Jason Goodwin won the Edgar Award for "The Janissary Tree," his first novel featuring Yashim Togalu, a eunuch who lives in 19th century Istanbul. Yashim is back in "The Snake Stone."
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Mark Kurlansky tells Steve Paulson that salt made food a tradable commodity and that it inspired revolutions from India to France. Because people have to have salt, governments want to control and tax it.
Richard Weiss tells Steve Paulson why figures like Horatio Alger, Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie are so compelling for Americans, and why we’re unlikely to give up our national optimism.
Jeremy Campbell tells Steve Paulson about the ways Mother Nature uses deception to fool predators, and talks about Bill Clinton and the balance of the public good and personal morality.
Ahhh, the sound of grizzly bears fighting over salmon in a tidal pool. Incredible! When you listen to those grizzly bears you are listening to one of the greatest, if not thee greatest, resource American has. It’s land. William Cronon says our land IS who we are. So it makes since, that in the 19th century a bold and visionary invention was created: the National Park. Cronon told Steve Paulson that National Parks are America's greatest invention.
Anne Strainchamps talks with Robert Pinsky, 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, who reads several of the poems people have been sending him since the attacks.
Kyle McCulloch is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, but now writes for the TV show "South Park". He talks about an episode of the show which often makes fun of Canada.
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