John Cleese gave us Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Life of Brian, the Ministry of Silly Walks, and the neurotic hotel manager in Fawlty Towers. He looks back over it all in his new memoir, "So, Anyway."
John Cleese gave us Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Life of Brian, the Ministry of Silly Walks, and the neurotic hotel manager in Fawlty Towers. He looks back over it all in his new memoir, "So, Anyway."
Want kids to love learning? Get rid of the emphasis on grades and test scores. That's according to Alfie Kohn, one of America's most passionate advocates for progressive education. Kohn is the author of numerous articles and books, including "Feel Bad Education."
Stephen Asma tells Jim Fleming how today’s public institutions grew out of the bizarre private collections of people like Peter the Great.
Vikram Chandra writes in English, the language of the colonizer, and faces accusations that he's not really an Indian writer.
In the run-up to this show, many of you sent in your stories of wonder. Here they are, crafted into an eight-part soundscape with the voices of Michael Arnold, Cynthia Woodland, Caryl Owen, and Peter Sobol. Thanks for sharing your stories!
Scott Weidensaul talks with Jim Fleming about several animals that have turned up after their species was thought to be extinct.
Celebrated jazz pianist Vijay Iyer has a Ph.D in music cognition and a penchant for asking big questions - like, what is music? And what does it do for us? Steve Paulson caught up with Vijay backstage before a recent concert, where they talked about improvisation and the parallels between jazz and basketball.
For decades, urbanists have said that ordinary people already know how to solve problems in their communities.
Al Letson says what he's seen around the United States proves that true. Letson's the host of the public radio program, State of the Re:Union.