To the Best of our Knowledge (Books-Conversation)

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  • Host: Jim Fleming
  • Each week, To the Best of Our Knowledge brings you two hours of in-depth interviews with nationally and internationally-known guests whose passion for new ideas will challenge and engage.
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TTBOOK: Getting Religion

Sat, Oct 11 listen to this topic
Stephen Prothero believes Americans need to know more about religions. Lupe Fiasco tries to reconcile his Islamic beliefs and American Rap culture. Elaine Pagels wrote an appreciation of Judas. Anne Lamott reached God after a life filled with drink and drugs.

TTBOOK: The Fine Art of Aging

Fri, Oct 10 listen to this topic
David Galenson talks about Old Masters and Young Geniuses. Nick Lowe has been making music for 40 years. Amy Gorman collected the stories of women artists between the ages of 85 and 105. Millard Kaufman started a new career as a novelist at age 90.

Facing the Rest of Your Life

Sat, Oct 4 listen to this topic
Michael Gates Gill changed his life by working at Starbucks. James McManus describes getting an Executive Physical. Guitarist Glenn Kurtz celebrates the joys of practicing. Joanna Trollope wrote a novel about Empty Nesters. Carl Klaus collected the letters he wrote to his wife to Kate after her death.

Women in War

Fri, Oct 3 listen to this topic
Journalist Carolin Emcke collected her letters home from war. 1st Lt. Nicole Smith is the first black woman Apache helicopter pilot in US Army. Hilla Medalia made a documentary about a suicide bomber and the girl that she killed. Elizabeth Samet teaches literature at West Point. Fredrick Whitehurst saved the diary of a Vietnamese soldier.

The Horror, the Horror

Sat, Sep 27 listen to this topic
Andrew Davidson reads from his novel"The Gargoyle." Richard Hand describes classic horror radio. Glenn Kay walks with zombies from the movies. Kelly Link writes horror for young adult readers.

Libraries

Fri, Sep 26 listen to this topic
Maryanne Wolfe discusses the science of reading. Ursula Le Guin believes books will always endure. Geraldine Brooks wrote a novel about the history of a rare manuscript. Alberto Manguel has a massive personal library. Susan Hirschmann created a publishing company for children's books.

The Beats Go On

Sat, Sep 20 listen to this topic
John Leland Finds a lot of relevance in the writings of Jack Kerouac. Joyce Johnson describes her life in "A Beat Memoir." Jerry Aronson made a documentary of the life of Allen Ginsberg. Cassandra Cleghorn & Erik Lawrence of the jazz ensemble Merge.

Mind and Meaning

Fri, Sep 19 listen to this topic
Jill Bolte Taylor suffered a stroke and gained insight into the workings of her own brain. Pranksters Coyle & Sharpe perform their "Microphone in Brain." George Vaillant considers the spiritual evolution of the mind. Daniel Levitin believes music was a part of the evolution of the human mind. Owen Flanagan discusses consciousness and meaning.

The Bestiary

Sat, Sep 13 listen to this topic
Laurel Kendall leads us through a mythic creatures exhibit. Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman searches for unusual creatures. Jonathan Baillie directs the EDGE of Existence program. Tim Friend describes an unusual microbe, Archaea. Nicholas Christopher reads from his novel "The Bestiary."

Boomer Backlash

Fri, Sep 12 listen to this topic
Jeff Gordinier talks about the accomplishments of Generation X. Leonard Steinhorn's book argues the Boomers were the "Greater Generation." TTBOOK listeners and host Jim Fleming address Charles Monroe-Kane's anti-boomer rant. Lisa Chamberlain explains the economic innovations of the Gen-Xers. Christopher Buckley posits a latter-day "Modest Proposal."

Learning Science

Sat, Sep 6 listen to this topic
FMA Live! tries a new way to teach Newton's Law in Schools. Paula Apsell discusses how she is keeping NOVA current. Walter Isaacson describes Albert Einstein. NPR Reporter Robert Krulwich on making science accessible.

Deja Vu All Over Again

Fri, Sep 5 listen to this topic
Neuro-psychologist Chris Moulin studies deja vu and memory . Lawrence Hatab describes Nietzsche's concept of Eternal Recurrence. Wendy Lesser reads from her essay about viewing Hitchcock's Vertigo. Rivka Galchen's novel deals with the disconnect of the familiar.

The Malleable Mind

Sat, Aug 30 listen to this topic
Norman Doidge reports how the human brain can repair itself. Daniel Pinchbeck advocates rewiring the brain with drugs. Katherine Ellison describes how motherhood changes women's brains. Marvin Minsky envisions future human artificial brains.

Leadership in War

Fri, Aug 29 listen to this topic
Deborah Scranton directed The War Tapes. Martin Gilbert is the biographer of Winston Churchill. James Bradley considers the ethical dilemmas of war information. Martin Greenblatt evaluates leadership in Shakespeare's plays. Patty Loew recounts stories of Native American warriors.

Re-Thinking the Sixties

Sat, Aug 23 listen to this topic
Tom Hayden talks about Sixties activism. Gil Halstead reflects on the anniversary on the My Lai massacre. Suze Rotolo was Bob Dylan's companion in the early 60's. Charles Monroe-Kane provides a Gen-X perspective. Rick Perlstein charts a significant cultural movement.

East Meets West: Encountering Islam

Sat, Aug 23 listen to this topic
Tariq Ramadan talks about Muslims in Europe. Azhar Usman is a Muslim Comic. Lupe Fiasco is a Muslim Hip Hop Artist. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a critic of Islam. Ausma Khan publishes Muslim Girl Magazine.

East Meets West: Culture in the Crossroads

Sat, Aug 16 listen to this topic
Kumail Nanjiani's standup show questions faith. Rachel DeWoskin is a Foreign Babe in Beijing. Eddy Moretti & Suroosh Alvi on Muslim Heavy Metal. David Kalat talks about J-Horror Films. Anne Allison discusses Japanese toys. Mira Nair is an Indian filmmaker.

Water, Water Everywhere?

Fri, Aug 15 listen to this topic
Fred Pearce discovered people are simply taking too much water out of the world's river systems. Jeff Wiltse explains how municipal pools have reflected the social tensions of American society. Julia Whitty is a master diver and film-maker of the coral reefs in the South Pacific. Carl Safina describes the life cycle of the leatherback turtle. Sasha Issenberg chronicled the globalization of Sushi.

East Meets West:The New Silk Road

Sat, Aug 9 listen to this topic
Colin Thubron revisits the Silk Road. Yo-Yo Ma talks about his Silk Road Project. Marian Salzman & Robyn Meredith on Rise of "Chindia." Susan Friedman has an e-mail friend in Iraq. Josh Rushing joins Al Jazeera in America.

Collaboration

Fri, Aug 8 listen to this topic
Ward Cunningham is the inventor of the web collaboration tool the wiki. Adam Sisman and Steve Paulson talk about the friendship between poets Coleridge and Wordsworth. Rold De Heer made a film with an aboriginal community. Michael Timmins and Margo Timmins reflect on the Cowboy Junkies album "The Trinity Session."

East Meets West: Dharma Days, Yoga Nights

Sat, Aug 2 listen to this topic
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about Seeking Spirituality. Bob Spitz discusses Beatles in India. Lama Surya Das, Sharon Salzberg, Tara Brach & Jon Kabat-Zinn are American Buddhists. Robert Bly has translated the Poet-Saint Kabir.

Post-Postmodernism: Are We There Yet?

Fri, Aug 1 listen to this topic
Salman Rushdie describes his multi layered novel "The Enchantress of Florence." Amy Elias identifies three types of postmodernism. Christian Lander has a book and website about the unique taste of millions. Robert Ellis Orrall's real fictional band is Monkey Bowl.

East Meets West: Clash of Civilizations?

Sat, Jul 26 listen to this topic
Mohsin Hamid is a Reluctant Fundamentalist. Sasha Abramsky, Lee Harris, & Ziauddin Sardar engage in a Clash of Civilizations Round-Up. Salman Ahmad is a Pakistani Rock Star. Margaret MacMillan talks about Nixon in China.

So You Wanna Be a Rock Star?

Fri, Jul 25 listen to this topic
Steven Kurutz wrote a book about the tribute band Sticky Fingers. Christopher O'Riley recorded piano transcriptions of songs by Elliot Smith. Chris Murphy and Patrick Pentland of the Halifax Indie band Sloan Again demonstrate rock star attitude. Steve Lopez researched the history of street performer Nathaniel Ayers. Josh Ritter performs in TTBOOK's studio.

Life as Entertainment

Sat, Jul 19 listen to this topic
Nick Hitchon is one of the first reality TV stars. Emily Gould's life went public on her blog. Tom Bollestorff describes the reality of having a "Second Life" online. Laurie Oullette studies reality TV. Bill Wasik created 'flash mobs.'

Remix Culture

Fri, Jul 18 listen to this topic
Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky is an unofficial spokesman for remix culture. Derek Chilcote Bacco, aka The World Famous Audio Hacker teaches us how a mash-up works. Lawrence Lessig talks about why current copyright law is absurd. Jason Bittner demonstrates "old-school" cassette mix tapes.

Heroes, Anti-heroes & Regular Folks

Sat, Jul 12 listen to this topic
Austin Grossman wrote a novel with a cast of comic-style super heroes and villains. Douglas Wolk explains why comics became such a vital medium for individual artistic expression. Ulli Lust is one of the new generation of comics artists publishing her own work online. Roberta Gregory writes and draws a comic strip featuring the mis-adventures of Midge McCracken. Terry Moore wrote a comic which chronicled the lives of ordinary people.

Animal Minds

Fri, Jul 11 listen to this topic
Virginia Morell wrote about some amazing feats of animal intelligence. David Ferriss talks about a project that puts elephants to work, making art. David Wroblewski's novel is about the communication between a boy and his dogs. Craig Childs is a naturalist who writes about encounters with wild creatures. Graeme Gibson collects bird literature and lore.

How We Remember

Sat, Jul 5 listen to this topic
Sue Halpern reports on current thinking about how memory works. Jill Price has a remarkable memory; she can't forget anything that's ever happened to her. Christopher Taylor played all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas from memory. Guy Beiner studies folk memories of historical events.

Orwell and the War on Terror

Fri, Jul 4 listen to this topic
Philip Gourevitch talks about what photos of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison don't show. Richard Flanagan wrote a novel about a society gone haywire in response to terrorism. Fred Burton explains the threats that counter-terrorism agents worry about. Tim Robbins and The Actors' Gang produced a contemporary version of 1984. Jim DeVita's novel is set in a dystopian world much like our own.

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