The Bob Edwards Show, April 22-26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013: New York Times reporter Michael Moss won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2010 investigation into the dangers of contaminated meat. Now in a new book, Moss examines how food companies use food science and technology to hook consumers on the foods that are worst for us. He writes about the food laboratories where scientists calculate the “bliss point” of sugary drinks and the “mouthfeel” of fat. The book is titled, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013: Frontline correspondent Martin Smith uses his own retirement fund as a case study to investigate why the traditional idea of retiring is a pipe dream for most Americans. “The Retirement Gamble” airs tonight at 10 p.m. on PBS. Then, not too many decades ago, the act of running – for exercise or even pleasure – was unthinkable. Now, millions of people enter marathons and 5K events every year, and dedicated runners can be found on trails and footpaths in rain and snow, on the coldest day of winter and the height of summer heat. Cameron Stracher profiles three men who brought distance running to national attention in the new book, Kings of the Road.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013: Zelda Sayre was the wife and literary muse of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Together they were the living symbols of The Jazz Age, the Roaring 20’s and the Lost Generation. But Zelda was also a writer, dancer, painter and so much more. In her novel, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, written from Zelda’s point of view, Therese Anne Fowler gives Zelda her due. Then, Bob talks with children’s book writer Daniel Pinkwater about surrealism in picture books (including his own) in their discussion of two Pinkwater favorites: D.B. Johnson’s Magritte’s Marvelous Hat and Brave Potatoes, by Toby Speed and illustrated by Barry Root.
Thursday, April 25, 2013: Craig Havighurst, author of Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City, discusses the history of the Nashville radio station. His book is now out in paperback. Then, we visit WSM’s historic and unique broadcasting tower for a tour from chief engineer Jason Cooper. The station’s studios were damaged in Nashville’s 2010 flood and WSM was forced to broadcast from a cramped building at the tower site for seven months.
Friday, April 26, 2013: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for The Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, a year ago today, Classic rock fans mourned the loss of iconic musician Levon Helm. Producer Don Was talks about the life and influence of the late Grammy-winning musician. Finally, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.