Francis Moore Lappe — “Toward Understanding the Predicament”

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There is a lot of discussion about hope in this time of the pending election for president.  Francis Moore Lappe, author of, “Diet for a Small Planet,” discusses the need to give up certain old assumptions in her new book, “Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad.”  One path to abandoning old assumptions comes from curiosity, which is also a guiding principal for this program.  When I visited with Francis Moore Lappe on Feburary 20, 2008, from her office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we discussed curiosity and her reflection that she should have included “curiosity” in her title of, “Getting a Grip.”

The book she recommends is, “The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe,” by Lynne McTaggart

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Michael A’Dair & William Ray- “Shakespeare Was Really Edward De Vere”

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Of two people, William Shakespeare and Edward De Vere, whose lives overlapped, De Vere had many of the experiences described in the literary works attributed to William Shakespeare. This conversation with Michael A’Dair and William Ray, two gentlemen intellectuals from Willits, California explores some of the reasons they believe De Vere wrote what is generally attributed to Shakespeare. This program was originally broadcast March 27, 2008.

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Beth Wenger — Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America

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North America, as we have known for millennia, has been populated by ethnic groups looking for a new place to live. Beginning in the early 17th Century and through the present time, Jewish people from around the world have seen North America as a favored place to live and in waves of migration over time have come here to make a new life as part of the American fabric. In the winter of 2008 the Public Broadcasting System presented a major six hour television series: “The Jewish Americans: Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America.” A companion book to this series with the same name, written by Beth Wenger, the Director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, is a collection of first person stories about lives of American Jews who maintained their own culture as they became part of the American culture. Our visit with Beth Wenger in January 2008, by phone from her office at the University of Pennsylvania, began when she described the distinctions and similarities of the Jewish American experience as compared to other immigrant groups. This program was originally broadcast January 30, 2008.

The book she recommends is, “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union,” by Michael Chabon.

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Hanna Rosin — “God’s Harvard”

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Originally recorded on July 21, 2007.

Since 2000, ambitious young evangelicals have made their way to Patrick Henry College, a small Christian school near Washington, D.C. Most of them are home schoolers whose idealism and discipline put the average American teenager to shame. At “God’s Harvard” they are groomed to become tomorrow’s elite, dispatched to the front lines of politics, entertainment and science to “take back a godless nation.” Hanna Rosin, author of “God’s Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America,” visits the nerve center of the evangelical movement and describes who they are, their background, goals and desires.

The book Hanna Rosin recommends is “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman.

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Gordon Neufeld– “Hold On to Your Kids”

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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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Eric Liu – “The Benefits of Mentoring”

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Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life

Every one of us, in every social role that we play, is a teacher and a mentor. Who has influenced us, and how we pass that influence along is a question that goes to the heart of both learning and mentoring. The concepts of mentoring are set out in the book “Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life,” by Eric Liu. In this interview, recorded n February 2005, Eric Liu discusses his experiences a mentor, a mentee, and an observer of both. For more information see www.ericliu.com.
www.ericliu.com

Eric Liu recommends “All the King’s Men,” by Robert Penn Warren.
Originally Broadcast: February 15, 2005

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Edward Fiske– “The College Admissions Process”

This episode was first broadcasted on September 16, 2003.

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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.

 

Dr. Sally Shaywitz – “How to Identify and Overcome Dyslexia”

This episode was first broadcasted on August 5, 2003.

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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.

Nelson, Alondra— “Health Care & The Black Panthers”

Originally Broadcast: February 13, 2012

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The exodus of approximately six million black people from the American South between 1915 and 1970 had a significant role in setting the stage of the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. Many of the children of those who left the south participated in desegregation efforts which included the Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-ins. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 which attempted to resolve employment discrimination and define voting rights, only changed the law. Many young blacks however did not see changes in their everyday life.

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was born out of this disillusionment. Although infiltrated and feared by the F.B.I., the Black Panther Party pioneered social and community programs, including free medical clinics, free meals, and educational programs.

Our guest in this edition of Radio Curious is Columbia University Sociology and Gender Studies Professor Alondra Nelson, author of “Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination.”

We visited by phone from her Office in New York City, on February 13, 2012 and began our conversation when I asked her to describe the Black Panther Party.

The book she recommends is “Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems,” by Elizabeth Alexander.

Professor Nelson’s website is http://www.alondranelson.com.

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Lerner, Gerda Ph.D. — “The Foremother of Women’s History”

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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 recognized academic attention.  Our guest, Professor Gerda Lerner was a pioneer in the movement to study and record the history of women.

Gerda Lerner led an extraordinary life from April 30, 1920 to January 2, 2013.  She was a historian, author and teacher, and ultimately a professor emeritus of history at the University of Wisconsin.  Her academic work was characterized by the attention she drew to the differences among women in class, race and sexual orientation.

Professor Lerner and I visited by phone in October 2002, began with her description why the distinctions among women of class, race and sexual orientation are important.

Originally Broadcast: October 1, 2002.

 

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