Bob Edwards Weekend highlights – September 17-18, 2011
HOUR ONE:
Dr. Nassir Ghaemi, the director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center, argues in his book A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness that when the world is in crisis, mentally ill leaders are our best hope.
Neurobiologist Dean Buonomano gives Bob a tour of our mental glitches —- like why our memory is unreliable, why we can’t do complicated math in our heads and why we prefer instant gratification. His new book is titled Brain Bugs: How the Brain’s Flaws Shape Our Lives. Buonomano is a professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Psychology at UCLA where he also is an investigator at the school’s Brain Research Institute.
In this week’s installment of our series This I Believe, we hear the essay of Andrew Flewelling. He grew up outside of Boston, the son of a mixed race couple. Even his father’s role as a minister couldn’t protect Flewelling from feeling marginalized. He says that as he grew older, he learned to shut out the preconceived notions of society and listen to his inner voice.
HOUR TWO:
Everyone knows Independence Day is July 4th, but Constitution Day, September 17th, gets little notice. Authors Denise Kiernan & Joseph D’Agnese’s book Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men who Signed The United States Constitution tells the individual stories of the 39 men who helped create a future for their country.
Richard Buckner makes beautifully haunting music, but it’s been five years since his last CD. He does have an excuse for the creative delay – actually several excuses. There were technical glitches with a crucial bit of equipment, a stolen laptop and a suspicious murder. Finally, Buckner has released Our Blood and his fans won’t be disappointed. He talks with Bob about the new music, about choosing better neighborhoods and about his day jobs he’s taken to support his musical career.
Bob Edwards Weekend is heard on Sirius XM Public Radio (XM 121, Sirius 205) on Saturdays from 8-10 AM EST.
Visit Bob Edwards Weekend on PRI’s website to find local stations that air the program.