Theres much going on in the world at the moment, and instead of bringing you a themed show, we thought wed look to those whose writings on it we admire. And, of course, a little music.

First up to join is Bret Stephens, the Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign-affairs columnist at the Wall Street Journal. His latest book, America in Retreat, has been quite influential. He and Milt talk about The Tyranny of a Big Idea.

Edward Klein has been keeping up with Hillary Clinton, and writes about the many scandals beyond Benghazi and a private email server. His newest book is Unlikable, about the sure-to-be Democrat candidate in 2016.

Finally, Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA man and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, examines the oft-employed diplomatic tool of soft power. When does it work, when does it fail and, more important, how is it failing us in the Middle East at present? His fine contribution to the Weekly Standard titled Victory without Soldiers is a scathing review of how we engage with militant jihadists.