As the world’s markets become more intermingled, we see new kinds of foods on our grocery shelves and hear new accents in our business calls. But we also lose domestic jobs as they are moved to other countries, where workers now get their first taste of middle class living. Is it possible to grow economies and improve living conditions for one population without hurting another? John Tiemstra of the Calvin College economics department describes the moral choices that shape globalized trade. Karen Saupe hosts.

North American attitudes toward nature have shifted over time, almost as much as our natural landscape has. Donald Worster of the University of Kansas helped develop the intriguing new field of environmental history to track the intense relationship we’ve had with nature. He describes the patterns he’s seen and how America’s history has been shaped by its natural resources. Karen Saupe hosts.

Are teens posting risqué photos on the internet because they are starved for attention, or because they are convinced they’re HOT? Should EVERYONE on the team get a trophy? Jean Twenge of the San Diego State University psychology department, and author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, warns that our culture of extreme encouragement may have gone too far. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Thousands of children in Uganda don’t go to school because their parents can’t afford books, a uniform, or sometimes, just a pencil. The orphans there have even less of a chance. When Twesigye Jackson Kaguri was confronted with this picture, he and his wife decided to use their savings to establish a free school for orphans. Hear his adventures, also described in his book, The Price of Stones: Building a School for My Village. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

As a young adult visiting her aunt’s farm, Temple Grandin found herself able to intuit what the livestock feared as they experienced the regular stresses of farm life. Was it because of her autism? Now this Colorado State University professor is widely known both for her animal welfare research and for her many books on autism. She tells how she has dedicated her life to helping animals and people understand each other. Karen Saupe hosts.

Finding a job may not seem the highest priority for most gang members, but Father Greg Boyle learned otherwise when he befriended gang members in his parish and started the largest gang intervention program in the U.S. His book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion describes his personal experience working with Homeboy Industries in downtown Los Angeles for over twenty years, and he shares what those experiences have taught him. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Handling the pressure from society’s expectations is challenging enough; add more demands because of your race, gender, immigrant parents, and religion, and it can be nearly impossible to find your own voice. Nikki Toyama-Szeto is co-editor of More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. She describes the struggle and joys of finding one’s own calling and voice. Karen Saupe hosts.

A factory still using production systems from the 1950s would not make sense in today's technological world. Unfortunately, some K-12 schools still use decades-old educational techniques and policies. School turnaround specialist Sajan George describes progressive technologies and approaches currently under consideration to turn around troubled school districts. Karen Saupe hosts.

The more power people have, the more choices they have to use or abuse it. Although some believe the most spiritual path is to renounce power in favor of a life of service, Andy Crouch, contributing editor for Christianity Today and author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, suggests creative strategies for using power to help others flourish. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

Theary Seng was imprisoned as a child during the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia. She barely escaped death; her parents did not. After emigrating to the U.S., she became a lawyer, then moved back to help rebuild a country still in recovery. She describes her experiences and motivations, which are also related in her book Daughter of the Killing Fields. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.