezes. i do it every time. every time i'm interviewed about the happiest life, they say tonto at the 17th site. i always get fixed and i hope they're not counting. energy, empathy, enthusiasm, good humor, gratitude, graciousness. i always miss one of the east. no one has called me on it. let me illustrate each of them. energy. if you've ever listened to a radio show and if you're watching on tv he does have local. or that the 70 k. cpq. it's all across the country from hawaii to florida and alaska down south. if you've ever heard it, i have fun with my producer or may not producer. radio blogger known as duane patterson. in fact, to weigh in about the hardest working people in radio. they are the hardest working people. at this moment i insert because i interviewed the wonderful mark stain. he can have it up into. he will often often transcribed through for interviews after he produces the show, looks to guess, ranges to run down, does that cause and arranges the after show where he speaks for an hour and poster shows electronically so they're available for podcast and then he goes to bed and does it all day again the next day. he's been doing this since the show began on july 10, 2000. adam is a slacker. he's one week behind the other two of us. now we don't expect much of them, but we have danielle, this extraordinary group of people supported by 100 general managers, 100 program direct heirs across the country. i mentioned the amazing radio higher. the sales staff, syndicator staff and mike reid and a whole bunch of people selling the shows to advertisers realize the best place to sell anything in the world is on the radio. mag, however, is the predicate of everything happening. if you don't get up and go to work. if you don't get up and try. that is learned behavior. ted newland, we need as coach of water polo. he stunned me. his goal is not to win. his goal was to teach their place to put the floor by 5:30 every day. that's what his goal was to this water polo program at the university of california others see us. he went to national championships. in order to win you have to put your feet on the floor at 5:30 in the morning. if you get that it developed that habit, you would be successful in life. he believed that. i think it is generally true. that's about energy. the csm is a second quality. i would do see a sick fella. i work for the cleveland browns. i have to be. i got many season tickets for the browns came back. i have four of the 50. i've never been to one game. i give in to my brother, john. they are married to wonderful sister-in-law, susan apartment i have a great, great site if it sides of my family but i've never gone back to see the game as they did the waffles since 1999. but we are turning it around and i'm hopeful. browns fans are the most enthusiastic fans except for indians fans at cavaliers fans. we live in this pool of mystery and this and most powerful of disaster disappointment. but we were enthusiastic about sports franchises smo sports fans. sports teaches us that it to csm allows you to be happy. sports fans who win are the happiest, most wonderfully literate people. the wonderful credit cards is that the house this past week because his son freddie went to upper. he had freddie went in they were happy for almost the whole game. he was on the radio the next day and said don't let anyone tell you it's just a game. not just a game. it hurts a lot when you was that they came in the last minute that weight. sports fans teacher but enthusiasm which are transferred to other aspects of your life makes everything better than the happiest life is full of other examples. encouragement is my favorite chapter because every person here and every person watching their link counter dozens who they can encourage. we have an unlimited amount. there's absolutely no limit to the amount of encouragement we can give to everyone in her life, especially those who do not deserve it. i have been encouraged professionally, for example, by two people who are not of my network. i've been very cursed by bill bennett and dennis prager at our local hosts all across the country here in los angeles this and should write but in an schapiro, lisa krause. they're always encouraging each other. people don't notice. mark levin and sean hannity are greek encourager sydney. sean is the nicest man in radio. mark is my oldest friend who's a lawyer and talk show host. we been in the trenches together since they do 90. thyrsus brotherhood and collegiality among talkers that no one knows about. you would never imagine, the most of us -- a few of us are outliers, but most of us encourage each other. here's a little interesting secret. some of my favorite interviews have been with people i watched on television growing up. i watched the carol or not show every week. i watched andy williams every week. i grew up with van dyke on the screen. when they put out a mars, they come on the radio. i've had the great opportunity to interview the carol burnett and he lives in a happy successful people, julie andrews. they'll combine the radio when they're writing a book or promoting. in the books, which i make a habit of reading, which is why so many people, and a radio show because i read their books, i found it fascinating that carol burnett, andy williams and dick van dyke did an exceptional amount of time to tell it when he was helped them by name, club, by dave. they remember what ways they gave them them their break. i just think that is terrific. i heard today that america's greatest playwright, david mamet, he doesn't have to do anything for anyone. extraordinarily successful screenwriter has written this wonderful book called the secret knowledge. the three were stories had reached out to a misgiving assist to a young man making his first year in new york in the theater business, graduated from syracuse. that defines the sort of encouragement at the older kids to the that actually makes the older happy that they're able to do so. i'm sure you've all experienced that. the third gift -- the fourth gift from empathy, hard disk after fall because you have to share a similar suffering. i could be sympathetic for the people in new york. i was empathetic when i was in new york. and said that it from here. empathy shares up three and a also separated in time. it is an enormous gift if you share similar for. i write and "the happiest life" the worst thing that can happen to this loss of the child. that hasn't happened to me and i think after that and i think someone in the room it has happened to. it's the hardest burden to bear. hurled kushner who interviewed and work for pbs giving a single best piece of advice they received in 25 years of interviewing. show up and shut up. when someone is suffering, you show up and you shut up. he don't talk them you know how they are feeling because you don't. even though you may have been through a similar experience, it's not the same experience. you don't talk them your story suffering. you don't tell them how to get over it. you don't tell them anything. you show up and shut up, there for displaying empathy of the highest order. this incredible gift that can only be given occasionally and it's the hardest of the rarest. the three g's are easier. good humor. my friend, dennis prager embodies good humor. they're all funny guys and we like being with each other, but dennis is a stitch. i got to roast a minister but patch. when you view it rest a few years ago? he's never recovered. he hasn't been the same since then. as many of you know, he's given up smoking and gives me all of his cigars. dennis is a fountain of good humor. he is always, always happy. it's very annoying attack. at any moment, the other for work it into some gripe -fest about this or that and dennis will be happy. we've been in death-defying planes on a small plane flight from philadelphia at cleveland in the mentor of a winter storm in five of us are afraid for her life and dennis is looking for the deli platter. wandering around, oblivious of danger, et cetera. he does this happiness hour once a week on a show. he thinks about happiness. he works hard at happiness and he always has good humor. graciousness and that okay with the most unexpectedly gracious person, george w. bush. president of the united states don't have to be gracious. to talk show hosts, to anybody. but he has some really like the most welcoming, gracious individual. and politics generally and in area defined by incivility of brick throwing, he's a tough campaigner and for the four months before an election, he was never outside of that context other than gentlemanly and demand of extort very banters towards his political opposition and especially in his own party who oppose him. probably got that from george herbert walker bush and barbara of the water first lady, laura. been mum about entire generation. it's a wonderful thing. gratitude is the last thing i want to talk about. status inferred rtc to be grateful to. we had to take a moment. i've been mentioning tonight that david eisenhower present nixon gave me jobs. president nixon helped me a lot. tech was argued in a jab at department of justice after coming out of university of michigan law school. connie horner in the chain and put me back in the d.c. days and then i came out here. as i mentioned, as singer jefferson can be geniuses behind failed communications and patterson has been my big promoter in these hundreds and hundreds of people. make a list tonight or tomorrow. instead of the people you have a genuine grievance with, make a list of everyone you want to have said thank you notes to and then perhaps going about doing that. doing that will empower you about anything bad happening down the road. for every injury to see you come hundreds of people have been generous. i finished the happiest life but talking about some context in which we can practice these things. a few words about each of those. the first is your spouse. i've been very 31 years to the fetching mrs. hewitt preaches a christmas tree. she is just the most wonderful, encouraging from extraordinary woman. someone was pretty generation ago that the great grandchild would need. i am lucky and it sat in a quote in the book but the number one job of the spouses to get their spouse to have it. i want to have them have the along the way i supposed to get them there and she's been a fruitless and wonderful at that. parents are raising their grandchildren. her parents knew about that, so it relies any people don't. when i give lectures on television and radio, i know some people don't get dealt that deck of cards and that is sad. it is unfortunate, which is why in the chapter on teachers. how many are teachers here? thank you for what you do. i have a rule 90% of you can remember 90% of the teachers that taught you between grades one and eight. you could name them. that's easy to highschooler grows get involved, it gets a little fuzzy. 90% of u.k. and a 90% of your teachers between grades one and it talks about the genuine influence and some of you can name the most high school and college teachers who had. this book prompted me to go back and find ron karen bauer, fred hoover, kathy sent to see before crucial teachers i had. i was able to talk with three of them and exchange messages with the fourth. .. she would bring all these conservatives, liberals, her kids loved it. all the kids passed her test and she was a model for gratitude and i think everything she did was about the gift of giving kids love of the civic experience and of involvement and so i wrote that whole chapter. wrote a chapter on family members and my publisher like this the most. i can't explain it. i don't have enough time but you all have a family gpa. what? i thought i was done with the gpas when i got out of high school. we are a couple of students here earlier and he think he is going home, orange lutheran. he has a gpa. usually 4.0 or something. how do you figure your family gpa? you list your immediate relatives. spouse and your children. your mother-in-law and father-in-law, mom and dad, in-laws, nephews and nieces. that's it on both sides of the family. that's your family universe. in your greater relationship with each of them. abcd up your you know a f. easy one. good to see, spinney afternoon at thanksgiving. i am so blessed in my in-laws on both my brothers wives and children, but my wife's siblings and their children. and my mother-in-law and father law. everything was great. we're way above three-point zero. in this chapter you can give a lot of gives and you tried to make to raise the grades and had to get rid of the f. if you try, essential to happiness is not allowing toxic people to destroy yours and that around you. that's a hard lesson is a chapter in a book i recommend to you. to other factors and getting close to wrapping up, hopefully teasing you. franklins told me if you don't mention the name of your book "the happiest life" the seven times, they won't buy attention if they can't remember the "the happiest life" to make a sure "the happiest life" at least sometimes because if you don't cite "the happiest life" they won't remember "the happiest life." frank was a smart man. i always do that but to more categories. our colleagues at work, not great law partners, i love them. great lawyers. lawyers. i enjoyed being with and. i had a great of law -- i had a lot of great law partners. the receptionist the people but in the word processing pool to anyone ever. i quote cs lewis, they will all be witnesses at your judgment. every single person at your work is going to show up on the date of your judgment if you're a god believing person. you ought to start acting that way. they would be the last one called, the deciding witness. so that is crucial to being happy if that work in primary school and finally concretion. how many of your churchgoers at least weekly? how many are not? my advice in my book if you are unhappy is to find any church probably one close to you if you're born catholic, though catholic, if your method is a methodist and go every week. it is the greatest single channel of happiness that you can systematically arranged for free into your life. all you have to do is show up, and you -- your life will improve. everybody is an expert on happiness. everyone could disagree with everything i have said here or not. i want to close by couple of words about happiness in politics. if you watched house of cards, it is widely regarded, kevin spacey, hbo, as an active portrayal of the poisonous life in washington, d.c. if you watch chris christie today, he was a sad man. if you read the excerpts of bob gates' memoir, it is burdened by greece. that's the grief of a sector of defense and the seriousness of sending young men and women off to war, some of them don't come back. some comeback terribly, terribly injured. it is a difficult thing to be in politics or the media and remain happy. so why do people do it? you have to ask yourself, why? because they are called by duty which is the title of the secretary gates memoir, and so even when duty compels you to do unhappy things would live in circumstances which are miserable, it is still a choice but i want to close by citing my friendship with dr. larry and christopher hitchens. the doctor is a present of hillsdale college and i've gotten to know some great presence in college. him to a fine institution and turn it into a great engine of innovation, education, learning, technology, development. if you've never been to chapman university go to chapman.edu and look at a. gym sets the bar of your. doctor cory at viola -- account numbers lasting. that's what happens when you're 57. barry gordy, thank you, is changing viola in july those institution just like wheaton, just like my friend senator bill armstrong in colorado is turning colorado christian university in july those institution. it is hard to be a college president. larry is the best of them. i just named for superstars but larry is extraordinary. he keeps driving his students back into the great traditions of western civilization. he's on my radio show once a week. you can listen to everyone of those hours i spend with him on the hillsdale. we spent five weeks on aristotle's ethics. i'm just not that smart, and he is really smart. he walked me through it, from five it years before christ was born from the greeks were trying to figure out how to be happy. happiness is the highest state or which we are greeted. we are created to be happy. the greeks did not have the revelation yet. so they did not know if israel's god and the person of christ so they could not quite get there but they could intuit that it meant right living in order with nature. and aristotle writes about this, it is not hard to do. it is impossible to perfect. so it is not hard to practice but you're never going to shoot below par every single day. hitch, i love christopher hitchens, there are some guests are much defined my show. the late michael kelly defined my show. the wonderful been defined my show, he was my guest post. marc stein who is on today. i've had some recurring guests over the years. they always defined my show but for many years hitched to find the show. he was on 70 times. i have a triscuits of all of them. hitch was remarkably brilliant man and happy most of the time. but after individual for the last time three hours on his memoir, hitch 22, i didn't get to talk to him again. he lost his voice. i did not live in d.c. and it did not seem in the last days of his life, but his brother was with him all time and peter is a believer and hitch of course was not. i pray to this month at the end, hitch would've figured out that those times when he was happiest have to do with the right ordering of his life with what was good and true and beautiful, and that which is good and true and beatable is, in fact, divine and the divine is available. here's how i'm good to be happy. i will be happy when i signed your books but i will really be happy if over the course of the months after you read this, if you actually about any of these practices. they improve any of these contacts. so that you're a happy person. send me a note, calderini show and tell me. because a book is entertaining and hopefully informative, but if it actually changes your practice, that will make me happy. thanks to coming out tonight but i appreciate it very much. we are going to take some questions. [applause] >> the extraordinary step of the nixon library instead me with microphones. who has a comic? right behind you. >> thank you so much for coming out. not necessarily more of the question but up until now i guess, read your book hopefully forever, i've been very cynical as you know these are rough times. you wake every day and he read the book and it gets even rougher and you don't know the way out. so thank you very much for putting a book out like this. >> thank you. that makes my night. and thank you for reminding me, i was going to ask you, prompted me, i forgot to mention, friends, i've been lucky and friends, my seventh category. i go back to john phillips at the age of six. i can go through philip, chris and my best friend and my high school years, kim and scott phillips. i know them all. in college, mark and dan, ma i hope i get other people. i can tell you whether it's a bug or gary or image or any number of people you're my friends over the past many years. i've been lucky and friends. my closest friend is a guy named bill who sadly worked for the "l.a. times" all those wasted years but i think, i was going to ask you if you're cynical, do you have very close friends? are your very close friends cynical? yes, and just become this is to me. i was out last night with budget the contractor quite talk about him a racial all the time, and budgets of most of the guy in order to whenever i get that cynical about politics, i go find one of those encouragement machines are one of those non-cynical people because all you do is read politics and watch fox news, you can slit your proverbial wrists in this country. i'm telling you. >> i have listened to your chauffeur how long have you been doing that come almost -- 18 years spent i began the july 10, 2000. >> all right. happiness took a serious hit last few weeks ago when the cross was ordered to be dismantled. even though we have three months, or 100 days, to appeal that, i started thinking, or something else at work. there's got to be money involved to the aclu is representing some people but where is the money coming from? our they paid when you file a suit on a constitutional issue because it depends upon the kind of suit. attorneys fees are a failed at a number of circumstances depending on the statute in the form under which they are sought. i do not believe he will receive attorneys fees in that injunction but the aclu does receive a lot of attorneys fees. they also receive an extraordinary amount of donations. i talk about the alliance of defending freedom because it's the aclu of believers. they been fighting that case for years. mike hulbert john geesman has been fighting that for years to get involved with alliance and let me tell you, on march 25 of this year, in the hobby lobby case, they are the most important religious freedom cases of the last 30 years that will redefine free exercise and maybe even the establishment clause in the united states. and if you're praying, people pray for the success committee are contributing people, you can contribute to the alliance. the war on faith is advanced and this is the epic battle, if we lose hobby lobby, w we've lost a great deal. i don't know if you get it back. and so focus on that and perhaps support the alliance of defending freedom in the interim. >> unhappy by nature. >> good. >> but your first happiness was generosity and this young beautiful lady in front me, linda, i had to give her my but because of what you said. >> that is perfect. spent a great talk. enjoyed it a lot. >> thank you very much, that is perfect. but i would be happier if you just bought another one last [laughter] >> i happened to watch the c-span with -- >> did you? >> interview. and that's how i knew about you. and ever since then i caught your racial a couple of, i think last week, and i really enjoyed your radio show. that's telling you about tonight. i came here, listen to you, you make me feel happy. so thank you very much. i just want to say that. >> thank you. [applause] that allows us to do a shameless plug for brian lamb and c-span. i made the argument the other day, i don't know if brian has won the medal of freedom you, which is the highest civilian honor, but he invented c-span. he has done or authors more, we would not have the book industry would have or the author interviews we have. i've only been nervous three times in my life. i was nervous when i went on stephen colbert. sweating bullets. he was very nice to be because he, i didn't try and out funny stephen colbert. i was nervous one edited julie andrews. i was nervous with the brian lamb because he's the best in the year in america. sure enough he was terrific. thank you for coming tonight. i appreciate it. [applause] >> i am also a cleveland browns fan, and their gpa is a f. but is a time to let them go? >> no, no. tousled enough. they last won in 1964. i do not remove or. i went to every home browns game from 1965 when my dad got season tickets through 1974 when it went to college. i've had these season tickets since. really, honestly, i think we've turned the corner. we are five pro bowlers. we have 10 draft picks in the draft. we're going to get johnny manziel, great quarterback. josh is short and. the best quarterback in the league. i'm a sports talk is for stock or some you but you must understand but all the money you have on the browns winning the super bowl next year. [laughter] >> thank you for a nice talk. i enjoyed it. i would put myself in the happy category. i was wondering based on the research and work you put in writing your book, have you discovered any trades between people as to why some people can easily be happy for life, and we all have things in life that interfere with that, but generally happy, and people who go through life not being happy? >> i'm going to give you my completely honest answer, but prefaced it by saying that this is not an absolute impediment to changing. but i think unhappy parents produce unhappy children. and that if you don't have, if you don't have parents can when my good friend, richard mckenzie, one of the greatest teachers university of california-irvine and the author of the homecoming, was raised in north carolina, one of the happiest people i know. his orphanage was a very happy place with the worked with his hands all the time to he's a big advocate of orphanage so we didn't have parents but he's a very happy person. i think if you have a negative, dysfunctional, terrible family with addiction or pain or views, it is hard to get started on the road. i don't think it's impossible because i've met many people who have recovered from that and have recovered from other things, terrible things. i write about a a and happiest life and have it redeemed so many lies. i got a great good fortune to send a number of people to terrific sponsors who have guided into the program. if you've got happy parents, there is a very good chance you're going to be happy. so i think that's the great distinction characteristic. parents ought to remember that, kids are always watching every day, every day. >> i appreciate you. i listen to you. i appreciate your educating us as to the people to vote for and contribute to in other states. i think it's really important. spin this is the test. who have i been pushing the most this year? tom cochran. tom cochran.com. >> that's right. i liked relationship with john kimbell, i'm u.s. event. i don't like anything but other than that, i'm glad you have him on the show. i have a questions be i'm going to try to get through the whole thing with the bringing of usc. >> and my question is, why is there such terrible reception on this station? i live in -- [applause] laguna. whether i'm in l.a. or wherever i am, there's the established program of what here and they can't get anything. especially when you get off it like force and you start driving -- they are not come in my house on the radio in the car, i'm going crazy. >> i'm happy to tell you why. i answer this question all over the country, no matter how strong the signal, no matter how wonderful the station, and it depends upon when you leave the reach of the signal and am870 signal is directional and daytime or. which means the moment the sun goes down they have to turn down the power. 's every night you will be going along listening to my show and there are some bands writing, the station south of the mac and work that's not governed by the sec the steps on our signal. absolutely every night. i've been hearing about this for years but we can't invade mexico over my station. although it actually could invade mexico over my station but that's what it is, and that's the problem. >> spouse of cloud there she will make a terrific county assessor. >> thank you. one thing no one has mentioned they love about you is your life. here's my question. i love the republican party and it's in my blood. give me a snappy answer to say to republicans when they say, they are unhappy with the public and party, they are always fighting with each other. >> it's hard to argue with the truth. it is kind of like a circular firing squad. a snappy answer is, wouldn't winning be a lot more fun? because it would be, in fact, it is counterproductive. i'm trying to negotiate a truce tonight between two great conservatives in fact, during the show and afterwards, to great conservatives are at odds with each other, swords drawn. i think there aren't enough targets to shoot out the jet issued at your friends? ronald reagan, i did a broadcast from the reagan ranch of high above santa barbara on the 25th anniversary i believe it was of the "tear down this wall" speech. it's just a wonderful place. it confuses you with a sense of breaking and he was always and everywhere happy and upbeat and he always believed in the 11th commandment and i wish we could reinstall that. time for one more question i think. >> do you have a theory on how some children that went through the whole cast, did not have parents are happy parents or happy surroundings to say the least, went through such horrors, came out with no bitterness and happy disposition? i know some of them. >> there are. in fact, a great story. i can tell in my book. i'm going to tell this story. when i go to las vegas i played poker, badly. and i usually lose. i played seven card draw. is a fascinating game and an interest in. i play the low stakes table. sitting there one night late, across the street from caesars, government the name of the hotel, the pink one. they still run a traditional card -- flamingo. they don't play texas hold 'em. i like traditional. i grew up playing it with my buddies in high school. i'm sitting there, seven people of the table and did you. in roles a guy in a wheelchair, this is 15 years ago so he was 60 or 70, 15 years ago. he pulled in and he said, great day, isn't it? i said why would you say that? you haven't won a hand. and he rolled up his sleeve and there was a number from a camp. and he said every day is a great day. i'm alive, let's play. i thought that was unfair actually because how are you going to take the money from him at that point? you are folding on full houses, kings over trees. you are not playing but it was a great testament, a great story. i wish i taken the time -- i was in yet on the radio i would have gotten his name down, but dennis had a holocaust survivor on the other day. a suit salesman in downtown los angeles. he is the most happy fellow and i think they've learned, and as dennis the last time, it is, why are jews so happy? so funny. he thought that they feel the question and then he said no its not that's a very good question. that's why they wanted to, dennis. he said it's because something produces good humor and a sense of appreciation for when there isn't suffering. something that's probably answer. on that note, thank you for coming. i will go out and sign books, and thank you, jonathan, and the nixon library. [applause] >> i want to thank you, all of you for coming out tonight, and you all know we have some great authors here. it's not the extensive honorary and other lavish hotel to put them up in but it's these priceless gifts that we provide them. i want to give one to hugh hewitt. this is a what would nixon do mug. this is number one industries of about 50. there's about 5000 more available in our easing star. please pick one of. hugh hewitt will be out in the lobby to sign your books. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> you are watching booktv, nonfiction authors and books every weekend on c-span2. >> here's a look at some of the book fairs and festivals that will be on booktv in the coming months. >> for a complete schedule of events visit booktv.org, and also let us know about book fairs and festivals in your area and we will be happy to add them to our list. e-mail us at booktv at c-span.org. >> american history tv debuts its new series, real america featuring archival films produced by the u.s. government, industry and educational institutions that take you on a vivid journey into america's past. this week films on washington, d.c. during world war ii, and women workers during america's military buildup of the 1940s. >> a few months ago industry rolled out the material of war, a plea for help went out. of all the clamor of heavy trains, the call came clear, along a thousand suns were idle ships awaited cargoes held up by labor shortage, the call for assistance. that was the call for help which was still echoing in the detroit area when women began to respond. convinced they could do factory work or anything with their strength that men could do for uncle sam. listen, the wings overhead, heart, your sisters are singing. it is a throng of women, american women on the warpath. ♪ >> real america starting today at 4 p.m. eastern on c-span3's american history tv. >> you are watching booktv on c-span2. here's our primetime lineup for tonight.