Dr. Francis Adams

Are We Still Racists?

Alienable Rights: The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man's Land, 1619 to 2000

“Alienable Rights:  The Exclusion of African Americans in a White Man’s Land, 1619 to 2000” is a book in part written by Francis Adams, an independent scholar living in Los Angeles, California.  The book posits that the drive for equal rights for black people in the United States has never had the support of the majority of America.  Rather, racial progress has been made in brief historic bursts, lead by the committed militant minorities of abolitionists, radical republicans, and civil rights activists.  In this program, we visit with Dr. Francis D. Adams.  I asked him to explain the importance of the trial of James Somerset that took place in England in 1772.

Dr. Francis Adams recommends "Collapse," by Jared Diamond.

Originally Broadcast: January 29, 2005

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Dr. Ken Alibek

Soviet Germ Warfare

Bio-Hazard: The Chilling Story of the Largest Covert Biological Weapons Program in the World -- Told From Inside by the Man Who Ran it

Biological warfare is the use of weapons that cause death by disease.  The largest and most sophisticated biological weapons program in the world, which cultivated and stockpiled anthrax virus, brucellosis, the plague and genetically altered strains of small pox, employed more than 6000 people at over 100 facilities in the former Soviet Union.  For 15 years, ending in 1992, Dr. Ken Alibek, a doctor of medicine and a Ph.D. in microbiology, was the scientific leader of Bio-Preparat, the civilian branch of that secret biological weapons program, masquerading as a pharmaceutical company.  In 1992, Dr. Alibek defected to the United States.  Several years later, he wrote “Bio-Hazard,” a book detailing the development of biological weapons, the horrors of his former life and why he chose to defect.  This is a two-part program with Dr. Ken Alibek, recorded in 1999.

Dr. Ken Alibek recommends "Prevent," by Richard Preston & "Vector," by Robin Cook.

Originally Broadcast: May 11, 1999 & May 18, 1999

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Dr. Elizabeth Allen

Changes in Segregation Since 1952

In May 1954, the United States Supreme Court, unanimously declared, ”segregation in public education is a denial of the equal protection of the law.”  This is a two-part discussion about the aftermath of that decision.  Our guest is Dr. Elizabeth Allen, a Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan.  As a high school student, Dr. Allen was one of the first African-American students to integrate West Virginia high schools in 1957.

Dr. Elizabeth Allen recommends "The Price of Loyalty," by David Suskind with former US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neil.

Originally Broadcast: May 4, 2004 & May 18, 2004

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Dr. Richard Alston

The Economics of Party Politics

After the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention in 1992, Richard M. Alston, who was then chairman of the Economics Department at Webber State University in Ogden, Utah, sent a political survey to the delegates to that convention.  This survey concerned the perceptions of convention delegates regarding economic issues in the United States.  As a delegate to the Democratic National Convention I was sent one his surveys, and decided to ask Professor Alston for an interview.  In our interview we discussed the survey and what information he hoped to ascertain with it as well as the role of economists in academic institutions in America. This program was originally broadcast in November of 1992, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.

Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1992

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Bettina Aptheker

The Personal is the Political

Tapestries of Life: Women's Work, Women's Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience

Political intimacy is closely related to personal intimacy, just as social change is related to personal change.   In 1997 Bettina Aptheker, the author of Tapestries of Life: Women’s Work, Women’s Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience, was a professor of women’s studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a person who is clear and open about identifying herself as a lesbian.  When we spoke in February of 1997, we explored the relationship of personal intimacy and political intimacy.

Bettina Aptheker recommends "Ceremony," by Leslie Marmon Philco.

Originally Broadcast: February 17, 1997

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Alan Axelrod

FDR as a Leader

Nothing to Fear, Lessons in Leadership from FDR

Alan Axelrod is a writer who has studied the cultural and business dimensions of America.  “Nothing to Fear, Lessons in Leadership from FDR,” by Axelrod, focuses on FDR’s unique leadership style and what an effective leader is able to do.  We spoke about FDR’s leadership skills in the first part of our discussion and then addressed the leadership style and effectiveness of President George W. Bush.

Alan Axelrod recommends "The Life of PT Barnum," by PT Barnum.

Originally Broadcast: June 3, 2003

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Benjamin Barber

Don't Buy It!

Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole

When we purchase and consume what we believe is necessary for our individual lives, do we obtain what we need or do we end up with what the forces of 21st century capitalism tell us we need?  In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Benjamin Barber, author of “Consumed, How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole.”  The concepts of dumbing down the consumer and the development of brand devotion in the early years of a person’s life are, among many other considerations, explored in this book.  I spoke with Benjamin Barber from his home in New York City in early April 2007 and began our conversation by asking him to discuss how consumers are infantilized and targeted in way that there will never be enough shoppers.

Benjamin Barber recommends “The March,” by E.L. Doctorow..

Originally Broadcast: April 11, 2007

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Dr. Michael Baden

How Did That Person Die?

Dead Reckoning, the New Science of Catching Killers

In the fascinating world of medical discovery, the interpretation of how and when a person died can often be explained by looking at the bugs that are found on the body.  Dr. Michael Baden, Chief Medical Examiner for the New York State Police, is the author of “Dead Reckoning, the New Science of Catching Killers,” and our guest in a two-part series on forensic pathology, the study and public discussion of how, when and where people died.

Dr. Michael Baden recommends "The Moonstone," by Wilkie Collins.

Originally Broadcast: January 22, 2002 & January 29, 2002

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Annie Barnes

Racism in America

Everyday Racism: A Book For All Americans

Racism has too long been a part of the American experience.  The Civil War and the Constitutional amendments that followed, the Supreme Court decisions ordering the desegregation of schools, and the Civil Rights movements did not end racism in America.  Annie S. Barnes, holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Virginia and is a retired Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Norfolk State University in Virginia.  She is the author of “Everyday Racism, A Book for All Americans,” a book based on the racist experiences suffered by 146 black college students.  Professor Barnes describes effects of racism on black people and what black people and white people can do to combat it.

Annie Barnes recommends "Driving While Black," by Kenneth Meeks.

Originally Broadcast: February 27, 2001

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Amy Bloom

Love as Creator

Love Invents Us

Amy Bloom is a Connecticut-based author and psychotherapist and the author of a novel entitled “Love Invents Us.”  This book, the enactment of psychological theory about human behavior, also traces the intimate details in the life of Elizabeth Howe from her childhood to middle age.  I spoke with Amy Bloom by phone while she was on tour to discuss ‘Love Invents Us” and asked her, “how does love invent us?”

Amy Bloom recommends "Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream," by John Derbyshire.

Originally Broadcast: February 12, 1997

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Deborah Blum

The Science of Affection

Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection

In an unknown and dilapidated laboratory on the University of Wisconsin campus in the 1950s and 1960s, a brilliant, alcoholic, work-obsessed psychologist conducted research on love, a pursuit that was previously ignored and considered unworthy of scientific study.  “Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection,” written by journalist Deborah Blum, is the story of how Professor Harry Harlow, one of the most important and controversial psychologists of the 20th century, altered our understanding of love.

Deborah Blum recommends "The Life of Pi," by Yan Martel.

Originally Broadcast: July 15, 2003

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Nicolas Bothman

Get Along Well

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less

Making people like you is a skill that anybody can learn.  By reading body language and synchronizing behavior, it is possible to make meaningful connections with almost anybody in almost any circumstance.  We appreciate and like people similar to ourselves, people we understand and people who are open.  “How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less” is the title of a book by Nicholas Bothman, a neurolinguistic practitioner who lives in Toronto, Canada.

Nicolas Bothman recommends "Love in the Town of Cholera," & "One Hundred Years of Solitude," both by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Originally Broadcast: January 2, 2001

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Blanche Boyd

Self-Styled Outlaw Lesbians

Terminal Velocity

The concept of memoir versus fiction leads many authors to transform their personal experiences and life to fiction.  Blanche Boyd is a native of South Carolina and a Professor of Literature at Connecticut College.  She is also the author of the book entitled, “Terminal Velocity.”  This is a book about a group of self-styled lesbian outlaws in the 1970s.  We discussed the relationship of memoir and fiction, and how it applies to her work.

Blanche Boyd recommends "Cathedral" & "To the Waterfall," both by Raymond Carver.

Originally Broadcast: August 19, 1997

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William Boyer

The Rights of Our Children

America's Future: Transition into the 21st Century

William Boyer, a Professor Emeritus and the former Chairman of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaii, is the author of a book called “America’s Future: Transition into the 21st Century.”  In this program, we discussed the rights of future generations, how to protect those rights, what they are, and what right we have to determine the rights of future generations.  This program was originally broadcast in March of 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.

Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1993

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Jennifer Finney Boylan

A Man Becomes a Woman

She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders

“She’s Not There:  A Life in Two Genders,” by Jennifer Finney Boylan, is a book about a man who became a woman.  For as long as he could remember, James Boylan felt he was in the wrong body.  Spending his childhood playing ‘Girl Planet’ (where the air turned anyone who breathed into a girl) and in adolescent and young adult years dressing up in women’s clothing, James was convinced that the only thing that could save him was the love of the right woman.  When he fell in love and got married, he threw out the women’s clothes and pledged his life to manhood.  But being a loving husband, a responsible father, a respected professor, and an acclaimed writer couldn’t stop the feeling that he was, despite physical evidence to the contrary, a woman.  With the unfailing support of his family, friends and several doctors, James became Jenny.

Jennifer Finney Boylan recommends "Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain.

Originally Broadcast: September 30, 2003

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Richard Brodie

How Ideas Travel

The Virus of the Mind

The developing field of science called the science of memetics is based on evolution, studies memes: how they interact, replicate, and evolve.  The biological definition of a meme is a basic unit of cultural transmission.  The psychological definition of a meme is a unit of cultural heredity analogous to the gene, the internal representation of knowledge.  A working definition of a meme is a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds.  “The Virus of the Mind” is a book devoted to the study of memetics and memes and was written by Richard Brodie, who also was a writer of the first version of Microsoft Word.    He was our guest for this edition of Radio Curious that was originally broadcast in July of 1996.  We began when I asked him what is the importance of studying memetics.

Richard Brodie recommends “The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History” by Howard Bloom.

Originally Broadcast: July 31, 1996

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Joseph Brodsky

A Book of Poems Next to Every Bible

A Part of Speech, Less Than One, To Urania, Marbles, & Watermark

Joseph Brodsky, a winner of the Noble Prize, was the United States National Poet Laureate in 1991.  Born in what was then Leningrad, Soviet Union, he grew up in a communal apartment, and was very active in language and literary pursuits.  In 1963, a Leningrad newspaper denounced Brodsky, calling his poetry pornographic and anti-Soviet.  He was interrogated and twice put in mental institutions.  His papers were seized.  He was arrested and indicted on the charge of parasitism.   In a secret trial, he was called a “pseudo-poet in velveteen trousers,” who failed to fulfill his “constitutional duty to work honestly for the good of the motherland.”  Yet no fault was found in the content of his poetry.  One of the more interesting comments Joseph Brodsky made as a guest was that there should be a book of poetry in every hotel room, right next to the Bible.  He said that he didn’t think that the telephone book would mind.  Joseph Brodsky died on January 28th of 1996, a world-class poet.

Originally Broadcast: November 18, 1991

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Dr. Seyom Brown

Clinton's Foreign Policy

New Forces, Old Forces and the Future of World Politics

The relationship of the US to Russia and the other members of the former Soviet Union is a major issue in the world today.  The Clinton administration claimed one of its best foreign policy achievements was the way it handled the Russian situation and the disbanding of the former Soviet Union.  Dr. Seyom Brown has, for the past 40 years, studied that relationship, as a foreign policy analyst, advisor and author.  He is currently a Professor of International Relations and the former Chairman of the Department of Politics at Brandeis University, near Boston, MA.  Our discussion about Clinton’s foreign policy resulted in this two-part program.

Originally Broadcast: August 28, 1995 & September 11, 1995

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Lester R. Brown

The Earth and Economy in Crisis

Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble

Our earth is in big trouble.  The environment and our economy are in crisis.  Essentially, we have created a bubble economy in which we are over-consuming the earth’s natural resources.  In this program, we will visit with Lester R. Brown, the author of “Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.”  Lester Brown is the president of the Earth Policy Institute, a nonprofit interdisciplinary research organization based in Washington DC.

Originally Broadcast: October 7, 2003

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Sylvia Brownrigg

Absent Tangible Memory

Metaphysical Touch

When someone dies, we have that person’s papers and things to look at and use to understand and create memories about the life that has left us.  Sometimes, however, the person stays and the papers and tokens are lost, as in a fire.   Then we have only memories without material objects to help enhance them.   This juxtaposition is one of the themes in a novel entitled the “Metaphysical Touch,” by Syvia Brownrigg, an American author with roots in Mendocino County, a long experience in London, and currently living near San Francisco.

Sylvia Brownrigg recommends "Out of Sheer Rage," by Jeff Dyer.

Originally Broadcast: January 12, 2000

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Victoria Bruce

Beware of Volcanos

No Apparent Danger

Volcanic eruptions are far more predictable than earthquakes.  Scientific equipment is available to forecast an eruption with about as much accuracy as there is to predict a hurricane.  These predictions can tell when it is time to evacuate areas surrounding an active volcano.  Unfortunately, the information available from these predictions is not always heeded.  That’s what happened in the South American nation of Columbia, in 1985, and later, in 1993.  Victoria Bruce is the author of a book entitled “No Apparent Danger,” which tells the stories of these two volcanic eruptions and the deaths that followed.

Victoria Bruce recommends "Measure of a Mountain," by Bruce Barcot.

Originally Broadcast: April 14, 2001

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Joan Jacobs Brumberg

An Intimate History of American Girls

The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls

Advertising has had a major effect on how we view our bodies and on our individual self-image.  The history of how this advertising has come to affect American girls as they pass through menarche and adolescence is presented in a book called “The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls.”  This book describes the historical roots of acute societal and psychological pressures that girls feel today.  It shows how the female adolescent experience has changed since 1895.  The author, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, is a Professor of History and Women’s Studies at Cornell University in New York.  In this two-part program, I spoke Professor Brumberg in October of 1997 and asked her what drew her to write “The Body Project.”

Joan Jacobs Brumberg recommends “Learning to Bow,” by Bruce Feiler & “The Grass Link,” by May Vinchi.

Originally Broadcast: October 14, 1997 & October 21, 1997

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President Jimmy Carter

Life After the Presidency

The Virtues of Aging

Considering the alternatives, growing older is really not all that bad.  The frame of mind that we develop and carry with us as we age controls much of how we feel and behave.  James Earl Carter Jr., more often known as Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the US, is the author of a book called, “The Virtues of Aging.”  President Carter’s book covers issues from Social Security and medical expenses to the importance of staying active and involved.  I spoke with President Jimmy Carter by phone, in the fall of 1998, and I asked him what prompted him to write the book.

President Jimmy Carter recommends "The Age Wave: How the Most Important Trend of Our Time Can Change Your Future," by Ken Dychtwald.

Originally Broadcast: December 4, 1998

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Jack Cassell, M.D.

Urology, Good and Bad

Better Living Through Urology

Urinary tract diseases and their symptoms can affect all of us, men and women alike, whether we know it or not.  Sometimes we don’t know it until it is too late.  More people die each year from prostate cancer than from breast cancer or colon cancer.  So education and prevention is perhaps our best medicine.  Dr. Jack Cassell, a Florida urologist, and author of “Better Living Through Urology:  21st Century Solutions to Age-Old Problems,” discusses care of the urinary tract for men and women and how to avoid discomfort and disease that could be fatal.  In this interview we visit with Dr. Cassell from his office Florida and begin with his description of what urine is.

www.blturology.com

Jack Cassell recommends "Human Sexual Response," by William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson.

Originally Broadcast: February 7, 2006

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Gordon Chang

How Will China Survive?

The Coming Collapse of China

Approximately 20% of the world’s population lives in the People’s Republic of China.  According to Chinese-American lawyer Gordon G. Chang, China appears from the outside to be politically stable and economically strong.  Chang, however, argues that China is in social, cultural, economic and political turmoil.  He claims that China’s pending entry into the World Trade Organization will trigger social and political collapse.  Gordon Chang has lived and worked in China for almost 20 years, most recently in Shanghai.  He is the author of a new book entitled “The Coming Collapse of China.”

Gordon Chang recommends "The Tipping Point," by Malcolm Gladwell.

Originally Broadcast: September 11, 2001

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Alston Chase

Who is Ted Kaczynski?

Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist

"Harvard and the Unabomber:  The Education of an American Terrorist” is a book by Alston Chase, former Chair of the Philosophy Department at Macalester University in Minnesota.  After studying the life and experiences of Theodore Kaczynski, who came to be known as the Unabomber, Chase characterizes him as product of the post World War II angst.  Our discussion on Kaczynski continued through two parts.

Alston Chase recommends "Pity of War," by Nile Furgeson.

Originally Broadcast: July 1, 2003 & July 8, 2003

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Da Chen

Life in China Under Mao

Colors of the Mountain

The Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, led by Mao Zedong, imposed a major change to the nation where one in every four people in the world live.  Da Chen was born in 1962 in southern China to a once wealthy family, by that time despised for its capitalist past.  At the age of 23, after graduating with top honors and serving as an assistant professor at the Beijing Language Institute, Da Chen came to America with $30 and a bamboo flute.   He won a full scholarship to Columbia University Law School, and later settled in the Hudson River Valley.  His book, “Colors of the Mountain,” tells the story of his childhood, his life and experiences.

Da Chen recommends "The God of Small Things," by Arundhati Roy.

Originally Broadcast: July 18, 2000

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Terrence Cheng

Two Chinese Brothers

Sons of Heaven

In June of 1989, in Tienamin Square, in the justify of Beijing, China, one of the largest student protests ever to occur in that country took place.  The “Sons of Heaven,” by Terrence Cheng, is a novel about three major players in this drama, Deng Xiao Ping, the leader of China at the time, and two brothers, one a soldier in the Red Army in Teinamin Square at the time, and the other the man who stood in front of the tanks.

Terrence Cheng recommends "Ghost Written," by David Mitchell.

Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002

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Dr. Dana Chidekel

You or Your Kid?

Parents in Charge, Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child

Children are too often seen and treated as small adults, too often dressed as adults, and too often have their lives planned out for them to be as busy as adults.  Treating children as people older than they are overlooks the child’s cognitive abilities, and can lead to unsatisfying and sometimes traumatic relationships.  “Parents in Charge, Setting Healthy, Loving Boundaries for You and Your Child” is a book by Dr. Dana Chidekel, a child psychologist near Los Angeles.  She asserts that the developing brain of toddlers does not give them the capacity to respond to being placed on equal ground with their parents, and encourages parents to assume their rightful role of authority.

Dr. Dana Chidekel recommends "Seabiscuit," by Laura Hillenbrand.

Originally Broadcast: March 12, 2002

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Dr. Gene D. Cohen

Do We Get Smarter As We Age

The Mature Mind:  The Positive Power of the Aging Brain

Do people over a certain age necessarily loose mental acuity?  According to Dr. Gene Cohen, the answer is “no.” Dr. Cohen, a psychiatrist and gerontologist has determined that certain genes are activated by experience as we age, allowing our personalities to grow and change.  The brain has reserves of strength and agility that compensate for the effects of aging on its other parts.  Dr. Cohen has found that the information processing justify in the 60 to 80 year old brain achieves it's greatest density and reach.   He explains these and other developing concepts in brain research in his book “The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain.”   I spoke with Dr. Cohen in March 2006 from his office in the justify on Aging, Health & Humanities, in Washington D.C., where he is the director.  We began our conversation with his description of the importance of the role of creativity.

Gene Cohen recommends "Tuesdays with Morrie: A Young Man, An Old Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson," by Mitch Albom.

Originally Broadcast: April 18, 2006

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Dr. Jim Cole

Teaching Tolerance

Filtering People

Prejudices exist in almost every human context, but how do we overcome them and act without stereotypes?  This program’s guest is Dr. Jim Cole, who lives in Ellingsburg, Washington and is a psychologist.  We discussed diversity training – the process of becoming more aware of the prejudices we have.  This program was originally broadcast in November of 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.

Dr. Jim Cole recommends books by Jane Lovelock.

Originally Broadcast: November 23, 1993

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Ted Conover

A Prison Guard's Story

New Jack: Guarding Sing-Sing

Have you ever wondered what it is like to work inside a prison?  Well, Ted Conover, a non-fiction writer did, so he went to the New York Department of Corrections to ask if he could shadow a recruit at the New York State Corrections Academy.  His request was quickly turned down.  So, he decided to apply for a job as a prison officer, was accepted and attended the New York State Corrections Academy.  As a result of his training, and working at Sing Sing prison in New York, he wrote “Newjack: Guarding at Sing Sing,” a book describing his experiences.  This two-part program with Ted Conover was recorded in late June and early July 2001.

Ted Conover recommends “Crime and Punishment,” by by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and “Seek: Reports from the Edges of America & Beyond,” by Dennis Johnson.

Originally Broadcast: June 26, 2001 July 3, 2001

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David Corn

Does President Bush Lie?

The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception

According to David Corn, the author of “The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception,” all American Presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth.  Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, offers a scathing indictment of Bush, as he reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency.

David Corn recommends "Roscoe," by William Kennedy & "All the King's Men," by Robert Penn Warren.

Originally Broadcast: November 25, 2003

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Catherine Crier

Are Lawyers Really That Bad?

The Case Against Lawyers

The control and influence lawyers have in American society has grown enormously in the past 75 years.  The influence was foreseen in the 1830s by Alexis de Tocqueville and described in his book, “Democracy in America.”  Catherine Crier discusses and critiques this influence in her book, “The Case Against Lawyers.”  Crier, herself a former lawyer, district attorney, and judge is now a commentator on Court TV,

Catherine Crier recommends "Pigs at the Trough," by Arianna Huffington & "The Rule of Lawyers," by Walter Olson.

Originally Broadcast: March 18, 2003

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John Darnton

Who is Charles Darwin

The Darwin Conspiracy

Who was Charles Darwin and what led him to describe what we now call “the theory of evolution?”  These curious questions are ones that I have been following since I was about ten years old.  In 1978 I had the good fortune of visiting the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.  Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in 1831 for month as part of a five-year voyage around the world.  There he saw birds and animals that helped him formulate some of his ideas about evolution he published “The Origin of the Species,” 22 years later in 1853.  And the world has not been the same since.  Now, at a time when concepts of evolution and natural selection are attacked certain from theological and political perspectives, a novel called  “The Darwin Conspiracy,” has been written by John Darnton, a writer and editor for the New York Times.  “The Darwin Conspiracy,” although fiction, is said by John Darton to be 90% accurate, and covers Darwin’s life and thinking before and after the publication of “The Origin of the Species.”  I spoke with John Darton from his home in New York City at the end of October 2005.  He began by describing who Charles Darwin was, in his time and place. 

  ohn Darnton recommends "Snow," by Orhan Pamuk.

Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2005

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Ed Dolnick

The Grand Canyon, 1869

Down the Great Unknown, John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon

John Wesley Powell, a one-armed civil war veteran and passionate geologist, is a mostly unknown early explorer of the Grand Canyon.  In 1869, he led a group of nine men on a 99 day adventure over 1,000 miles and almost 500 difficult rapids to a the vast chasm of the Grand Canyon.  Edward Dolnick is the author of “Down the Great Unknown, John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon.”  Dolnick based his book on the journals that Powell and other members of his crew kept as they made their journey.

Ed Dolnick recommends "Endurance," by Alfred Lansing.

Originally Broadcast: December 18, 2001

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Dr. Stanley Donner

Origins of Public Television

We all know that people listen to radio and watch television.  The difference between radio and television is in the image.  When you listen to radio, your mind creates the image for you.  When you watch television, a ready-made image is flashed before your eyes.  The early days of television were days of great creativity, when the questions of “how” and “what should we do” were present at all levels of production, ownership and programming.  In the early 1950s, a young professor from Stanford University named Stanley Donner was creatively engaged in the development of public television in San Francisco, California.  In the last 50 or so years, Professor Donner has participated in and followed the development of this mind-boggling medium.

Dr. Stanley Donner recommends "The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History," by Sir Isaiah Berlin.

Originally Broadcast: September 11, 1998

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Richard Dooling

Is it Safe to Say … ?

Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment

Certain words, said at the wrong time or place, may get a person into a heap of trouble.  The laws surrounding freedom of speech do not permit us, for example, to shout out “fire” in a theater or advocate the immediate and violent overthrow of the government.  There are also limits on the time and place where a person can use swear words or language with sexual innuendos or suggestions.  Richard Dooling, an attorney and writer living in Nebraska, joined us in June of 1997 to talk about his book, entitled, “Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment.”

Richard Dooling recommends "Emotional Brain," by Joseph La Due.

Originally Broadcast: June 4, 1997

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David Ebershoff

Southern California, 1903 - 1945

Pasadena

David Ebershoff is the author of a novel called “Pasadena,” a story about a fishergirl born in 1903 on a coastal onion farm in northern San Diego County.  Her choices in life echo choices and changes that were made for many people as southern California grew and developed in the following 45 years.

David Ebershoff recommends "Middlesex," by Jeffrey Eugendies.

Originally Broadcast: July 29, 2003

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Dr. Matthew Edlund

Your Body Clock

The Body Clock Advantage: Finding Your Best Time of Day to Succeed in Love, Work, Play, and Exercise

Dr. Matthew Edlund, Director of the Gulf Coast Sleep Institute, believes that our body clocks affect us in every aspect of our lives.  Dr. Edlund is the author of “The Body Clock Advantage: Finding Your Best Time of Day to Succeed in Love, Work, Play, and Exercise."

Dr. Matthew Edlund recommends "The Master and Marguerita," by Mikial Bulgakov.

Originally Broadcast: March 11, 2003

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Patricia Edmistin

Peace Corps, Peru, 1962-1964

The Mourning of Angles

The life of Lydia Schaefer is a composite fictional story of a 22 year-old woman who served in the Peace Corps in Peru from 1962 to 1964.  Patricia Taylor Edmisten, a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tells Lydia’s story in her book, “The Mourning of Angles,” based in part on her experiences in the Peace Corps in Peru during those years.

Patricia Edmistin recommends "The Accidental Pope," by Raymond Flynn & Robin Moore.

Originally Broadcast: November 15, 2002

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Sanford Elberg, Ph.D.

Microbiology and What It Does for Us

Microbiology, what it is and how it benefits society is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious.  Our guest is Dr. Sanford Elberg, a retired professor of microbiology and bacteriology and later the Dean of the Graduate School at the University of California at Berkeley.   One of his scientific successes was the development of a vaccine for brucellosis, a disease in farm animals causing the female to abort early in pregnancy.  This interview with Professor Elberg, who received a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1930 was recorded at his home in Mendocino County, California in March 1998.  Dr. Elberg begins with a definition of microbiology and bacteriology.

Sanford Elberg recommends “The Plague Tales,” by Ann Benson.

Originally Broadcast: March 30, 2006

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Eve Ensler

Meet the Author of the Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologues, created and produced by Eve Ensler, tell the stories of women, their relationships, feelings, and, in some cases, abuse.  In this edition of Radio Curious, we spoke with Eve Ensler about the origin of the the Vagina Monologues and the film, “Until the Violence Ends.”

Eve Ensler recommends "Bush in Babylon," by Tariq Ali.

Originally Broadcast: January 27, 2004

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Dr. Ron Epstein

Genetically Modified Food

Genetically engineered food products are an issue that concerns many.  In more recent years, Mendocino County has gone so far as to pass a resolution legally prohibiting their growth in the county.  My guest in this program, recorded in the late summer of 1995, is Ron Epstein, a philosophy professor at both the Buddhist University in Talmage, CA and San Francisco State University.  He has given considerable consideration to the problems of genetic engineering of the plants and vegetables that we eat.

Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "Algeny," by Jeremy Rifkin.

Originally Broadcast: September 18, 1995

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Dr. Ron Epstein

Genetically Modified Food, Part Two

Not so long ago in human history, wars were fought with sticks, slings and rocks.  Now, with the ability to modify the DNA of disease causing organisms, war is very different.  Evidence is appearing that genetically engineered war has, in fact, been used in our world.  With this program, Radio Curious will begin a series of discussions on environmental and social effects of genetically engineered war.  This program’s guest is Dr. Ron Epstein, a research professor at the Institute of World Religions in Berkeley, California, and a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California.  We discussed the scientific and ethical dangers of genetic engineering.

Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "The Cobra Event," by Richard Preston & "Biotech Century," by Jeremy Rifkin.

Originally Broadcast: September 4, 1998

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Dr. Eva Etzioni-Halevy

Israel:  The 11th Century B.C. and Now

The Song of Hannah, A Biblical Novel of Love, Temptation, and the Making of A Prophet

Eva Etzioni-Halevy, a retired professor of sociology at Bar-Ilan University Tel Aviv, Israel, is the author of  “The Song of Hannah, A Biblical Novel of Love, Temptation, and the Making of A Prophet,” and the guest in this edition of Radio Curious.  The story takes place in Judea in the eleventh century B.C. when few people were literate.  In this interview with Eva Etzioni-Halevy recorded from her home in Tel Aviv, Israel, in late September 2006, she describes her interpretation of Hannah’s life, loves and leadership, and her impressions of Israel several weeks after the summer 2006 war with Lebanon.  We began when I asked her to describe who Hannah was.

www.evaetzioni-halevy.com

Dr. Eva Etzioni-Halevy recommends "Walking the Bible," by Bruce Feiler.

Originally Broadcast: September 27, 2006

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Edward Fiske

The College Admissions Process

The Fiske Guide to Colleges

Edward B. Fiske, the education editor at the New York Times, is the author of “The Fiske Guide of Colleges.”  His book attempts to demystify the college application process and provide strategies to choose where and how to apply for a course of higher education.

Edward Fiske recommends "The Ladies Number One Detective Agency," by Andrew McCall Smith & "The Cairo House," by Samia Sarageldin.

Originally Broadcast: September 16, 2003

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Mel Fiske

Radical Reporter

Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work

Political philosophy and one’s education, both formal and informal, can lead a person on unimagined paths that are woven into stories in that person’s life.  The book, “Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work,” was written by Mel Fiske, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious.  Mel was radicalized after a 15,000 mile journey across America during the Depression.  That trip opened his eyes to a life he never knew existed growing up in New York City.

Mel Fiske recommends “Bayou Farewell,” by Mike Tidwell.

Originally Broadcast: January 17, 2006

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Nicols Fox

Watch What You Eat

Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain That Has Gone Wild

In this Halloween, 1997, edition of Radio Curious, I spoke with Nicols Fox, the journalist who has written a terribly scary book called “Spoiled: The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain That Has Gone Wild.”  It’s truly disgusting; all those little microbes that will make you retch and die.  The food you prepare at home can poison you; when you eat at a restaurant, the food they serve you can make you retch.

Nicols Fox recommends "Water," by Alice Atwater.

Originally Broadcast: October 31, 1997

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Reflections on a Life

The Mirror

The personal journal is often not meant for the eyes of anyone but the writer.  When a stranger’s journal is read, the reader often becomes a voyeur to the innermost secrets of another.  And whether it is a true journal or one of fiction, who cares?  Often, it remains a good story.  Lynn Freed, originally of Durban, South Africa, wrote the fictional journal of Agnes LaGrange, entitled “The Mirror,” which reveals the thoughts, feelings, and loves of Agnes, starting when she arrived in South Africa to work as a housekeeper, and ending 50 years later.

Lynn Freed recommends “Misfit,” by Jonathan Yardly, “Essays,” by George Orwell & “Last Days in Cloud Cukooland Dispatches,” by Graham Boynton.

Originally Broadcast: December 12, 1997

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Estelle Freedman

The History of Feminism

No Turning Back — The History of Feminism and the Future of Women

Estelle B. Freedman, a Professor of History at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, specializing in feminism, is the author of “No Turning Back—The History of Feminism and the Future of Women.”   She addresses many of the issues in her book in this edition of Radio Curious.

Estelle Freedman recommends "The Blind Assassin," by Margaret Atwood & "The Vagina Monologues," by Eve Ensler.

Originally Broadcast: April 2, 2002

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Judith Freeman

A Deadly Trip West in 1857

Red Water

On September 11, 1857, a group of 120 emigrants en route to California was attacked and slaughtered by Mormon settlers and their Indian allies.  Twenty years later, John D. Lee, a Mormon and a participant in the massacre, was executed by a firing squad at the same spot and thus entered history as the scapegoat for all those responsible for what came to be known as the Mountain Meadow Massacre in southern Utah.  “Red Water,” by Judith Freeman, published in January 2002, is the story of the life of John D. Lee, as told by three of his nineteen wives.  Judith Freeman describes early Mormon belief, the sense of persecution felt by the Mormons, and the sisterhood of his wives in marriage.

Judith Freeman recommends "Why Did I Ever," by Mary Robinson.

Originally Broadcast: March 5, 2002

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Mike Frost

You Can't Hide

Spy World: Inside the Canadian and American Intelligence Establishments

The fact that governments spy on each other is no secret. The fact that they also collect data about lives of millions of innocent citizens worldewide may be unknown to many people.  Mike Frost, the author of “Spy World: Inside the Canadian and American Intelligence Establishments,” worked as a spy for over 30 years.  Mike traveled worldwide, setting up devices to intercept what were thought to be secret international communications.  Mike Frost has since retired as a spy and has many thoughts and considerations about his former job.  Our discussion led to a two-part program, originally broadcast in April of 1999.

Mike Frost recommends the movie, October Sky.

Originally Broadcast: April 6, 1999 & April 13, 1999

Click here to begin listening to Part One.

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Dr. Bill Fry

Psychology of Humor

Our guest in this program was Dr. William Fry, a psychiatrist who has done extensive research in the field of humor.  We discussed the psychology and genetics of humor.  Much of Dr. Fry's research has concentrated on Cocoa, the gorilla, and we discussed that as well.  This program was originally broadcast in March of 1992, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.

Originally Broadcast: March 2, 1992

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Alexandra Fuller

Growing up White in Africa

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood

Our guest in this program lived in Rhodesia, Malawi and Zambia from 1972 to 1990.  Her father joined up on the side of the white government in the Rhodesian civil war, and was often away fighting against the guerilla factions.  Her mother dove into their African life and its rugged farm work.  Resilient and self-sufficient she taught her children to have strong wills and opinions, and to embrace life whole-heartedly, despite and because of difficult circumstances.  Alexandra Fuller is the author of “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, an African Childhood.”

Alexandra Fuller recommends "Echoing Silences," by Alexander Canigone.

Originally Broadcast: September 2, 2003

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Winifred Gallagher

In Good Times and in Bad

Working on God

Why are we the way we are?  How should life be lived?  When should we start living it that way and why?  “Working on God” is a new book by Winifred Gallagher, a science writer who lives in New York City.  When her early learning about Christianity was shaken by her college education, she asked, what if religion could be something else?  After writing books on how heredity and experience create the individual, and how our surroundings shape our thoughts and emotions, she has chosen to work on god.

Winnifred Gallagher recommends "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time," by Marcus Borg.

Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1999

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Jack Gantos

How Prison Affected One Man's Life

A Hole In My Life

Have you ever been incarcerated?  Locked in a prison cell for a number of years?  That is what happened to Jack Gantos for being a crew member on a boat that smuggled a ton of hashish from St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands, to New York City.  He survived prison and became a college writing teacher.  His book, “A Hole In My Life,” tells the story of what happened the summer of 1971, his court experience, what happened in prison, and how the ordeal changed his life.

Jack Gantos recommends "The Locked Room," by Paul Oster & "Notice," by Heather Love.

Originally Broadcast: December 28, 2004

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Paul Goldstein

The Artist's Right of Ownership

Errors and Omissions

Who owns the rights to a play, a song, or a work of art?  How important and fragile is the authorship?  These and other issues of intellectual property rights begin to be revealed in “Errors and Omissions,” a novel by Stanford Law Professor Paul Goldstein.  “Errors and Omissions” follows the story of Michael Seeley as he locates a World War Two era Polish refugee who is the author of a screenplay that has the potential to make a huge amount of money not only from the movie rights, but also from the sale of associated paraphernalia.  Goldstein, who began writing fiction at the age of twelve, hopes now, fifty years later that readers of his first full length novel will carry away the sense of the fragility of authorship, when an artist creates a work out of thin air.  I spoke with Paul Goldstein from his office at Stanford University and began when by asking him to define intellectual property.

Paul Goldstein recommends "Aspects of the Novel," by E.M. Forster.

Originally Broadcast: August 9, 2006

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Dr. Dan Gottlieb

A Struggle to Live

Letters to Sam:  A Grandfather's Lessons on Love, Loss and the Gifts of Life

For many of us, the desire to be known exceeds our desire to be loved.  Who we are as individuals, how we reckon with our personal abilities and disabilities the topic of this edition of Radio Curious: a conversation with my friend Dr. Dan Gottlieb.  Dan Gottlieb, a clinical psychologist who lives and works near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been paralyzed from the neck down as a result of an automobile accident in 1979.  He's the host of “Voices in the Family,” a weekly public radio program originating from WHYY in Philadelphia and the author of two articles a month in the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Because of his physical condition, Dan thought he may not live to see his young grandson Sam grow to be man.  When Sam was diagnosed with a severe form of autism several years ago, Dan decided to write a series of letters to his grandson.  The book, “Letters to Sam:  A Grandfather’s Lessons on Love, Loss and the Gifts of Life,” is a collection of intimate and compassionate letters sharing Dan thoughts, observations and experiences gained from his 27 years with quadriplegia and his professional life as a clinical psychologist.  You may learn more about Dan and his work at www.drdangottlieb.com.  Dr. Dan Gottlieb and I visited by phone from his home in near Philadelphia in mid April 2006.

www.drdangottlieb.com

Dr. Dan Gottlieb recommends “Eat, Pray and Love:  One Woman’s Search for Everything, Across Italy, India and Indonesia,” by Elizabeth Gilbert and "Life of Pi,” by Yann Martel.

Originally Broadcast: April 12, 2006

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Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

What Autism Can Tell Us About Animals

Animals in Translation:  Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior

Do animals think?  The book, “Animals in Translation:  Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior,” by Professor Temple Grandin gives us some clues.  Temple Grandin is a person with autism who teaches animal science at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  Autistic people can often think the way animals think, putting autistic people in the perfect position to translate “animal talk.”  Grandin explores the world of animals; their pain, fear, aggression, relationships and communication.  When I spoke with Professor Grandin from her office in Ft. Collins, Colorado, we began with her definition of autism.

Temple Grandin recommends “Our Inner Ape,” by Frans De Waal.

Recorded March 21, 2006

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Lucy Grealy

What is Ugly

The Autobiography of a Face

Lucy Grealy, a victim of Ewing’s Sarcoma, beginning when was nine years old suffered from a cancer of the jaw that is 90% fatal in the first few years.  In Lucy’s case, it was not fatal.  Rather it brought about many intense and emotional experiences that most of us could not imagine.  She had a large part of her lower jaw removed when she was about nine and half and for two and a half years had weekly chemotherapy treatments.  Throughout her teenage years, she had multiple surgeries to reshape her jaw.  Her book, “Autobiography of a Face,” reveals her experiences, her mistaken conflation of beauty and love, and what she learned about emotions, both her own and other people’s.

Lucy Grealy recommends “100 Years of Solitude,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Originally Broadcast: December 5, 1994

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Dr. David Ray Griffin

Was this a Cause of the 9/11 Attacks?

The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11

The forces behind the disasters of September 11, 2001 are said to be unclear and undefined, notwithstanding the Official Report of the 9/11 Commission.  David Ray Griffin, a Professor Emeritus from the Claremont School of Theology, and the author of “The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11,” casts doubt on the official version, as well as the role of the Bush Administration.  In a two-part interview, we discussed these issues.

Dr. David Ray Griffin recommends "Cover Up," by Paul Lance & "The Terror Timeline, Year by Year, Day by Day, Minute by Minute: A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Road to 9/11 and America's Response," by Paul Thompson.

Originally Broadcast: October 5, 2004 & October 12, 2004

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Paul R. Griffin

Sowing the Seeds of Racism

Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America

Racism, as a part of the American religious culture, can be traced to the religious concepts of some of the earliest European settlers in North America.  Professor Paul R. Griffin explores these roots in his book, “Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America,” linking the concepts in the Puritan belief system to long lasting racist effects.  He argues that racism is itself a religion in the United States and is closely related to America Christianity.  He claims that efforts to erase racism have failed because they have concentrated on its visible manifestations rather than its ideological character.

Paul R. Griffin recommends "The Rage of the Privileged Class," by Ellis Cose.

Originally Broadcast: March 1, 2001

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Dr. Jerome Groopman

Facing Illness With Success

The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness

Hope is one of the most fundamental and powerful of human emotions, and also one of the least studied and understood.  “The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness,” by Dr. Jerome Groopman, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard University and a writer for the New Yorker magazine, examines the role hope plays in the practice of medicine, and the ways in which hope can release chemicals powerful enough to change the outcome of otherwise fatal diseases.

Dr. Jerome Groopman recommends "The Old School," by Tobian Wolff.

Originally Broadcast: February 20, 2004

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Michael Gurian

Let Boys Be Boys

The Wonder of Boys & A Fine Young Man

Boys do not have an easy time growing up and maturing in our complex world these days.  The same standard of behavior is frequently expected of boys and girls, often without recognizing the special and different needs of boys.  Testosterone is a prime mover in the shaping of boys' behavior resulting in their special and different needs.  This is a two-part program from the archives of Radio Curious with Michael Gurian, the author of a 1997 book entitled,  “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators Can Do To Shape Boys Into Exceptional Men.”  I spoke with Michael Gurian in January of 1998 from his home in Spokane, Washington.

Michael Gurian recommends "Sex on the Brain," by Deborah Blum & "Beyond the Birds and the Bees," Beverly Engle.

Originally Broadcast: January 23, 1998 & January 30, 1998

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Michael Gurian

A Look at The Wonder of Boys, Ten Years Later

The Wonder of Boys, 10th Anniversary Edition

We explored the difficulties that boys have growing in American society ten years in a two part interview with Michael Gurian, author of “The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors and Educators can do to Shape Boys into Exceptional Men.”  A tenth anniversary edition of “The Wonder of Boys” was released in 2006, and I spoke with Michael Gurian about his ideas and thoughts of what has occurred in the past ten years in relation to boys.  The trend setting pressures of commercial advertising control the content distributed to boys and often are able to overwhelm the job of the parents to nurture to social development of children.  In this interview with Michael Gurian who lives in Spokane Washington and recorded in mid-October 2006, we discuss the effects of media on the developing boy; content of what boys listen to when they have earphones on; the substitution of what comes from the earphones for what a boy would get in a relationship with parents, grandparents, or other meaningful people in a boys life.

www.gurianinstitute.com

Michael Gurian recommends “The Collected Poems of Mary Oliver” by Mary Oliver..

Originally Broadcast: October 10, 2006

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Jonathan Harr

Toxic Water, A Book

A Civil Action

Woburn, MA, is a small, blue-collar community just north and west of Boston.  In the 1970s, some children in Woburn, MA, became sick and died from childhood leukemia.  Some adults in that town developed rare forms of cancer.  All of these people live very close to each other.  Their illnesses were traced to two contaminated water wells that provided the water to their homes for drinking and bathing.  As a result, one of the most complicated personal injury lawsuits was tried in the US Federal District Court in Boston.  In this program of Radio Curious, I spoke with author Jonathan Harr, who wrote “A Civil Action,” the horrendous story of the people who became sick and the subsequent trial.

Jonathan Harr recommends any books by Charles Dickens.

Originally Broadcast: November 22, 1995

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Jonathan Harr

Toxic Water, A Movie

A Civil Action

Water, a necessary element to our survival is expected to be pure, safe and clean when it comes into our home.  When it is polluted, the results can be extreme.  The people in the town of Woburn, Massachusetts, just west of Boston, had an unusually high rate of cancer in the early 1970s.  The town’s water was contaminated with industrial pollutants. Several children and adults became very sick and some died.  Their families sued the polluters in the U.S. Federal Court.  Jonathan Harr, a non-fiction writer, followed the process and wrote a book telling the story of what happened.  He called it, "A Civil Action."  A movie, also called “A Civil Action,” was based on the book and released at the end of 1998. I spoke by phone with Jonathan Harr, from his home in Massachusetts, a month after the movie was released and asked him how he was able to capture what occurred and create “A Civil Action.”

Originally Broadcast: February 2, 1999

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Gregory Hartley

Maryann Karinch

Reading Body Language

I Can Read You Like a Book

Have you ever wondered what some body movements mean when people hear certain words or see certain images?  Many of these body movements are involuntary reactions inherent to the individual or culturally based. “I Can Read You Like A Book:  How to Spot the Messages and Emotions People are Really Sending with their Body Language,” a book by Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch, described methods of understanding what people really mean and how to gain insight to their background by watching their physical behavior.  Hartley, a former Army interrogator details how to review with an open mind what you see, evaluate to know what is relevant, analyze to identify involuntary versus involuntary movements and then decide or draw a conclusion based on what you observe.

Gregory Hartley recommends “Without Conscience:  The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us,” by Dr. Robert D. Hare..

Originally Broadcast: April 4, 2007

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Dr. Dolores Hayden

From City to Suburb

Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820 to 2000

The development and the expansion of homes, where they are and why they came to be in the places they are, are issues of particular importance to Dolores Hayden, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism and American Studies at Yale University.  Her book, “Building Suburbia: Green Fields and Urban Growth, 1820 to 2000,” explores the design and development of the suburbs and suburbia’s relevance in American history.

Dr. Dolores Hayden recommends "A Consumer's Republic," by Liz Cohen.

Originally Broadcast: November 21, 2003

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Dr. Jane M. Healy

Children Versus Television

Endangered Minds & Failure to Connect

It used to be that children would play with objects, be told or read stories, or perhaps listen to the radio during a significant portion of their early years.  With the advent of television, videos and computers, that tactile and oral world is often left behind.  Children who are frequently exposed to television, videos and computer games in the first seven years of life have been found to develop pathways in the brain that later are significantly deficient in reading, studying and socialization skills.  Dr. Jane M Healy is an educational psychologist with expertise in developmental psychology, and specialist in the brain development of young children. Her recent books, “Endangered Minds,” and “Failure to Connect,” discuss how television, videos and computers affect the minds of children.

Dr. Jane M. Healy recommends "The Goddess in Older Women," by Jean Bolden.

Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2001

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Peter Hessler

A Peace Corps Volunteer in China

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

Imagine arriving by boat in a rural town of 150,000 people where two rivers join in central China.  Imagine being one of the first two Americans to live there in 50 years, and speaking very little Chinese.  That is experience of Peter Hessler, the author of “River Town.”

Peter Hessler recommends "This Boy's Life," by Tobias Wolf.

Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002

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Thomas Hine

Compulsive Shoppers

I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History

“I Want That! How We All Became Shoppers: A Cultural History” is the title of a new book by Thomas Hine.  In this book he discusses why we want objects and how they change us.  He looks at early forms of trading, and proceeds through the history of materialism.

Thomas Hine recommends "Refinement of America," by Richard Bushman.

Originally Broadcast: December 17, 2002

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Jack Hines

One Corner of Montana

Sweet Grass County: Historic Crossroad

Montana, the Big Sky state, is a place of significant historical interest in the history of North America and the United States.  Sweet Grass County, located in south central Montana, is an area that since pre-historic times has been a justify of trade and historic crossroads of travel.  Jack Hines worked as an artist in New York for 30 years until 1972 when he moved to Sweet Grass County, Montana.  There he began the ”Historic Crossroad” painting and writing project, as a declaration of his love for his adopted home in the exquisite Yellowstone Valley of Montana.  His paintings depict the life in that area beginning in the ice-age, through the times of the Indians, Lewis and Clark, the Fur trade and homesteading and listened to Jack reading from his book, "Sweet Grass County, Historic Crossroad," in Big Timber, Montana.

Jack Hines recommends "Glow Smile, A Biography" & "What Went Wrong," both by Bernard Louis.

Originally Broadcast: June 2, 2003

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Shari Holman

Not Even the Clothes on Her Back

The Dress Lodger

In England, in the 1830s, at the time of a major cholera epidemic, a young girl, the orphaned daughter of a prostitute, finds that working in a pottery factory does not earn her enough money for herself and her child.  She must work at night like her mother, as a prostitute.  Having virtually no money, she rents her dress, and is followed while she walks the streets so that she will not run off with her outfit.  She is called a dress lodger.  Shari Holman, a native of rural Virginia, and later a resident of Brooklyn, New York, has researched the lives of girls who were dress lodgers in England in the 1830s.  She is the author of a book of historical fiction about Gustine, a 15-year-old dress lodger who lived and worked in Sunderland, England in 1831, entitled “The Dress Lodger.”

Shari Holman recommends "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down," by Anne Fadiman.

Originally Broadcast: February 6, 2001

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Arianna Huffington

Corporate Greed

Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America

Arianna Huffington, a political columnist and commentator with a conservative background, is the author of “Pigs at the Trough, How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America.”  Her book discusses alliances between corporate executive officers, politicians, lobbyists and bankers in disregard for office and factory workers.

Arianna Huffington recommends "Wealth and Commonwealth, Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes," by Chuck Collins.

Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003

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Swanee Hunt

Women Waging Peace

This Was Not Our War: Bosnian Women Reclaiming the Peace

Women Waging Peace is a global policy-oriented initiative working to integrate women into the peace process.  Swanee Hunt, a former United States Ambassador to the Austria, founded it.  Swanee Hunt is also the author of “This Was Not Our War; Bosnian Women Reclaiming the Peace.”  She interviewed twenty-six Bosnian women who are reconstructing their society in the years following the devastating war in their country.  These women describe what it was like living in a vibrant multicultural community that suddenly imploded in an onslaught of violence.  They relate the chaos; the atrocities, the rapes of neighbors and friends, their efforts to care for children and elderly parents and to find food and clean drinking water.  This interview with Ambassador Swanee Hunt was recorded from her home near Boston, Massachusetts in February 2005.

Swanee Hunt recommends "The Courage To Be," by Paul Tillich.

Originally Broadcast: February 15, 2005

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Dr. Arthur Janov

Dr. France Janov

Emotional Healing by Examining Initial Imprints

Primal Healing:  Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve you Health

The alleviation of human angst and emotional pain or distress is the goal of psychotherapy.  Dr. Arthur Janov, together with his wife Dr. France Janov believe that the traditional century old method of talk therapy is not the answer.  Together they direct the Primal Center in Venice, California, and Dr. Arthur Janov, who wrote “The Primal Scream” in the late 1960s, is the author of “Primal Healing: Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve Your Health.”  The Janovs assert that the best emotional healing is obtained by reaching back to the point of injury that formed an initial imprint of the pain, which often occurs in the womb or in early childhood.  They believe that accessing these subconscious memories is necessary for improved physical and emotional health.  We began our conversation with Dr. France Janov and Dr. Arthur Janov, recorded in mid-December 2006, from their home in Santa Monica, California when I asked them to explain how initial imprints in a person’s life can be the cause of lifelong pain.

http://www.primaltherapy.com

Dr. Arthur Janov recommends "Hostile Takeover: How big Money and Curruption Conquered Our Government and How We Can Take It Back," by David Sirota.

Originally Broadcast: December 20, 2006

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Steve Jones

Origin of Species Updated

Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated

The Origin of the Species,” written by Charles Darwin, after his trip to the Galapagos Islands off of the northwest coast of South America, approximately 150 years ago, fundamentally changed, the understandings of how our species came to be.  Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College in London, England, has written a sequel to Darwin’s book called “Darwin’s Ghost, the Origin of the Species Updated.

Steve Jones recommends “The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation,” by Mark Kurlansky and "The Book of Pi," author unkown.

Originally Broadcast: May 9, 2000 May 16, 2000

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Steve Jones

Tracing The 'Y' Chromosome

Y, The Descent of Men, Revealing the Mysteries of Maleness

Professor Steve Jones, author of the book, “Y, The Descent of Men, Revealing the Mysteries of Maleness,” discusses biological aspects of maleness created by the Y chromosome.  Jones explores the effect of male hormones, hair loss, and the hydraulics of man’s most intimate organ.  He lays out the case for and against masculinity.

Steve Jones recommends "Cherries, the Worst Journey in the World: A Biography of Alexy Cherry Gerard," by Sarah Wheeler.

Originally Broadcast: August 12, 2003

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Lynda Koolish, Ph.D.

African American Writers

African American Writers: Portraits and Visions

The voice of a writer can be heard in words, and sometimes seen in the writer’s face.  It is unusual to find both in a book in which the creator is both the author and the photographer.  Lynda Koolish, our guest on this archive edition of Radio Curious, is a professor of African American literature at San Diego State University and an accomplished photographer.  She is the author of a book entitled “African American Writers: Portraits and Visions” in which she reveals the visage of 59 African American writers along with a thumbnail biography and summation of each writer’s vision.

Lynda Koolish, Ph.D. recommends "Dien Cai Dau" and "Neon Vernacular" by Yusef Komunyakaa.

Originally Broadcast: February 19, 2002

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Sister Jane Kelly

Errant Priests

Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society

Sister Jane Kelly has been a nun for over 55 years and for several years has tried to have a priest in her parish taken out of the ministry for child molestation and thievery.  She is also the author of a book entitled, “Taught to Believe the Unbelievable: A New Vision of Hope for Church and Society,” which discusses the current crisis of sexual and fiscal abuse as an incredible opportunity for the Church.

Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2002

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Randall Kennedy

Can You Say This Word?

Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word

Few words in the English language have caused so much pain, hurt and emotion as the N-word.  Randall Kennedy, a professor of Law at Harvard University, has written a book to chronicle the history of this word and to diffuse and neutralize it.  His book is sub-titled, “The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.”

Randall Kennedy recommends "The Negro in the American Revolution," by Benjamin Quarles.

Originally Broadcast: March 19, 2002

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Randall Kennedy

Black and White

Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption

“Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption,” is a book written by Randall Kennedy, a Harvard University Law School Professor.  He takes an in-depth look at the issue of black and white relationships set against the ever-changing social mores and laws of this country.

Randall Kennedy recommends "The Biography of Walter White," by Robert Janken.

Originally Broadcast: April 15, 2003

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Dr. David Kiersey

What is my Personality?

Presidential Temperaments & Please Understand Me

My guest in this program was Dr. David Kiersey, the author of a book called “Presidential Temperament.”  Dr. Kiersey took the Meyers-Briggs Temperament inventories and developed what has come to be known as the Kiersey Temperament Sorter.  In so doing, he has established and identified several different types of character and temperament of people.  In his book, “Please Understand Me,” the reader may use the Kiersey Temperament Sorter to get an idea of his or her personality and temperament traits.  With his history and experience, Kiersey has examined the people who have become a President of the US and set out his analysis in “Presidential Temperaments.”  In this program, originally broadcast in November of 1993 when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas, we’ll be talking about the book and some of the temperaments of the various Presidents.

Dr. David Kiersey recommends "Killer Angels," by Michael Shaara & The Hornblower Series, by Horatio Hormblower.

Originally Broadcast: November 19, 1993

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Brooke Kroeger

When People Can't Be Who They Are

Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are

“Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are,” was written by Brooke Kroeger, an Associate Professor of Journalism at New York University.  Her book reveals why many ‘passers’ today are people of good heart and purpose whose decision to pass is an attempt to bypass injustice and to be more truly themselves.

Brooke Kroeger recommends "Middlesex," Jeffrey Eugendies, "Amerca's Women," by Gail Collings & "They Marched Intro Sunlight," by David Marinis.

Originally Broadcast: February 17, 2004

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Glenn Langer

Enhancing Education and Heart Disease

Understanding Disease, How Your Heart, Lungs, Blood, and Blood Vessels Function and Respond to Treatment

In this two-part series with Dr. Glenn Langer, former Professor of Medicine, specializing in Cardiology, at UCLA we discuss the Partnership Scholars Program and heart disease.  In the first interview Dr. Langer describes the Partnership Scholars Program and how attention and exposure to new ideas can create a whole new world for children, whose life experiences might otherwise be forever limited.   In the second program, we discuss folklore, literature, psychology as they relate to cardiology and the heart.  Dr. Langer is the author of “Understanding Disease, How Your Heart, Lungs, Blood, and Blood Vessels Function and Respond to Treatment,” a book attempting to demystify medicine.  Both parts of this program were originally broadcast in October of 2000.

Glenn Langer recommends “Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea,” by Gary Kinder and “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography,” by Marion Meade.

Originally Broadcast: October 24, 2000 and October 31, 2000

Click here to begin listening to part one.

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Marc Lappe

Roadside Spraying, For Better or Worse

Break Out

Spraying of herbicides to kill weeds and/or plants that are considered by some to be pests is a phenomenon of the 20th century.  These sprays, in many cases, pollute the water we use in our homes; they destroy and sometimes permanently alter not only the growth cycle of what we are intending to kill, but also other plants, animals, and sometimes people.  Dr. Marc Lappe was a widely recognized Ph.D. toxicologist who has studied the effects of the use of the sprays.  He was the founder and a director of The justify for Ethics and Toxics, located in Gualala, California.  He was also the former director of the California State Hazard Evaluation System.  He’s been a fellow at the Hastings justify for the Study of Bioethics in New York, published 112 articles and eleven books on the subject of toxicology.  Dr. Marc Lappe died in May, 2005.

www.cetos.org

Marc Lappe recommends "Break Out, " by Dr. Marc Lappe.

Originally Broadcast: February 5, 1997

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Dr. Gerda Lerner

The Foremother of Women's History

Fireweed: A Political Autobiography

The history of women has existed as long as humans have, but it was not until the last half of the 20th Century that women’s history received academic attention.  Professor Gerda Lerner is a pioneer of the study of women’s history and a founder of the movement to study and record the history of women.  She has placed particular emphasis on the differences among women due to class, race and sexual orientation.

Originally Broadcast: October 1, 2002

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Professor Kristen Leslie

Strident Evanglical Themes at the U.S. Air Force Academy  

The series on evangelical Christianity at the United States Air Force Academy continues with Kristen Leslie, a professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Yale University Divinity School.  Professor Leslie was invited to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado to meet with the Academy chaplains and provide training in the counseling of female cadets who were victims of sexual assaults that had occurred at the Academy.  In the course of her visits in 2004 and 2005, Professor Leslie and the group of graduate students from the Yale Divinity School who accompanied her observed what she called “strident evangelical themes” at the Academy.  Professor Leslie testified before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Armed Services on June 28, 2005, at the Congressional hearing entitled “Religious Climate at the U.S. Air Force Academy,” and reported her observations of her visit that included:  the hanging of a banner containing an overtly Christian message by the football coach in the team locker room, an Air Force Academy commander leading a “challenge and response” cheer about Jesus in front of a group of cadets of mixed faith, distribution of flyers advertising religious events in the cadet dining hall and over the public address system, failure of the Air Force Academy to consider the religious practices of cadets of minority faiths when setting the cadet schedule, and public expressions of faith by senior staff and faculty members, in some cases in inappropriate venues such as classrooms.  Interviews with MeLinda Morton, the Air Force Academy Chaplain who resigned the end of July 2005, and Attorney Mikey Wienstein, a 1977 graduate of the Air Force Academy, both of whom are outspoken critics of the inaction on the part of the Air Force Academy leadership may be found here on the Radio Curious website.  The Harvard University Committee on the Study of Religion has a detailed report, with abundant links to other articles on this issue that may be found at www.pluralism.org.  Information about Professor Leslie’s testimony before Congress may be found at www.yale.edu/divinity/press.

Professor Kristen Leslie recommends "Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader," by Ann Fadiman.

Originally Broadcast: August 30, 2005

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Suzanne Braun Levine

What Will She Do Next?

Inventing the Rest of Our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood

Recent research of how the human brain works seems to indicate that at midlife women start to see the world differently.  Approximately 37 million American women now entering their fifties and sixties having fulfilled the prescribed roles of daughter, wife, mother, employee and are not ready to retire.   They want to experience more.  Suzanne Braun Levine, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious has been reporting on the lives of women like herself and is the author of “Inventing the Rest of Our Lives:  Women in Second Adulthood." She begins by discussing recent brain research and anthropological findings relative to women in their fifties and sixties.      

Suzanne Braun Levine recommends "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned," by Alan Alda.

Originally Broadcast: March 7, 2006

www.suzannebraunlevine.com    

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Dr. Daniel J. Levitin

Music On The Brian

This Is Your Brain On Music:  The Science of a Human Obsession

The understanding of how we humans experience music and why it plays a unique role in our lives is this topic of two interviews with Dr. Daniel Levitin, author of “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession,” recorded from his home in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in late October 2006.  Professor Levitin runs the Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition and Expertise at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.  He asserts that our brains are hardwired for music and therefore we are all more musically equipped than we think and that music is an obsession at the heart of human nature, perhaps even more fundamental to our species than language.  Professor Levitin believes that the music we end up liking meets our expectations of what we anticipate hearing just enough of the time that we feel rewarded, and the music that we like also violates those expectations just enough of the time that we’re intrigued. In the first interview Dr. Levitin begins by describing how the human brain learns to distinguish between music and language.  The second interview begins with a discussion of what happens when people listen to music they like.

www.yourbrainonmusic.com

Dr. Daniel J. Levitin recommends "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe," by Katrina Firlik, and "The Human Stain," by Philip Roth.

Originally Broadcast: November 1, 2006 November 8, 2006

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Paul M. Lisnik

Dr. Joao Magueijo

Was Einstein Wrong?

Faster than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation

Joao Magueijo, a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Imperial College of London, disputes some of Einstein’s most accepted theories.  In his book, “Faster than the Speed of Light: The Story of a Scientific Speculation,” he argues that the speed of light is not constant, questioning the basis of the Theory of Relativity.

Dr. Joao Magueijo recommends "Angela's Ashes," by Frank McCourt.

Originally Broadcast: February 25, 2003

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Joseph Marshall III

The End of a Nation: the Lakota Tribe

The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn; a Lakota History

Independence unfortunately comes and goes, frequently under the guise of independence for other people.  And independence is today’s topic.  In this two-part Radio Curious interview, recorded on June 29, and broadcasted on July 4 and July 11, 2007, we visit the concept of independence as seen from the Lakota point of view.  The Lakota nation was made up of the largest known group of North American native people and encompassed a large portion of the northern plains in what is now Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota.  Our guest is Joseph M. Marshall, III, author if “The Day The World Ended at Little Bighorn, a Lakota History.” Growing up on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, where his first language was Lakota, Marshall is an historian, storyteller and author whose work shares the history of his people.  I spoke with Joseph Marshall when he visited San Francisco, California.  We began our discussion when I asked him to describe what turned out to be the largest and last gathering of the Lakota people when they met at Little Bighorn in July of 1876.

Joseph Marshall III recommends "The World We Used to Live in: Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men," by Vine Deloria.

Originally Broadcast: July 4, 2007 and July 11, 2007

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Juan Martinez

Shamanism in the Ecuadorian Jungle

Concepts of reality have many levels, some of which are gained by fasting and/or the use of certain plants that allow a person to view the past, present and/or the future. This is especially true for cultures that cherish and practice oral traditions and which thrive in parts of the world which have an abundance of flora and fauna, like those located in the Amazon basin of South America. The knowledge of the use and effects of these various plants in the Ecuadorian portion of the Amazon basin is held by persons known as Shamans. Dr. Juan Martinez, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious, is a professor of History and Anthropology at the University of Cuenca, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He has studied, written and lectured about the Shamanistic practices in the Ecuadorian jungle and the medicinal and spiritual effects of the plants native to the western portion of the Amazon basin. I spoke with Professor Juan Martinez in his office in Cuenca, Ecuador on November 17, 2005. He began our conversation by describing relationship of the people of Ecuadorian jungle to their worlds, the spiritual world, and the world in which they live on a daily basis.

Juan Martinez recommends "Amazon Worlds," published by Sinchi Sancha.

Originally Broadcast: December 5,2005

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Martha McCabe

Culture and Racism

Praise At Midnight

Life, culture and racism are the topics of this edition of Radio Curious, in conversation with attorney/novelist Martha McCabe, author of "Praise at Midnight." Martha McCabe worked as a civil rights and criminal trial lawyer in deep east Texas from 1974 to 1985. Her goal was to pour the raw material from her personal experiences as a lawyer into her story. The deeper level into which she fell during the ten year period it took her to complete “Praise at Midnight,” was the importance of consciousness and self awareness in avoiding the projection of one's own dark side on to other people and then killing them. She applies this to both local and international levels in her considerations. She and I have been associates, good friends and colleagues since 1969 when we met at the University of Santa Clara where I was a law student. When I spoke with Martha McCabe from her home in San Antonio, Texas on July 29, 2006, we began with her description of the culture of deep east Texas at the time she was living there, 1974 to 1985.

Martha McCabe recommends “Reading Lolita in Teheran” by Azar Nafisi and “Caballero: A Historical Novel” by Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh.

Originally Broadcast: August 2, 2006

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Patricia McConnell

Act Like a Dog, Your Dog Will Obey

The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

“The Other End of the Leash—Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs”, is a recent book by Patricia McConnell, a certified applied animal behaviorist affiliated with the University of Wisconsin.  In her book, she discusses how to think from a dog’s perspective, how to get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog, and how dogs and humans share personality types.

Patricia McConnell recommends "The Ape and Shusi Master," by Franz DeWaal.

Originally Broadcast: September 17, 2002

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Patrick McGrath

Moving to America in 1774

Martha Peake

Imagine leaving home and travelling by yourself to a new land where you don’t know the customs or the politics, on a trip that will take weeks to complete in what would now be considered a very small ship, on turbulent waters.  Imagine making this voyage, never to return to your homeland, when you are 15 years old, and pregnant.  Soon after you arrive a war begins that changes the face of the country and set a new type of government in motion.  Imagine researching this story and then writing it.  That is the work of Patrick McGrath, the author of “Martha Peake,” a book about a plucky young woman who came to American in 1774.  I spoke with Patrick McGrath by phone in 2001 to talk about “Martha Peake,” how he researched and prepared to write it, and what British students are taught about the American Revolution.

Patrick McGrath recommends “The First American,” by H.W. Brown.

Originally Broadcast: January 16, 2001

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Dr. Steven Miles

A Blind Eye to Torture

Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror

The silence of doctors, nurses and medics during the physical abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan and the information provided by physicians and psychologists to determine how much and what kind of mistreatment could be delivered to prisoners during interrogation is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious.  Our guest is Dr. Steven Miles is the author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity and the War On Terror,” a book based in part on eyewitness accounts of actual victims of prison abuse and more than thirty-five thousand pages of documents, autopsy reports and medical records.  Dr. Miles is a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and its justify for Bioethics.  He is a recognized expert in medical ethics, human rights and international health care.  This interview with Dr. Steven Miles was recorded in mid-July 2006 from his office in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We begin when I asked him about his motivation to write a book about the treatment people who are disarmed and imprisoned.

Steven Dr. Miles recommends “Bury The Chains: Profits and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves,” by Adam Hochchild.

Originally Broadcast: July 20, 2006

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Dr. Abraham Morgantaler

Viagra: Is it for You?

The Viagra Myth:  The Surprising Impact on Love and Relationships

Viagra, a drug with infinite name recognition and touted benefits, is, as we know, pervasively advertised on television and the Internet.  But what is the truth and what is the fiction about this drug.  These and other questions about increasing expectations of sexual performance and pleasure are answered by Dr. Abraham Morgantaler, an associate clinical professor at Harvard Medical School and the author of “The Viagra Myth:  The Surprising Impact on Love and Relationships.”

Dr. Abraham Morgantaler recommends "Why I Can't Get Through To You," by Terrance Real.

Originally Broadcast: March 23, 2004

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Edmund Morris

Who was Ronald Reagan?  One Opinion

Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

A President of the United States is frequently a biographer’s subject who usually acts with second-hand information and without explicit authority from the President, himself.  In 1985, Edmund Morris, who was born in Kenya and educated in South Africa, was authorized and appointed by Ronald Reagan to be the official biographer for the 40th President of the United States.  Morris, who characterizes Reagan as a man difficult to truly know, had unprecedented access to President Reagan both in and out of the White House.  He met regularly with Reagan and reviewed Reagan’s daily handwritten White House journal as well as Reagan’s earlier writings.  Morris’ 1999 book, entitled “Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,” is narrated by a fictional character, quite uncommon in most biographical interpretations, and tells the story of President Reagan.

Edmund Morris recommends "Guard of Honor" by James Gould Cozzens.

Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1999

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An Early American Conservationist

The Wild Muir

One of the greatest early conservationists of America was a Scottish immigrant named John Muir who, as a young boy, went first to Wisconsin and then later, as a young man in the 1860s, moved onward to California.  A friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, he successfully sought to preserve the spectacular Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada range; it was joy in his lifetime. Yet the loss of the equally spectacular Hetch Hetch Valley to a dam to provide water for San Francisco was his greatest sorrow.  John Muir founded the Sierra Club and he has been credited with founding the National Park System in the United States.  In this program I spoke with John Muir in the person of Lee Stetson.

John Muir recommends "Sixty Miles from Contentment," by M.H. Dunlop.

Originally Broadcast: October 20, 1995

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Gordon Neufeld

Hold On to Your Kids

Hold On to Your Kids, Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers

The economic and cultural changes that have occurred in North American society in the past fifty or so years have resulted in today’s children looking to and associating with their peers instead of their parents, for direction, for a sense of right and wrong and for values, identity and codes of behavior.  This peer orientation works to undermine family cohesion.  It interferes with healthy development and fosters a sexualized youth culture in which children lose their individuality and tend to become conformist, desensitized and alienated.  These concepts and what to do about them to develop strong families and emotionally healthy children are explained in “Hold On to Your Kids:  Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, “ by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, M.D. When I spoke with Dr. Gordon Neufeld from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia we began our conversation with a discussion of the importance of the development of an attachment between the adult caregiver and the child, beginning at infancy.

www.GordonNeufeld.com

Gordon Neufeld recommends “The Anatomy of Dependence,”  Takeo Doi.

Originally Broadcast: October 25, 2005

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Brad Newsham

A Taxi Across America

Take Me With You: Around The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home

Have you ever made friends with someone from a place where you visited as a traveler?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like for that person to visit you in your home and your surroundings?  Well, that is what Brad Newsham did.  He is the author of “Take Me With You: A Round The World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home.”

Brad Newsham recommends "Dangerous Beauty," by Mark Ross.

Originally Broadcast: May 7, 2002

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Elliott Norse

Trawling the Ocean Floor

Once, fishes as big as turkeys and sheep swam the seas.  Now, most of their few remaining descendants would fit into a frying pan.  Dr. Elliot A. Norse, president of the Marine Biology Conservation Institute in Redmond, Washington, believes that this radical reduction in the size and number of the world’s fishes comes not only from over fishing, the catching of fish at a faster rate than they can breed, but also from bottom trawling.  Dr. Norse writes that bottom trawling crushes, buries, and exposes marine creatures like lobsters, crustaceans, clams, corals and sponges that live on or in the seabed, damaging or killing them.  In August of 1999, Dr. Norse visited with Radio Curious to discuss the effects of bottom trawling, how and where it’s done, and some of the concerns and causes of global warming and the effects it has on the oceans.

Elliott Norse recommends “The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction” by David Quammen.

Originally Broadcast: November 27, 1998

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Sherwin Nuland

What Is It About Our Species That Allows Us to Learn So Much About Ourselves

The Wisdom of the Body

From developmental perspectives, both in individuals and in mankind as a whole, the brain, language, and civilization have separated our species from the rest of the animal kingdom.  In May of 1997, I discussed these issues with Sherwin Nuland, a professor of Medical History at Yale University Medical School and author of many books, including Wisdom of the Body.

Sherwin Nuland recommends “The Meaning of Yiddish,” by Benjamin Harshav.

Originally Broadcast: May 21, 1997

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David Osborn

Papal Politics & The Election of a New Pope

The Last Pope

“The Last Pope,” by David Osborn, takes us inside the world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Catholic Church.  Fictional relationships between the conservative and reform branches of the Catholic Church are revealed in a novel that combines character from both groups.

David Osborn recommends "Naked," by David Sedaris, "Blindness," by Jose Saramago, "Bel Canto," by Ann Patchett & "Remembrance of Things Past," by Marcel Proust.

Originally Broadcast: June 8, 2004

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Dr. Victoria Patterson

Native American Life, Before and After Europeans

Cultures that have no written language pass on their histories through oral traditions.  The stories are the way that social values and traditions are taught by one generation to the next.  Animals often play a significant character role in these stories.  In the Native American traditions of the northwest part of California, the coyote is a very popular character.  Dr. Victoria Patterson, an anthropologist based in Ukiah, California, has worked with native peoples for over 30 years.  She knows these stories, and she sees them as windows, allowing us to imagine how original native peoples of northern California thought and lived.  I met with Dr. Victoria Patterson and asked her about the significance of the story where the coyote jumped off into the sky.  Our discussion lead to a two-part program, originally broadcast in February of 1999.

Dr, Victoria Patterson recommends "Deep Valley," by Bernard W. Aginsky and "Under the Tuscan Sun," by Frances Mayes.

Originally Broadcast: February 16, 1999 and February 26, 1999

Click here to begin listening to Part One.

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Dr. Donald Perry

A Ride Through a Rain Forest in Costa Rica

Life Above the Jungle Floor

In the middle of the Costa Rican rain forest, about an hour west of San Jose, Costa Rica, on the east side of the continental divide, you can find the Rain Forest Aerial Tram located on a private rain forest reserve.  It’s a series of small, open-air cars that hold about five people each held together by a three kilometers long cable.  The tramcars carry visitors through, above and below this portion of the Central American rainforest canopy.  The Rain Forest Aerial Tram was the brainchild of Dr. Donald Perry, a biologist trained at the University of California at Los Angeles, who, beginning in 1970, has specialized in the study of the flora and fauna of the Central American Rainforest.  In April of 1995, I visited the Rain Forest Aerial Tram with Dr. Perry.

Dr. Donald Perry recommends "Life Above the Jungle Floor," by Dr. David Perry.

Originally Broadcast: April 1, 1995

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Chaim Potok

Escaping Communism

The Gates of November

Chaim Potok, the author of “The Chosen,” “The Gift of Asher Lev,” “Divida’s Heart,” and many other novels, chronicled the life of a Russian Jewish family in the non-fictions story, “The Gates of November.”  This true story of the Slapeck family, Solomon Slapek, his son Valodya, and daughter-in-law Masha, spans 100 years.  Beginning with Solomon’s childhood at turn of the 20th century, his escape to America and return to Russia, it eventually describes Valodya and Masha’s life after they apply for an exit visa to leave Russia in 1968, in order to emigrate to Israel.  Chaim Potok died July 23, 2002, at his suburban Philadelphia home of brain cancer at the age of 73.

Chaim Potok recommends "The English Patient," by Michael Ondaatje.

Originally Broadcast: January 8, 1997

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Dr. Clotaire Rapaille

Understanding Our Collective Unconscious

The Culture Code, An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around The World Live and Buy As They Do

The collective unconscious may be defined as a cultural code, a set of imprinted concepts that control how members of different societies live. Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, a French born psychologist brings together the concepts of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud in his development of the collective unconscious in the book, “The Culture Code, An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around The World Live and Buy As They Do.”  Dr. Rapaille thrives on new ideas, which is part of the reason he chose to become American.  We visited by phone from his home in New York State the last week of June 2006, and asked him to describe the development of his ideas.

www.archetypediscoveriesworldwide.com

Dr. Clotaire Rapaille recommends "The DiVinci Code," by Dan Brown and "Straight From The Gut," by Jack Welsh.

Originally Broadcast: June 28, 2006 and July 5, 2006

Click here to begin listening to part one.

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Charles Reich

A Non-Marxist View of Material Capitalism

The Greening of America & Opposing the System

The market economy often seems to have many inherent problems.  Indeed, a Marxist historical view presupposes that the fundamental contradictions of capitalism will inevitably lead to socialism.  Far from this extreme, Charles Reich, author of “The Greening of America” and, more recently, “Opposing the System,” believes that individuals must be nonetheless confronted with these contradictions and the human conditions created by material capitalism.

Charles Reich recommends "The Poetry of Colleridge," by Charles R. Woodring.

Originally Broadcast: November 4, 1996

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Robert Reich

Liberals v. Neo-Cons

Reason, Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America

Looking back at the history of our nation, certain political trends can show swings from one political view to another.  In an election year, we often take a political position in favor of how we each think our government ought to be run.  Robert B. Reich, a former Secretary of Labor under the first Clinton administration and now a professor at Brandeis University and the University of California at Berkeley, is the author of “Reason, Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America.”

Originally Broadcast: July 13, 2004

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Matt Ridley

Nature or Nurture?

Genome & Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human

Are we humans defined by nature or nurture?  Matt Ridley, the author of “Genome,” published in 2000, has more recently written “Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience and What Makes Us Human.”  He argues that genes are enablers, rather than constrainers; thus, we are continually shaped by everyday life.

Matt Ridley recommends "Dot Con," by John Cassidy.

Originally Broadcast: February 3, 2004

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Tim Sanders

A Silicon Valley 'Secret' of Success

Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends

Tim Sanders, the author of a “Love is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends,” is the Chief Solutions Officer at yahoo.com.  Knowledge, network and compassion are the themes of his book and the basis for what he believes will bring most success in business.

Tim Sanders recommends "The Third Wave," by Alvin Toffler.

Originally Broadcast: April 9, 2002

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Eric Schlosser

Do You Really Want to Eat That?

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Eric Schlosser, the author of “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal,” writes that it is not only what is served for human consumption that plagues the country, but the art of mass marketing to children – through organized promotions and ads in school buses, hallways and even bathroom stalls – that has serious side effects in society.

Eric Schlosser recommends "New Jack," by Ted Conover.

Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002

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Juliet Schor

Selling (to) Our Children

Born To Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture

In the past 50 years, the advent of television as a medium for advertising has had significant effects on the buying habits of everyone, and especially on children.  MRI scans on the brain, and the development of neuro-marketing are used to determine more receptive ways to market a myriad of products to all of us.  Studies that follow the behavior of children show that the more involved a child is in the consumer culture, the more likelihood that the child will be depressed, be more anxious, have frequent headaches and/or stomach aches.  And, the most heavily advertised products are more likely to be addictive to the users of those products.  “Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and New Consumer Culture” by Professor Juliet Schor, of Boston College, presents a detailed discussion of these changes in the commercialized market place that is brought into almost every home and school.

Juliet Schor recommends "For Her Own Good," by Barbara Ehreneich and Diedre English.

Originally Broadcast: December 14, 2004

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Evan Schwartz

The Inventor's Juice

Juice, The Creative Fuel That Drives World-class Inventors

Albert Einstein suggests:  “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from anew angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance.” 

Thomas Edison suggests:  “The inventor has a logical mind that sees analogies.”

And Winston Churchill comments:  “Success consists of going from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”

The mind of an inventor works differently than the mind of a non-inventor.  What inspires the inventive mind?  What is different in the way an inventive mind perceives the world that is different from other minds?  What is the role of the role of invention in our society?  In this interview, recorded in January 2005, Evan Schwartz, author of “Juice, The Creative Fuel That Drives World-Class Inventors” discusses inventing and inventions.  According to Evan Schwartz, the creative energy of inventors, their “juice” gets applied to problems, products, companies and markers through the use of creativity patterns.  Invention is a set of strategic thinking strategies that can be learned, taught and practiced, just as with other skills, like cooking, acting or sailing.  He began our conversation by describing what differentiates an inventive mind from other types of minds.

  www.gotjuice.org

Evan Schwartz recommends "Chronicles Volume One," by Bob Dyland.

Originally Broadcast: January 3, 2006

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Stuart Shanker

The First Idea

The First Idea: How Symbols, Language and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans

“The First Idea: How Symbols, Language and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans,” is a book by professors Stanley Greenspan and Stuart Shanker.  Their hypotheses assert that our ability to use symbols and language depends on specific types of nurturing interactions and other cultural practices passed down, learned anew and further developed by each generation, dating back to prehuman and even nonhuman primate cultures.  I spoke with Professor Shanker about these and other topics.

Stuart Shanker recommends "The Trees in my Forest," by Berndt Heinrich.

Originally Broadcast: November 23, 2004

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Dr. Sally Shaywitz

How to Identify and Overcome Dyslexia

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level

Approximately one child in five suffers from dyslexia, a condition that makes learning to read difficult and in some cases seemingly impossible.  In this edition of Radio Curious, originally broadcast in August of 2003, we visit with Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a Professor of Pediatrics at Yale University and the co-director of the Yale justify for the Study of Learning and Attention.  She discusses early diagnosis of dyslexia in young children, older children, and in adults, and what can be done to assist people who suffer from this disability.  In her book, “Overcoming Dyslexia,” Dr. Shaywitz describes how current research, including new brain imaging studies, are uncovering the mechanics underlying this problem, and have led to effective treatments.

Dr. Sally Shaywitz recommends "Emperor of Ocean Park," by Stephen Carter & "Samaritan," by Richard Price.

Originally Broadcast: August 5, 2003

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Dr. Harvey Simon

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men's Health

Dr. Harvey B. Simon is the author of “The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men’s Health” and the founding editor of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch newsletter.  His book discusses a multitude of health issues that are unique to men and some are common to women as well.

Dr. Harvey Simon recommends "An Equal Music," by Vikram Seth.

Originally Broadcast: December 31, 2002

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Janna Malamud Smith

Why Mothers Worry About Their Children

A Potent Spell:  Mother Love and the Power of Fear

Is the concept of “mother blame” a method to control women?  Is motherhood really a fearsome job?  Will a mother’s mistakes or inattention damage a child?  “A Potent Spell:  Mother Love and the Power of Fear” is a book written by Janna Malamud Smith, a clinical psychotherapist and daughter of the writer, Bernard Malamud.

Janna Malamud Smith recommends "Biography of Samuel Pepys," by Clair Tomilin.

Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003

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 Socrates & Ron Gross

Socrates of Athens, in Conversation

Socrates' Way: Seven Masterkeys to Using Your Mind to the Utmost

Socrates of Athens, who lived before the Common Era, is respected as one of the greatest independent thinkers of all time.  Socrates himself refused to be recognized as a teacher.  Instead, Plato, his well-known student and reporter of Socrates’ dialogues, tells us he asked to be seen as a “midwife of ideas.”  Socrates’ passion to achieve self-understanding, and the proper ways to live, continues to be studied and emulated to this day.

 Socrates recommends "The Trojan Women," by Euripides. Ron Gross recommends "The Clouds," by Aristophanes.

Originally Broadcast: January 13, 2003

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Orin Starn

Who was Ishi?

Ishi’s Brain: In Search of the Last ‘Wild’ Indian

In 1911, Ishi, the last Stone Age Indian, walked into the community of Oroville, CA, opening an anthropologic window into the lives of native Californians.  In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit with Orin Starn, an anthropologist at Duke University in North Carolina and the author of “Ishi’s Brain: In Search of the Last ‘Wild’ Indian.”

Orin Starn recommends "When the Spirit Catches You, You Fall Down," by Ann Fadiman.

Originally Broadcast: March 9, 2004

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Douglas Starr

Blood: A History

Blood, an Epic History of Medicine and Commerce

Human blood has been compared historically and sociologically to a river that defines human society over the millennia.  That river has been charted in a recent book and television series entitled, “Blood, an Epic History of Medicine and Commerce,” by Douglas Starr.  This work traces the history of blood in medical, political and economic terms, from the earliest days of bloodletting to the era of AIDS.

Douglas Starr recommends "Instance of the Finger Post," by Ian Beers.

Originally Broadcast: September 14, 2002

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Wesley Swearingen

Illegal FBI Break-Ins, Told By a Former Agent

FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose

Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have a history of illegal break-ins to homes and offices and conducting wiretaps without a search warrant.  In the years when J. Edgar Hoover was the Director of the FBI, these warrantless break-ins came to be known as “black-bag jobs”.   This archive edition of Radio Curious is a December 1995 interview with Wesley Swearingen a former FBI agent who in 1995 wrote a book called FBI Secrets: An Agent’s Expose. His book describes some of the “black-bag” warrantless searches in which he was involved, and his opinion of those activities.  He ends his book by saying that the Hoover era will continue to haunt the FBI because Hoover knowingly undermined the United States Constitution. When I spoke with Wesley Swearingen I asked him what he meant by that.

Wesley Swearingen recommends "Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover," by Anthony Summers.

Originally Broadcast: December 20, 1995

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Bryan Sykes

The Y Chromosome May Disappear

Adam’s Curse, A Future Without Men

The Y chromosome, compared to the body’s 45 other chromosomes, is very fragile.  It has been worn down by millions years of attrition and over time has lost many of its genes.  It is unable to exchange genetic material or repair itself because it does not combine with other chromosomes like the X chromosome does.  Professor Bryan Sykes, author of “Adam’s Curse, A Future Without Men,” explains the degeneration of the Y chromosome.

Bryan Sykes recommends "Mismatch," by Andrew Hacker & "Burgdorf Blondes," by Plumb Sykes.

Originally Broadcast: June 1, 2004

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Joshua Tickell

Biodiesel: An Oil-less Fuel

From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel

Biodiesel, an alternative to the dwindling supply of fossil fuels, is created from processed vegetable oil and is available anywhere vegetable oil is grown or used.  Joshua Tickell is the author of “From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel."  In this program, he shared his ideas on the topic.

Joshua Tickell recommends "Connections," by James Burke.

Originally Broadcast: July 22, 2003

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Mike Tidwell

Destruction of Louisiana

Bayou Farewell, The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun Coast

It is now known that the destruction to southern Louisiana that occurred as a result of hurricane Katrina in August 2005 was anticipated by some and should have been anticipated by others. In this interview recorded in April 2003, and first broadcast in February 2006, our guest Mike Tidwell, is the author of "Bayou Farewell:  The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Coastal Louisiana."  Tidwell describes how that vast marshland of coastal Louisiana, home to millions of migratory birds and the source of one-third of America’s seafood, is literally washing out to sea.  The bayou region, 6000 square miles in size, remains the fastest disappearing landmass on earth. An acre of solid ground turns to water every 20 minutes.  An area the size of Manhattan Island washes away every ten months.

Mike Tidwell recommends "Oil Notes," by Rick Bass.

Originally Broadcast: February 28, 2006

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Dr. Frank Vertosick

Evolutionary Intelligence

The Genius Within: Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing

Neurosurgeon Dr. Frank Vertosick is the author of “The Genius Within, Discovering the Intelligence of Every Living Thing,” a book that discusses learning among all species.   He talks about learning through evolution or alteration of the genetic structure as compared to learning the way we more commonly think of it, by studying or by experience.

Dr. Frank Vertosick recommends "Linked: The New Science of Networks," by Albert Lazlso-Barbasi.

Originally Broadcast: October 9, 2002

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David Von Drehle

The Fire That Changed America

Triangle, the Fire That Changed America

Until September 11, 2001, The Triangle Shirtwaste Fire on March 25, 1911 was the deadliest workplace disaster in the history of New York City.  David Von Drehle, a political writer for the Washington Post, is the author of “Triangle, the Fire That Changed America,” a detailed examination of how one event changed the course of the 20th century politics and labor relations.

David Von Drehle recommends "Plunkitt of Tammany Hall," by William Riordan.

Originally Broadcast: September 9, 2003

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Michael Waldman

The President Speaks

My Fellow Americans, The Most Important Speeches of America’s Presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush

Michael Waldman, an expert on the Presidency, wrote or edited nearly 2000 speeches, including several of President Clinton’s State of the Union speeches.  He is also the editor of “My Fellow Americans, The Most Important Speeches of America’s Presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush.”

Michael Waldman recommends "Burr," by Gore Vidal.

Originally Broadcast: January 20, 2004

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Fred Watson

What a Telescope Reveals

Stargazer, the Life and Times of the Telescope

The history of the telescope is a rich story of human ingenuity and perseverance involving some of the most colorful figures in the scientific world.  In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Dr. Fred Watson, the Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia.  Dr. Watson’s book, “Stargazer, the Life and Times of the Telescope,” reveals the science and technology behind the telescope and its impact in unveiling the mysteries of the universe, and concludes with a fictional epilogue in the year 2108.  This epilogue looks back 48 years at the object, one kilometer in diameter, that had a 99.9% probability of impacting the earth in April 2060 and how it was diverted.  Dr. Watson was in his office in New South Wales, Austrailia, when this interview was recorded and begins by explaining the importance of the epilogue.

www.aao.gov.au/local/www/fgw

Fred Watson recommends "The Transit of Venus," by Peter Autin.

Originally Broadcast: July 19, 2005

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Jonathan Weiner

Genetic Control

Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior

How much of our personalities are truly within our control?  What is currently known about how the genes we inherit affect our behavior?   The science that studies these questions is now called molecular biology.  Looking at life from the genes up, molecular biology has given us insight into the hard links between genes and behavior.  Seymour Benzer, a pioneer scientist who studied the genetics of fruit flies, is the hero of a book called “Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior," by Jonathan Weiner.  Weiner, who won the Pulitzer prize in 1995 for his work on the finches of the Galapagos Islands, provides a current analysis of Benzer’s genetic studies and raises questions about molecular biology the 21st century.

Jonathan Weiner recommends “The Missing Moment,” by Robert Pollack.

Originally Broadcast: May 26, 1999

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Andrew Weiss

Ellis Island: Who Arrived There, Why and What Was it Like

Between 1892 and 1956 about 12 million people immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island, in the harbor of New York City.  Who were these immigrants? Where did they come from?  What was the experience of getting to Ellis Island and what happened to them once they arrived?  In this archive edition of Radio Curious, we visited with Andrew Weiss, who I met in 1992 when he was a tour guide at Ellis Island, working for the City of New York.  I spoke with Andrew Weiss in November of 1992, when he was a doctoral candidate at Columbia University and a teacher at Barnard College in New York City.  I asked him to begin by telling us about the history of Ellis Island.

Originally Broadcast: November 23, 1992

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Philip Weiss

Cover-up of a Peace Corps Murder

American Taboo, A Murder in Peace Corps

In this edition of Radio Curious, we take a look at murder and getting away with murder.  In the small island kingdom of Tonga, an American Peace Corps Volunteer murdered another American Peace Corps volunteer in October 1976.  “American Taboo, A Murder in Peace Corps,” by Philip Weiss, is a detailed story about the murder, how and why it happened, the legend that developed, the subsequent cover-up, and an interview with the murderer.

Philip Weiss recommends "McArthur and Southerland, The Good Years," & "McArthur and Southerland, The Bitter Years," both by Paul P. Rogers 

Originally Broadcast: June 29, 2003

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Spencer Wells

The Peopling of the World

The Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey

Around 60,000 years ago, a man - identical to us in all important genetic respects - lived in Africa.  Every person alive today is descended from him.  This is known because the secrets of human evolution are hidden in our genetic code.  In this edition of Radio Curious, we visit with geneticist Spencer Wells, author of the book and movie, “Journey of Man, A Genetic Odyssey.”

Spencer Wells recommends "No Logo," by Naomi Klein.

Originally Broadcast: February 10, 2004

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David Wexler, Ph.D.

Depression in Men

Is He Depressed or What?  What to Do When the Man You Love is Irritable, Moody, and Withdrawn

Depression often sets off different behaviors, sometimes recognized by others and not by the depressed person. Depression in men is the topic of this edition of Radio Curious, as we talk with David B. Wexler, Ph.D, who is the author of “Is He Depressed or What? What to Do When the Man you Love is Irritable, Moody and Withdrawn.” Dr. Wexler, a clinical psychologist, discusses how to recognize when you or someone you love is depressed, how to talk about in respectful and successful ways, while taking care of yourself.  When I spoke with Dr. Wexler from his home in San Diego, California, we began by discussing different categories of depression and how the symptoms of depression in men are different from depression in women.

David Wexler, Ph.D. recommends "Dharma Punx," by Noah Levine.

Originally Broadcast: March 14, 2006

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Peter C. Whybrow

The Conflict Between Our Biological Heritage and the Speed of Our Lives

American Mania, When More is Not Enough

Not so long ago before the common use of devices operated by electricity our lives were generally much more calm.  And as humans we have a biological a heritage of being are curiosity driver, reward seeking and harm avoiding creatures.  The conflict that has evolved between our biological heritage and the demand driven economy in the United States is the essence of a book entitled “American Mania, When More is Not Enough.”  Dr. Peter C. Whybrow, author of “American Mania” is our guest on this edition of Radio Curious.  He is a professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral science, and director of the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California at Los Angeles. In this interview, recorded mid-February 2005, Dr. Whybrow discusses this conflict, and its consequences. 

  Peter C. Whybrow recommends “In Praise of Slowness,” by Carl Honore.

Originally Broadcast: February 12, 2005

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Richard Zimler

The Pogroms of Portugal, 1506

Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

In the early part of the 1500s in the Iberian Peninsula, which comprises Spain and Portugal, people who were not followers of the Roman Catholic faith were expelled, required to convert to Catholicism or killed.   At that time, there was a sizeable Jewish population living in those two countries, especially in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.  The “Last Kabbalist of Lisbon,” written by Richard Zimler, an American living in Porto, Portugal, is a story about what happened to the Jews of Portugal.

Richard Zimler recommends "The Assault on Truth," by Jeffrey Masson.

Originally Broadcast: August 15, 2004

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 Zoya

An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom

Zoya's Story, An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom

Zoya, a member of the RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan, tells the story of her childhood, her parents and her parents’ disappearance.  She describes the wrath that first the Russians, then the Taliban and then the Northern Alliance have brought to her country.   Along with the suffering, she describes the hope and spirit carried in the hearts of the Afghan people.

 Zoya recommends the collected speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..

Originally Broadcast: June 18, 2002

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