Radio Curious

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

For most people, the desire to be known exceeds the 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 lives with quadriplegia, paralyzed from the neck down as a result of an automobile accident in 1979. He is 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.

His book “Letter’s to Sam: A Grandfather’s Lessons on Love, Loss and the Gifts of Life,” is a collection of the thirty-two intimate and compassionate letters sharing Dan’s thoughts, observations and experiences gained from his 27 years with quadriplegia, and his professional life as a clinical psychologist.

Dr. Dan Gottlieb and I visited by phone from his in mid April 2006.

The books Dr. Gottlieb recommends are “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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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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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, 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 it 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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