In conversation with his colleague at the Hoover Institution, Ken Jowitt. Jowitt begins by focusing on getting Conquest's thoughts on the disconnect between ideology and actions, approaching the dichotomy from several different angles using the West versus communism as the focal point. The conversation then moves to topics as varied as the European Union, evaluating various U.S. presidents, fascism, former Soviet states, objectivity versus subjectivity, and beliefs in academia.

Conquest's biography includes: Author, Harvest of Sorrow, 1986; recipient, Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2005; Research Fellow, Hoover Institution.

Jowitt's biography includes: Professor, political science, University of California at Berkeley, 1968- ; dean of undergraduate studies, University of California at Berkeley, 1983-86; Pres and Maurine Hotchkis Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution.