March 5, 2010 · Award-winning journalist and social critic, David Aaronovitch, talks with host Dan Skinner about Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History. The book examines why conspiracy theories develop and the purposes they serve in creating false order out of the chaos of history. From The Protocols of the Elders of Zion to The Da Vinci Code, Aaronvitch traces conspiracy theories back to their true sources and shows how over time fiction oft repeated becomes accepted by some as fact.
February 22, 2010 · Ashley Merryman talks with host Dan Skinner about NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children. Merryman co-authored the book with, and it contains their reporting of new research about childhood development and parenting. Topics covered in the interview include: why certain types of praise as a motivational tool may have the opposite effect: how early sibling relationships predict future adult behavior; how to talk about race issues and why children value aggression as a social tool. More info at www.nurtureshock.com.
Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of a Friendship by Dwayne Raymond
February 22, 2010 · Dwayne Raymond talks with host Dan Skinner about his memoir, Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of a Friendship. In 2003, Raymond was waiting tables in Provincetown, Massachusetts to support his writing career. It was there he met Norman Mailer and eventually became Mailer’s research assistant. In the final four years of Norman Mailer’s life, Dwayne Raymond was Mailer’s aide in both professional and personal matters. In his memoir, Raymond presents a loving remembrance of a quirky and complex man whose private life was much different than his public persona. More information about the book is available at the HarperCollins website.
February 22, 2010 · Thomas Cobb talks with host Dan Skinner about how his debut novel Crazy Heart became an Oscar-nominated motion picture. The novel started out as a short story that he wrote while in Houston, Texas. The book was published in 1987 but had gone out of print before it came to the attention of director Scott Cooper. Thanks to the movie, the book is now back in print and enjoying new success. Cobb says the movie is a respectful adaptation of his novel, and although the ending of the movie is not the same as the book, he found the movie version satisfying as well. More information about Cobb and his writing is available at thomascobb.net.
The Power of Two: Surviving Serious Illness with an Attitude and an Advocate by Brian and Gerri Monaghan
February 1, 2010 · Brian and Gerri Monaghan talk with host Dan Skinner about The Power of Two: Surviving Serious Illness with an Attitude and an Advocate. In 1998, attorney Brian Monahan was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma in his brain and given only a few months to live. This book is an inspirational story of survival filled with advice for others who are dealing with major medical issues. The Monaghan’s underscore the importance of having an advocate to watch over the patient and provide tips on how to fulfill that role. More information is available at www.readthepoweroftwo.com.
How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most by Marietta McCarty
February 1, 2010 · Professor Marietta McCarty talks with host Dan Skinner about How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most. The book follows her best selling Little Big Minds, which introduced children to philosophy. In this latest book for adults, she explains how exploring philosophy’s big ideas in the context of a philosophy club can not only be thought-provoking, but life-changing. She uses prose, poetry, music, drama and documentaries to illustrate and stimulate conversation about each of the “10 Ideas” explored in the book. She also offers advice about starting a philosophy club. More information is available at www.mariettamccarty.com.
February 1, 2010 · Internationally known food and travel writer Colman Andrews talks with host Dan Skinner about The Country Cooking of Ireland. The book captures this culinary spirit of Ireland with more than 225 recipes and over 100 color photographs. Andrews explains that putting food in perspective is part of his approach to writing about food because it is important to understand how the land and the history of the people contribute to the creation of a particular cuisine. He shares stories of how the book was researched and the people he met along the way.
February 1, 2010 · Award winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer talks with host Dan Skinner about his latest novel WWW: Wake. He also discusses how one of his previous novels Flash Forward has been adapted for an ABC television series by the same name. Robert J. Sawyer is one of only seven writers in history — and the only Canadian — to win all three of the world's top Science Fiction awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial ward. More information about Sawyer and his novels is available at www.sfwriter.com.
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