WILLIAM BRANGHAM: David Baldacci has written# more than 50 legal and suspense novels, including## bestsellers like "Absolute Power" and "Wish You# Well."

His latest is "Nash Falls."

It's a story## about a successful businessman who's recruited# by the FBI to expose a global crime network.

But Baldacci and his wife are now# tackling a major real-world problem,## how to combat toxic political discourse.

Geoff# Bennett sat down with them both recently.

GEOFF BENNETT: David and Michelle# Baldacci, welcome to the "News Hour."

DAVID BALDACCI, Civil Discourse and# Collaboration Initiative: Thank you very much.

MICHELLE BALDACCI, Civil .. GEOFF BENNETT: W.. service in this moment, what drew you to# this idea, this civic discourse initiative?

DAVID BALDACCI: Well, we sort of looked around,## I think, at the world and decided that this# polariza.. And so many people now communicate and debate# via social media, where there's really very## little accountability.

We thought, if we could# bring people face-to-face, you know who they are,## getting rid of this anonymity, and people would# just sit down and actually have discussions and## conversations, that maybe it might work, and# people could figure out, what I -- sitting## across the table from you, I think I agree# with you on more things than I thought I would.

And I can see who you are.

You're another human# being.

You're not -- you could be a chatbot from## Russia, for all you know if you're online.# We just thought we wanted to make it simple,## but have these venues and platforms and# opportunities for people to come together.

GEOFF BENNETT: And how do you do it?

How# do you get people to engage face-to-face?

MICHELLE BALDACCI: Well, that's going to be an# ongoing project.

We're going to have to figure## that out and set up the platforms and the venues# and make it work for as many people as possible.

GEOFF BENNETT: And it's at VCU.

It's in# Virginia, lifelong Virginia resident.

DAVID BALDACCI: Yes.

GEOFF BENNETT: Y.. DAVID BALDACCI: Yes.

And we thought we need.. VCU has a statewide footprint, as does the# Library of Virginia.

You know, Library of## Virginia sort of has the paper, the materials, the# resources, the history, the facts, the knowledge.

And to take that and take it across the# commonwealth, it's sort of -- I tell people## exercise to keep yourself healthy.# Well, as a citizen of the democracy,## you have to exercise your citizenship muscles# or else it atrophies and it goes away.

And you## can't wait every four years the day before# to figure out who you're going to vote for.

You need to be engaged throughout the# entire process.

I know people are busy,## but this is really important.

This stuff really# matters.

So we were thinking -- and we will give## you an example -- of a town hall with no# politicians, just people coming in, in the## area.

We want to go where they are.

We don't want# people to have to come to Richmond for everything.

We want people to go where they are in these# communities, in lots of different venues,## and just have opportunities where it could# be moderated.

We could have speakers come in## that have debates and conversations and# dialogue afterwards.

So it can take 100## different sort of facets and elements# of what this might be, but it's about## bringing people together to speak peacefully,# rationally, respectfully with other people.

This is not about getting out there and hurling# vitriol.

We have had enough of that.

This is## about facing problems, compromising, coming to# agreement and then moving forward as a country.

GEOFF BENNETT: And how do you plan to# measure success for an initiative like this?

MICHELLE BALDACCI: Oh, that's# a really good question.

The goal is to make this fun, as# well as educational.

So, hopefully,## we will be able to reach out.

And it'll# depend on how many people attend and how## many people seem interested, how many people# we can get into the venues and the platforms.

GEOFF BENNETT: It's interesting to hear you say# the goal is to make it feel fun, because my view## of things is that something being fun doesn't# dilute the mission.

It really just amplifies it.

DAVID BALDACCI: Yes.

MICHELLE BALDACCI: Well... GEOFF BENNETT: Y.. MICHELLE BALDACCI: ..... (LAUGHTER) GEOFF BENNETT: As so.. what surprising lessons have you learned about# how people engage with reading and dialogue today?

DAVID BALDACCI: Well, I think that very# few people read books consistently anymore,## unfortunately, and that number continues to go# down.

I mean, social media and everything else,## it's -- and being in the book world, I get# all the statistics and facts, where social## media is actually decreasing people's power to# be able to read a novel-length form of fiction.

So now, instead of in college teaching novels,## they are teaching excerpts of novels, because# kids' attention spans have atrophied so much.

GEOFF BENNETT: Really?

DAVID BALDACCI: .. every day, trust me, you're going to have a# really difficult time reading an entire book,## because your mind and your brain# and your synapses reformulate.

And so all of a sudden you're like,# I can't go more than seven minutes## on a focus because that's what my brain# has now adapted to.

So my hope is that## this will get people more engaged.

I want# people to both read a lot more because,## part of being a citizen is, you have to# read.

You have to understand the facts.

I always point to, there's a 47-page book that# was written in this country hundreds of years## ago by a former Englishman named Thomas Pain# called "Common Sense."

Back then, half the## people in this country couldn't even read.

I would# guarantee you that every American knew every word## in that book.

Why?

Because it mattered to them.# This is as they were seeking their independence.

I think that we can't take democracy for# granted.

I think, every day, we need to think,## if we're not working towards maintaining# our democracy one day, it could go away.

GEOFF BENNETT: Say more about# that, this idea that literacy## isn't just an educational issue.# It's a small-D democratic issue.

MICHELLE BALDACCI: Right.

It's difficult to get people engaged# in things that they don'.. every day.

Because we're from Virginia outside# D.C., we're kind of exposed to it all the time,## whereas the rest of the country really isn't.# So they don't feel like it's something they need## to engage with every day, maybe every two years,# maybe every four years, when there's an election.

And they don't also understand the# importance of local politics and how## that affects them.

And I think the other# issue with people not reading books is,## because of tweets and everything's gotten# shortened, you have to give it in small doses.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, obviously, you# write these thrilling fictional## worlds filled with conflict.

How has# that practice of crafting narratives## shaped your thinking about how to deal# with real-world conflict and resolution?

DAVID BALDACCI: I have found that# anything is possible.

My books are## bound by plausibility.

I can write about# anything.

Anything is plausible these days.

And so until Gutenberg invented his# little printing press, we lived in## the Dark Ages.

And books brought us into the# Enlightenment.

And if we stop reading books,## there's only one place for us to go, and# that's back there.

Books really are at the## center of what makes us human beings.

We're# the only species that can actually read.

And this is how you build intelligence.

All# these data centers are going up around the## world.

So all the tech bros have decided, you# know how to make superintelligence?

We're going## to feed every book ever written into them.# That should tell all of us how important## books are to build superintelligence, because# actually we are the superintelligent ones.

So if you think the tech bros are geniuses,## you should be reading a book# every single day of your life.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, I have# had your latest book here## on the desk throughout our entire conversation,## because I do intend to ask you a question# about it.

It's not just here as a set piece.

(LAUGHTER) GEOFF BENNETT: B.. you for your fast-paced, plot-driven thrillers.

This book, "Nash Falls",## feels especially introspective.

Is that# a shift for you?

Was.. DAVID BALDACCI: The older you get... (LAUGHTER) DAVID BALDACCI: .. And I thought so.

What I do with "Nash Falls,"# Walter Nash is a -- he's.. supposed to do.

He got a good education.# He has worked really hard for decades,## and he has reached the American# dream.

And then all of a sudden,## nothing he can control, somebody# came and took it away from him.

And I -- on the book tour, I told people,# I feel like it's thematic these days,## where you have done everything you're supposed# to do, everybody told you were supposed to do,## and you achieved your goals, and then# it's gone.

And then you have to pick## yourself back up again and move# forward.

And how do you do that?

So, me, just as a observer of the world, I# took that story on because I'm going to make## Walter Nash feel like an everyday American.# And this is what happened, and where do you## go from there?

Because I think a lot of people# are asking themselves, where do I go from here?

GEOFF BENNETT: David and Michelle Baldacci,## a real pleasure to speak with# you both.

Thanks for being here.

DAVID BALDACCI: Thank you.

MICHELLE BALDACCI: Thank you.