Mark Twain was famous long before he donned the white suit of his later years, but what was it about those last few years that cemented his image in America’s consciousness forever? We’ll talk this hour with biographer Michael Shelden, author of “Mark Twain: Man In White The Grand Adventure of His Final Years” (Random […]
While Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen have announced support for a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” what will it actually take and how soon will it happen? What do you think? We’ll spend this hour with Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for […]
What is life like for the workers we never see, yet rely upon to keep our lifestyles affordable? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Gabriel Thompson whose new book is “Working in the Shadows: A Year of Doing the Jobs (Most) Americans Won’t Do” (Nation Books, 2010).
What should we each do to ensure that our lives end the way we want them to? We’ll examine our end-of-life options this hour with Dr. Jeanne Fitzpatrick, co-author of “A Better Way of Dying: How to Make the Best Choices at the End of Life” (Penguin, 2010).
According to the National Safety Council, drivers distracted by texting and talking on cell phones account for more than one out of every four traffic accidents. Should cell phone usage be banned for drivers? We’ll talk with Jennifer Smith, whose organization FocusDriven is raising awareness and supporting victims of car crashes, about a new movement […]
Will librarians still have a role in the new digital world? Author Marilyn Johnson thinks so. We’ll spend this hour with Johnson, whose new book is “This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All” (Harper, 2010).
Why do so many people, when faced with simpler, more plausible explanations, look to conspiracy theories for answers? We’ll find out this hour with journalist and social critic David Aaronovitch, author of “Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History” (Riverhead, 2010).
Does our concept of beauty empower women or is it merely a dangerous delusion? And why does beauty remain, arguably, the subject of all art? Rachel Hovnanian, a New York-based artist who grew up in Texas, will join us this hour. Her artwork will be featured in this weekend’s Dallas Art Fair.
How does carbon-trading work and is a cap-and-trade system a viable solution to the planet’s climate challenges? We’ll talk this hour with Mark Schapiro, whose article “Conning the Climate: Inside the Carbon-Trading Shell Game,” is the cover story in the February issue of Harper’s Magazine.
