BiographyBestselling author and Harvard graduate Broughton Coburn lived in the Himalaya for two decades, writing and overseeing development and environmental conservation efforts for the World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, and United Nations. The author or editor of 7 books, including two national best-sellers, he has lectured at over 140 venues around the United States to a wide variety of audiences. He is now offering three compelling, illustrated programs to choose from:
Everest: To the Top of the World
In this riveting motivational program, based on his two national best-sellers, Everest: Mountain Without Mercy (National Geographic Books) and Touching My Father’s Soul: A Sherpa’s Journey to the Top of Everest (HarperSanFrancisco), Broughton Coburn takes us behind the scenes and to the top of the world – to examine what makes a successful Everest climb work. In this alternately frightening and inspiring illustrated program, Coburn uses slides from the Everest IMAX Filming Expedition to illustrate the organization and dynamics of the team’s eventually successful attempt, while exploring the natural and human events that led to the loss of 12 climbers in one storm.
In this gripping presentation, Coburn deftly depicts how climbing Everest safely demands an abundance of apprenticeship and experience. But it also requires the qualities of leadership, planning, confidence, commitment, strength, persistence, patience, professionalism, teamwork and humility -- all in a measured balance. For each of these attributes, he provides examples of how they furthered the IMAX teams effort, and how they affected the outcome. Coburn can also address additional topics, such as competitiveness, the role of the media, guiding of clients, and the compounding effect of poor planning, judgment and communication.
Aama’s Journey: A Pilgrimage Between Continents and Cultures
This is Broughton Coburn's classic illustrated story of a 12,000 mile odyssey across America with his 84 year-old adopted Nepalese mother, in search of the soul of our country. The audience is immersed in the cosmology, philosophy, hopes and humor of a woman with no previous exposure to Western civilization, for Aama is a universal spirit, singular in her discovery of the vitality and sacredness that surrounds us and breathes within us. Coburn has taken audiences on this rollicking, poignant and thought-provoking end-of-life pilgrimage at more than 100 venues around the U.S. – for audiences ranging from corporations, associations and annual meetings, to colleges, museums, religious groups and keynote events.
Secrets of Shangri-la: The Ancient Caves of Mustang
National Geographic-Funded Explorer Unveils New Discoveries in the High Himalaya
In Secrets of Shangri-la: The Ancient Caves of Mustang, Broughton Coburn recounts the recent National Geographic-funded expedition to a series of human-excavated cave cities that date to 2,000 B.C., yielding discoveries of international significance -- rare, abandoned text folios, and an exquisite, 14th Century mural depicting a lineage of high priests and mystical yogis. Who created these sacred and historic sites, and what do they tell us about human and world history? What life lessons do they offer to modern humans – and what will happen to these sacred sites and the secrets they contain?
In a lively, illustrated presentation, Broughton Coburn unravels the pre-historic, religious, cultural and artistic legacy of this enchanted, living landscape. He traverses such diverse subjects as high altitude archaeology and anthropology, fragile mountain environments, global warming, Himalayan art history, issues of cultural change and modernization, and the inherent nature of the human mind – all wrapped in a gripping adventure story that shares this year's findings with the public for the first time. It’s a show that, broadly speaking, offers up the real-life version of the latest installment in the Indian Jones series. This program is especially topical in that the National Geographic Special on this adventure will premiere in November of 2009.
==========
Broughton Coburn has appeared as an expert panelist on NPR's Talk of the Nation and Day to Day. He recently book doctored the autobiography of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Mathaai. In addition to writing and editing, Broughton Coburn has worked with the American Himalayan Foundation, a charitable organization based in San Francisco. He lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife Didi, and children Phoebe and Tenzing.
Flyers, a demo video, testimonials and other materials can be found on Coburn's Web site, www.unusualspeaker.com.
A testimonial for "Aama's Journey"....
"I was overwhelmed by the emotion of the show and, judging by the ovations, so was the whole audience. You masterfully tread the fine line between pathos and pitfall, humor and humility. As a storyteller you have developed your subject so expertly that the delicacy and poignancy are not only preserved, but amplified without any sense of the crass or exaggeration. Aama is the real thing, and your conveyance of her pure perceptions enthralled us and swept us away. Thank you for such a warm and rewarding experience! Right after the show I phoned June Anderson, one of our Anthropologists, whom I'd seen in the audience. I wanted her reaction to your talk before it was stale. I had to leave a message and in return got this message: The lecture was MAGNIFICENT, what more can I say?! Not only is he a good speaker but his material is WONDERFUL.! Beautiful photography too. . . it is such a plus for the Academy to have a speaker like that, it is just wonderful; You made me laugh and you made me cry!"
Joe Brennan
Director of Operations
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, California
Broughton Coburn’s speaking clients
have included the following. . .
Corporate and Professional Groups
· Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia
· Jordan Commons Multi-Plex opening ceremony, Sandy, Utah
· Farmers Insurance, Glenwood Springs, Colorado
· Amerind Corporation, Nashville, Tennessee
· Rocky Mountain Association of Orthodontists, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
· California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California
· Topeka Sales and Marketing Executives, Kansas
· 13th International Hypoxia Symposium, Banff, Canada
· International Travel Medicine Conference, Jackson Wyoming
· Recreational Equipment, Inc., Seattle, Washington
· Celebrity Cruises, California
Colleges, Universities and Schools
· Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
· Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington (2x)
· University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado (2x)
· NYU Law School, New York City
· Butte College, Chico, California
· Colby-Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire
· University of Montana, Missoula
· University of Wisconsin - Fox Valley, Menasha
· Elgin Community College, Elgin, Illinois (3x)
· Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, Washington
· Blackhawk Technical College, Janesville, Wisconsin
· Illinois College, Jacksonville
· Illinois College, Kankakee
· Principia College, Ilsah, Illinois
· Carlton College, Northfield, Minnesota
· St. Olaf’s College, Northfield, Minnesota
· Elon University, Elon, North Carolina
· Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
· The Pembroke School, Kansas City, Missouri
· Rowland Hall – St. Marks School, Salt Lake City, Utah
· Lake Forest Academy, Chicago, Illinois
· West Sound Academy, Poulsbo, Washington
· Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma, Washington
· Porter Middle School, Missoula, Montana
· The Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado
Associations and Museums
· Associated Clubs (“Knife and Fork Clubs”) – appearances at 39 clubs across the United States
· The Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia
· The Asia Society, New York City and Los Angeles
· The Sunset Club, Seattle, Washington
· The Community Library Speakers Series, Ketchum, Idaho
· The Los Angeles Public Library Speakers Series, California
· Whitefish Speakers Series, Montana
· The Emerson Center, Bozeman, Montana
· Third Avenue Playhouse, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
· Rubin Museum of Art, New York City
· The National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
· The Explorers Club, New York City
· Telluride Mountain Film Festival, Colorado (3x)
· Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival, Idaho
· The American Alpine Club, Golden, Colorado
· Teton Pines Golf and Country Club, Jackson, Wyoming
· Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Denver, Colorado
· Olympia Diocese of Episcopal Ministers, Seattle, Washington
· World Affairs Council, Portland, Oregon
· Catholic Committee of Appalachia, Athens, Ohio
· The Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, Colorado
· The National Museum of Natural History, New York City
· The Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport, New York
· The Museum of Man, Balboa Park, San Diego, California
· The National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming