KERA's Think

[2014-01-14 12:00:00] Fifty years ago, the Beatles came to America, Barry Goldwater squared off against Lyndon Johnson and Cassius Clay announced that from now on we should call him Muhammad Ali. The new American Experience documentary 1964 examines that watershed year, and we’ll talk this hour to its writer and director, Stephen Ives.

[2014-01-13 13:00:00] For every problem that ails us, there’s a self-help book that promises to fix us. And Jessica Lamb-Shapiro has tried ’em all. We’ll talk to her this hour about the world of self-improvement and her new book, Promise Land: My Journey Through America’s Self-Help Culture (Simon & Schuster).

[2014-01-13 12:00:00] Some people prefer the vibrancy of living downtown, while others enjoy the extra space in the suburbs or even the country. But regardless of where you live, there are common elements that seem to improve life anywhere. We’ll talk this hour about the intersection of urban design and happiness with Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

[2014-01-09 13:00:00] F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams – they were all great American writers. And they often typed with one hand and held a drink in the other. We’ll look back this hour at the link between books and booze with Olivia Laing. Her new book is The Trip to Echo Springs: On Writers and Drinking (Picador).

[2014-01-09 12:00:00] The term genius is used so often that the power of the word has been diluted. But historically, the title of genius was bestowed upon individuals who revolutionized humanity with their bold ideas. This hour, we’ll get to know some of those brilliant minds with Florida State professor Darrin McMahon. His new book is Divine Fury: A History of Genius (Basic Books).

[2014-01-08 13:00:00] Gold has long been one of the world’s most precious commodities. But how and why did it earn that distinction? We’ll find out this hour with Matthew Hart. His new book is Gold: The Race for the World’s Most Seductive Metal (Simon & Schuster).

[2014-01-08 12:00:00] Stress is something that even the calmest among us deals with from time to time. But with the right skills, this over-powering emotion can be at least kept in check. We’ll find out how this hour with Dr. Amit Sood, a stress and resiliency specialist at the Mayo Clinic. His new book is The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living (Da Capo Lifelong Books).

[2014-01-07 13:00:00] As kids, we’re taught that winners never quit. But learning to leave things behind can be key to making the most of our lives. We’ll talk about the power of giving up this hour with Alan Bernstein, author of Mastering the Art of Quitting: Why it Matters in Life, Love, and Work (Da Capo Lifelong Books).

[2014-01-07 12:00:00] Colin Quinn is best known for his years as the anchor of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. But he’s entertained audiences with his stand-up routines since the 1980s. His new one-man show, Unconstitutional, asks if America has turned out the way the Founding Fathers intended. We’ll talk to him about it this hour ahead of his performance Friday at the Wyly Theatre in Dallas.

[2014-01-06 13:00:00] Downton Abbey has given millions of viewers around the world a peek into life at a stately British manor. But how realistic is the show’s depiction of how these homes function? We’ll find out this hour with Lucy Lethbridge. Her new book is Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the Nineteenth Century to Modern Times (W.W. Norton and Company).

[2014-01-06 12:00:00] About 75,000 North Texas middle school students are considered “at-risk” – meaning they are far more likely to experience academic difficulties, leave home, commit crimes or abuse alcohol or other drugs. We’ll talk this hour about the problems middle schoolers face – and how they can be helped – with Monica Egert Smith of Communities Foundation of Texas and Rosemary Perlmeter of Teaching Trust.

[2013-12-19 13:00:00] Throughout American history, the design of our homes has evolved to fit the ever-changing ways we live. We’ll find out this hour why certain houses look the way they do from Virginia Savage McAlester. The Dallas resident is the author of A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture (Knopf).

[2013-12-19 12:00:00] Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys for the team’s first 29 seasons, winning two Super Bowls along the way. And even casual football fans recognized the man who always wore a fedora on the Texas Stadium sidelines. This hour, we’ll look back at the legendary coach’s life with Mark Ribowsky. He’s the author of The Last Cowboy: A Life of Tom Landry (Liveright).

[2013-12-18 13:00:00] As atheists go public with their identity, non-believers are becoming an increasingly powerful political and social faction. We’ll talk this hour about atheists’ impact with University of North Texas professors David A. Williamson and George Yancey. Their new book is There Is No God: Atheists in America (Rowan & Littlefield).

[2013-12-18 13:00:00] As atheists go public with their identity, non-believers are becoming an increasingly powerful political and social faction. We’ll talk this hour about atheists’ impact with University of North Texas professors David A. Williamson and George Yancey. Their new book is There Is No God: Atheists in America (Rowan & Littlefield).