The Bob Edwards Show, March 18-22, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013: Fire and Forget is a collection of stories written by front line soldiers, staff officers and a military spouse. Roy Scranton was an artilleryman in the Army and is an editor of the new book along with Matt Gallagher, a former Army captain and a Senior Fellow at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Contributor Phil Klay will join Scranton and Gallagher to discuss their stories and the value of writing after combat.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013: When Michael Hainey was a small boy, his father died suddenly, leaving a stunned and broken family. There was never any talk in the household about Hainey’s father or how he died, a hole that Hainey filled with obsessive imaginings. When Hainey grew older than his father had been at the time of his death, he decided to investigate the circumstances, and the result is the memoir, After Visiting Friends. Then, within a generation, more households will be supported by women than by men. In The Richer Sex, Liza Mundy takes us to the exciting frontier of this new economic order. Her book has just been released in paperback.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013: When Ben Goldacre’s book Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients was published in England, it prompted government investigations into the pharmaceutical companies’ withholding of clinical trial data. Now the book is being published in the United States with a focus on this country’s medical industry. Goldacre began his career as a doctor but left the profession to devote himself to exposing the corruption in the health care system. Then, we hear a new commentary from children’s book writer and illustrator Daniel Pinkwater.
Thursday, March 21, 2013: Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think is Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier’s book on “datafication”- an emerging science that tracks the movements of people, inventory, …and can even predict the spread of disease. Co-author and Economistdata editor Kenneth Cukier joins Bob to discuss the book. Then, singer-songwriter Josh Ritter has a knack for creating beautiful stream-of-conscious lyrics whether it be a single bittersweet memory about “Kathleen” or a heartfelt plea for women veterans as voiced in “Girl in the War.” His latest album, The Beast in Its Tracks, was written after his heartbreaking divorce, but it’s not as dire as you might think. Josh sits with Bob to explain why, and how he got to “Hopeful.”
Friday, March 22, 2013: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for The Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, in response to rising sea levels and national security concerns, the US Navy is leading the way on clean and alternate energy. Dr. David W. Titley is a retired naval officer who rose to rank of Rear Admiral and led the US Navy’s Task Force on Climate Change. Julia Whitty is an environmental correspondent for Mother Jones and her story on this topic appears in latest issue of the magazine. They’ll discuss the progress made thus far and cultural and technological challenges still ahead. Finally, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.