Rabbi Harold Kushner tells Anne Strainchamps that people need to believe their lives are meaningful and that we can make a significant contribution by our everyday actions.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Mawi Asgedom fled the civil war in Ethiopia and spent part of his childhood in a refugee camp in Sudan, but ended up giving the commencement address at his Harvard graduation.
Correction: This interview refers to a survey finding that only 22% of Americans trust government at all levels. The actual survey was limited to trust in the federal government, and found that 22% of Americans trusted the government in Washington "almost always or most of the time".
We all know it's important to be involved in local government, but can political participation also be fun? Josh Lerner thinks so. He believes local governments could boost the fun factor in the political process by borrowing a few ideas from game design.
How did religion ever get started in the first place? We talked to renowned sociologist Robert Bellah shortly before he died. He said religion isn't about belief in God. Its origins go back to the rituals of our ancient ancestors, and ultimately to play.
John Hodgeman has written an almanac called "The Areas of My Expertise." It's comprised entirely of fake facts.
Mike Greenberg is a self-described metrosexual who cares a lot about his appearance and lifestyle.
Mario Vargas Llosa is one of the godfathers of Latin American fiction. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. He also once ran for president of his native country, Peru. Politics and literature are the driving forces in his life.
Karen Armstrong talks with Anne Strainchamps about her tangled path back to God after leaving the convent.
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