First it was the Islamic State of Iraq, ISIS. Then the Levant Islamic State of Iraq, ISIL. And now IS – a self-described Islamic State. But what about the youth of the Arab World? What do they want?
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Walter Isaacson tells Steve Paulson that Einstein had a rebellious nature and that he didn't impress his teachers.
The first stories in "Thousand and One Nights" were written down in the ninth century. They’ve been added to over the years. In some ways, it’s not so much a book as a living river of stories. Some of the most recent additions come from the celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie.
You can also hear many more interviews with Rushdie.
Before the airplane was invented, ballooning was all the rage, and many people thought this was the future of air travel. Cultural historian Richard Holmes describes the remarkable history of the hot air balloon.
Writer Stephen Kuusisto is blind and he says that among the many advantages —he gets eavesdrop on the rest of us, because most of the time, we don’t even notice he’s listening.
Acclaimed fiction writer - and guest producer of this hour - Nathan Englander talks about creative problem solving. He invited musicologist and composer Freddy Knop to create a soundscape of how it feels when the muse descends.
Tyler Cowen tells Jim Fleming he has no problem with movie stars recommending political candidates, and that many celebrities use their clout to support charities or advance social causes.
Steve Paulson produced this essay/report on the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.
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