Constant Wonder

One day in 1901, a young farmer from Croatia set out on a walk. Decades later, he was still walking, had traversed six continents, and had stood face-to-face with the most famous people of the age. His mammoth autograph book, lost to history for nearly a century, has resurfaced to tell the tale of Joseph Mikulec and his eccentric quest.

Guests:

Rebecca Rego Barry, author of "Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places" and editor of Fine Books & Collections magazine. She wrote about Mikulec's odyssey for "Smithsonian Magazine."

Nathan Raab, rare book collector, Philadelphia, PA

Visit Carolyn Wells online to explore her work:

Author page: https://rebeccaregobarry.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaregobarry/

Originally aired September 14, 2022

One day in 1901, a young farmer from Croatia set out on a walk. Decades later, he was still walking, had traversed six continents, and had stood face-to-face with the most famous people of the age. His mammoth autograph book, lost to history for nearly a century, has resurfaced to tell the tale of Joseph Mikulec and his eccentric quest.

Guests:

Rebecca Rego Barry, author of "Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places" and editor of Fine Books & Collections magazine. She wrote about Mikulec's odyssey for "Smithsonian Magazine."

Nathan Raab, rare book collector, Philadelphia, PA

Curious about Rebecca's other writing? Visit her website to learn more about her other books: https://rebeccaregobarry.com/

The history of fabric is the history of life and death on this planet.

In some cultures, the dead are regularly exhumed and carried about in celebration. Why, in the West, are we so much more somber about death and dead bodies? And what can we learn from the carnival atmosphere at many death festivals?

Guests:

Erica Buist, author of "This Party’s Dead: Grief, Joy and Spilled Rum at the World’s Death Festivals"

Website: https://ericabuist.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericabuist/

Victoria Finlay, author of "Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World"

Website: https://victoriafinlay.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriafinlaywriter/?hl=en

00:00:00 - Why We Should Celebrate Death

00:43:01 - Fly Fishing Rods and Funerary Fabrics

Tony Rinaudo arrived in Africa optimistic that his tree-planting efforts would reverse the damages of deforestation and drought. His efforts failed abysmally, but one day he stumbled on a solution that had been right at his feet the whole time. His new methods have led to the regeneration of more than 200 million trees in Niger alone.

Guest:

Tony Rinaudo, author of "The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis" and Principal Climate Action Advisor for World Vision International

Have you heard the buzz about pollinators? Bees, butterflies, wasps, and even some flies live fascinating lives and play critical roles in our ecosystems. Come learn why we should make more room for pollinators in our yards and how to do it.

Guests:

Rachel Taylor, Founder of Utah Friends of Monarchs

Joseph (Joe) Wilson, Associate Professor of Biology, Utah State University; co-author of several books, including "Common Bees of Eastern North America" and "The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees"

Want to learn more about your pollinators? Visit Bees in Your Backyard's website for more fun facts: https://www.beesinyourbackyard.com/

An exploration of delectable foods and the people who make them: Pho is delicious and nutritious, one of the best comfort foods. Learn some tips for making your own pho at home. Every week, 400,000 food lovers wait anxiously for a new video about pasta from their favorite YouTubers: authentic Italian grandmothers. And, St. Vith, Belgium is home to the only sourdough library in the world—they are dedicated to preserving and researching sourdough for current and future generations.

Guests:

Andrea Nguyen, cooking teacher, editor, consultant, and author of "Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors" and "The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favorite Soup and Noodles”

Vicky Bennison, creator of “Pasta Grannies” YouTube channel

Karl De Smedt, Sourdough Librarian at Puratos Sourdough Library, St. Vith, Belgium

Conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton had a love for each other that helped them weather exploitation and tragedy. And, how the world's most famous Siamese twins broke free from bondage.

When widespread disaster strikes, survivors lose not just their homes and belongings, they also can lose their "lifescape": their relationships with their neighbors, the places they frequent daily, their support systems. Meet some survivors from around the world who have held on to their lifescapes with creativity and tenacity. From out of the rubble, stories of inspiration and hope.

Guests:

Lucy Easthope, author of "When the Dust Settles: Stories of Love, Loss and Hope from an Expert in Disaster"

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whenthedustsettleslucy/?hl=en

Marc Mattox, Public Works Director and Town Engineer for the City of Paradise, CA

Jeff Marcus, retired principal and former special teams football coach at Paradise High School

Rick Printz, retired head football coach from Paradise High School

Josh Alvies, former player and current JV football coach at Paradise High School

Travel with us to otherworldly places, both beautiful and strange. You may never get to see these places in person, but we'll take you there: volcanoes in space, the tips of the mighty redwoods, the sunken Titanic. We've mined our archives for breathtaking adventure stories.

Guests:

Richard Preston, author of "The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring"

Website: https://richard-preston.net/about/

Robin George Andrews, author of "Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond"

Website: https://robingeorgeandrews.com/

Palani Mohan, author of "Hunting with Eagles in the Realm of the Mongolian Kazakhs"

Website: https://www.palanimohan.com/

Kerry McCauley, author of "Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives over the North Atlantic"

Website: https://kerrymccauley.com/

Doug Peacock, author of "Was it Worth It? A Wilderness Warrior's Long Trail Home"

Website: https://dougpeacock.net/