Pencil This In: Zócalo takes on Zurich, Actor, Politico Fred Thompson at Book Soup

Good morning, LA. | Photo by Orispace.David via LAist's flickr pool.

Good morning, LA. | Photo by Orispace.David via LAist's flickr pool.
Events are a little few and far between tonight, but here are three of interest. Post any other suggestions you may have below.

POLITICS
Zócalo comes up with some interesting topics, and here’s one that seems out of leftish field:Zurich vs. LA: Which Is the Most Democratic City?Policy wonks may want to check out this discussion that compares challenges each city faces when applying direct democratic theories into action. 7:30 pm at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Free, but reservations recommended.

TALK
[ALOUD] at Central Library welcomes Thomas Levenson, professor of science writing at MIT and author of nonfiction books Einstein in Berlin, Measure for Measure and Ice Time, for the [ALOUD] program Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective. 7 pm. Reservations required.

BOOKS
Former Republican presidential hopeful and actor Fred Thompson (Law & Order) heads to Book Soup tonight to promote his book, Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances. Fred Thompson’s memoir is full of small-town humor and folksy stories about growing up in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. "'As one of the local old timers put it, 'We weren't big enough to have a town drunk, so a few of us had to take turns.'"

*Pencil pick of the day

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