A Civil Action

By Jonathan Harr

Toxic Water, A Movie

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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A Civil Action

By Jonathan Harr

Toxic Water, A Book

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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A Hole In My Life

By Jack Gantos

How Prison Affected One Man's 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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A Potent Spell:  Mother Love and the Power of Fear

By Janna Malamud Smith

Why Mothers Worry About Their Children

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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Adam's Curse, A Future Without Men

By Bryan Sykes

The Y Chromosome May Disappear

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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African American Writers: Portraits and Visions

By Lynda Koolish, Ph.D.

African American Writers

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

By Dr. Francis Adams

Are We Still Racists?

“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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The Altar of My Soul

By Marta Morena Vega

One Religion People Forced to Migrate Brought to the Americas

Religious beliefs normally follow people as they migrate, including people who are forced to migrate.  The people forced to migrate to the western Hemisphere during the slave-trading period carried their beliefs and belief systems to the diaspora of their new world.  The Santeria religion, also know as Lucumí, is a belief system that originated in Africa later brought to the Americas and is still practiced in widely separated communities of the western hemisphere.  Marta Moreno Vega, a Santeria Priestess, and university professor in New York City is the author of “The Alter of My Soul.”  Her book is a story of the Santeria or Lucumí religion, its traditions, how they were brought from Africa and are practiced now.  I spoke with Marta Moreno Vega by phone in November of 2000, and we began when I asked her to tell us about the Santeria religion and how it differs from other religions.

Marta Morena Vega recommends “Face of The Gods: Art and Altars of Africa and the African Americans,” by Robert F. Thompson.

Originally Broadcast: November 7, 2000

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American Taboo, A Murder in Peace Corps

By Philip Weiss

Cover-up of a Peace Corps Murder

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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America's Future: Transition into the 21st Century

By William Boyer

The Rights of Our Children

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

By Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

What Autism Can Tell Us About Animals

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, Ph.D. recommends “Our Inner Ape,” by Frans De Waal.

Recorded March 21, 2006

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The Autobiography of a Face

By Lucy Grealy

What is Ugly

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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Babyji

By Abha Dawesar

Babyji, A Story of Physics, Sex and Caste Politics in India

Anamika Sharma, the lead character in the novel Babyji, by Abha Dewasar grows up in Delhi, India, studying quantum physics at school and sex out of school.  The story follows the life of a girl who sets her own rules in a culture that historically demands the opposite.  Our conversation begins with the author Abha Dewasar describing India, the place where she grew up, and where the life of Anamika takes place.

Abha Dawesar recommends "Purple Hibiscus," by Chimamanda Ngozi Ardiche.

Originally Broadcast: February 24, 2005

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By Mike Tidwell

Destruction of Louisiana

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

By Dr. Ken Alibek

Soviet Germ Warfare

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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Blood, an Epic History of Medicine and Commerce

By Douglas Starr

Blood: A History

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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Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment

By Richard Dooling

Is it Safe to Say … ?

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

By Juliet Schor

Selling (to) Our Children

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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Break Out

By Marc Lappe

Roadside Spraying, For Better or Worse

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.  Futher information may be found at www.cetos.org.

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

Originally Broadcast: February 5, 1997

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

By Dr. Dolores Hayden

From City to Suburb

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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Colors of the Mountain

By Da Chen

Life in China Under Mao

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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Crazy Rhythm: My Journey from Brooklyn, Jazz, and Wall Street to Nixon’s White House, Watergate, and Beyond…,

By Leonard Garment

Some people’s memories of President Richard Nixon are negative due to his role in escalating the Vietnam War, the student demonstrations at Kent State University, and Nixon’s ultimate downfall in Watergate.  But who was the man?  And how could another individual get close to him?  “Crazy Rhythm: My Journey from Brooklyn, Jazz, and Wall Street to Nixon’s White House, Watergate, and Beyond…,” is a story written by a complex person very close to Richard Nixon.  Attorney Leonard Garment was born to immigrant Jewish parents in New York in 1924.  Playing music, especially saxophone jazz, he grew up in Brooklyn.  As a good student and, with what he describes, “an ambition to run things,” Garment finished law school in his early twenties and began working for a major Wall Street law firm.  Even though at times he characterized himself as a liberal Democrat, Garment became a close friend and law partner with Richard Nixon and later became the attorney for, and the counsel to, President Richard Nixon, during the time Nixon was embroiled in the throws of Watergate.  This interview was originally broadcast in May of 1997.

Leonard Garment recommends “American Pastoral,” by Philip Roth.

Originally Broadcast: May 16, 1997

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The Darwin Conspiracy

By John Darnton

Who is Charles Darwin

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. 

John Darnton recommends "Snow," by Orhan Pamuk.

Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2005

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Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated

By Steve Jones

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

By Joseph Marshall III

The End of a Nation: the Lakota Tribe

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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Dead Reckoning, the New Science of Catching Killers

By Dr. Michael Baden

How Did That Person Die?

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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Democracy in America

By Alexis de Tocqueville

Dick Johnson

A Visit With Alexis de Tocqueville

In 1831, a 25 year-old Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, trained as a lawyer, and preoccupied with democracy, came to the US to study this new political scheme.  Alexis de Tocqueville and his traveling companion, Gustave de Beaumont, arrived at Newport, RI, in an America comprised, then, of 23 states and 13 million people.  They stayed for nine months, and then returned to France at which time de Tocqueville began his epic poem entitled “Democracy in America.”  At a time then when slavery was an economic base in the South, and abolitionism was beginning to thrive in the North, America had three frontiers: geography, industry, and democracy.  In this program of Radio Curious, we’ll be talking with Alexis De Tocqueville, through the person of Chautauqua scholar, Dick Johnson.

Alexis de Tocqueville recommends “Democracy in America,” by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Originally Broadcast: July 17, 1996

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

By Alexandra Fuller

Growing up White in Africa

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

By Ed Dolnick

The Grand Canyon, 1869

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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Dutch, A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

By Edmund Morris

Who was Ronald Reagan?  One Opinion

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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The End of the Twins, a Memoir of Losing a Brother

By Saul Diskin

Identical Twins

Ever wondered what it would be like to have an identical twin—how alike would you be to that person?  How much of an individual would you be?  Saul Diskin and his identical twin brother Marty grew up together in New York City where Saul and Marty were inseparable.  As adults, they began to live separate lives, Saul in Phoenix and Marty near Boston.  In 1991, Marty, who had suffered from leukemia for 20 years, needed a bone marrow transplant, which he received from Saul.  In his extraordinarily intimate book, “The End of the Twins, a Memoir of Losing a Brother,” Saul Diskin chronicles the rich relationship beginning with their early childhood and ending well past Marty’s death in 1997, shortly before their 63rd birthday.

Saul Diskin recommends “Entwined Lives,” by Nancy Segal and “Cosmology and Creation: The Spiritual Significance of Contemporary Cosmology” by Paul Brockelman.

Originally Broadcast: September 22, 2001

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Endangered Minds & Failure to Connect

By Dr. Jane M. Healy

Children Versus Television

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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Errors and Omissions

By Paul Goldstein

The Artist's Right of Ownership

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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Everyday Racism: A Book For All Americans

By Annie Barnes

Racism in America

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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Fair Play for Frogs

By Nestle J. Frobish

Fair Play For Frogs, Part 1

Frogs play an important role in ecology of the world and are their occasional demise is sometimes noted as an impending ecological disaster. In 1961, a newly elected member of the California State Assembly, Jerome R. Waldie, introduced a bill that read in full, “frogs may be taken using slingshot.”  Little did he know that this bill would plague him through out his political career in the California Legislature, in the United States Congress, and as a candidate for governor of California.  Our guest is Nestle J. Frobish, the Chair-Creature of the World Wide Fair Play for Frogs Committee, an organization founded in Berkeley, California soon after what became to be known as the “frog murder bill.”   “Fair Play for Frogs, The Waldie – Frobish Papers,” the collected correspondence between Nestle J. Frobish and former Congressman Jerome R. Waldie was published as political spoof in 1977. Around that time some misinformed people, including Congressman Waldie accused me of being Nestle J. Frobish, something I am not now, nor ever have been.   I spoke with Nestle J. Frobish by phone while he was lurking near a pond at Frog Central in northern Vermont on May 21, 2007, so this rather preposterous story could be told.  Jerome Waldie is also a guest and his interview may be found on this web-site.

Nestle J. Frobish recommends "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward.

Originally Broadcast: May 21, 2007

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Fair Play for Frogs

By Jerome Waldie

Fair Play For Frogs, Part 2

As a lawyer and a student of political science, I have come to appreciate the anomalies and humor of politics.  One story that fits both of those categories well is the relationship between Nestle J. Frobish, the Chair-creature of World-Wide Fair Play for Frogs Committee and his former nemesis and the former Congressional Representative from the region just east of San Francisco, California, Jerome R. Waldie.  Their dissension arose in 1961 when Waldie was a freshman member of the California State Assembly and chose to introduce what came to be known as the “Frog Murder Bill,” resulting in Frobish organizing what turned out to be a 45 year campaign to get Waldie to renounce, what Frobish called his “vestigial impurities” visited upon him as the “mad butcher of the swamp.”  Waldie finally acceded in 2006 and in this interview recorded in mid June 2007 tells us why.

Jerome Waldie recommends "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis.

Originally Broadcast: June 11, 2007

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

By Eric Schlosser

Do You Really Want to Eat That?

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

By Dr. Joao Magueijo

Was Einstein Wrong?

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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Filtering People

By Dr. Jim Cole

Teaching Tolerance

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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