How is America changing? What will it become? Veteran journalist Bob Schieffer will give us his perspective this evening and discuss his just-released collection of essays “Bob Schieffer’s America” (Putnam, 2008).
Read more
The Culture of Cuisine
When you talk about fine cuisine, one name always comes up – Wolfgang Puck. The famous chef has been a force of the American scene since 1982 and it doesn’t look like he’ll slow down any time soon. Puck is in town to speak at tonight’s Nasher Salon Series event. He’ll be our guest for the hour.
Read more
Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy
What really happened in 1856, when some 220 Mormon settlers died along the trail between Iowa City and Salt Lake City? Writer David Roberts will join us this hour to discuss his new book “Devil’s Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy” (Simon and Schuster, 2008).
Read more
The Importance of Literacy
How important is the ability to read and write? We’ll talk this hour with John Corcoran who graduated from high school and college and went on become a teacher – all while functionally illiterate. He’s in town to speak at tomorrow’s Champions of Literacy Luncheon sponsored by Literacy Instruction For Texas.
Read more
Architecture and the Transformation of Dallas
Everyone’s buzzing about architecture in Dallas these days. And appropriately, the new Dallas Center for Architecture officially opens October 7th. We’ll discuss the trends and happenings this hour with Edward Keegan, Editor-At-Large for Architect Magazine and Thom Powell, chair of this year’s AIA Dallas Design Awards.
Read more
Exploring Judicial Review
Why does the U.S. Supreme Court have the final say on legislation and the Constitution? Much of the credit for this power lies with early Chief Justice John Marshall. We’ll look back this hour with Constitutional scholar Lawrence Goldstone, author of the new book “The Activist: John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and the Myth of Judicial Review” (Walker and Co., 2008).
Read more
One Man's Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
What would happen if you tried to follow every rule of the Bible for a full year? For one thing (and if you’re a man), you’d have a really big beard. A.J. Jacobs joins us this hour to discuss his beard, his experience, and his book “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible” (Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2008).
Read more
The Next President and National Security
What absolutely must be addressed in the next presidential administration’s foreign policy? We’ll spend this hour with Gordon Adams, professor of U.S. Foreign Policy at American University in Washington, D.C. He recently wrote about the subject in the on-line edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Adams also testified before Congress last week.
Read more
There Will Be Boone – A Profile of the Legendary Texas Wildcatter
Who exactly is T. Boone Pickens and will his plan for U.S. energy independence succeed? We’ll talk this hour with journalist Skip Hollandsworth whose current Texas Monthly cover story “There Will Be Boone” profiles the legendary Texas wildcatter.
Read more
A New Sound in the Dallas Arts District
It’s not just the architecture that’s raising the bar in the Dallas Arts District. Jaap van Zweden begins his official tenure as Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra this week. He’ll join us this evening to discuss the coming season. Photographer Allison V. Smith will join us during the Scene segment to preview her solo show “Hall Pass” at Barry Whistler Gallery.
Read more
One Year as a Kaplan Coach in the Public Schools
What are the repercussions of “results-based” learning and standardized testing? Jeremy Miller, who worked as a third-party tutor in the New York school system, writes about the experience and what he learned in this month’s Harper’s Magazine cover story. He’ll join us to discuss “Tyranny of the Test: One Year as a Kaplan Coach in the Public Schools.”
Read more
Exploring the Psychology of Rumors
How powerful is the rumor mill and why are rumors so easy to believe yet so difficult to quash? We’ll talk this hour with Psychologist Nicholas DiFonzo, whose new book is “The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors” (Avery, 2008).
Read more