Think from KERA

Who is more important, a CEO or a grocery store worker? The pandemic has given us a new lens through which to consider that question. Gene Sperling served as Chief Economic Advisor to Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about reimagining contemporary capitalism. His new book is called “Economic Dignity.”

Breathing is a fundamental part of life – and yet we’re still figuring out how to get better at it. Science writer James Nestor joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how clues can be found not in research labs, but in choir rooms, smoggy streets, and even centuries-old breathing practices. His new book is called “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.”

A human life is theoretically invaluable. By assigning a value to a life, though, we’re actually better able to protect them. Adam Rogers, senior correspondent for Wired, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the actuarial models that determine the dollar value of a life and how that information guides public and business policies. His article is “How Much is a Human Life Actually Worth?”

It’s easy to brush off conspiracy theories as nonsense – until you realize how influential and organized their followers are. Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to talk specifically about QAnon, whose adherents believe in a “deep state” plot against President Trump. Her June cover story is “The Prophecies of Q: American Conspiracy Theories are Entering a Dangerous New Phase.”

Money has a way of buying influence in our society. So how do we make sure even those of modest means still have a voice? Lloyd Dumas, Professor of Political Economy, Economics, and Public Policy at the University of Texas at Dallas joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the intersection of morality and money. His book is called “Building the Good Society: The Power and Limits of Markets, Democracy and Freedom in an Increasingly Polarized World.”

Cocaine is an expensive glamour drug. But that patina of prosperity doesn’t trickle down to the farmers of the coca leaves, who lead lives of poverty and dread. Toby Muse joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his 15 years living in Colombia observing how the drug trade there operates from the top down. His book is called “Kilo: Inside the Deadliest Cocaine Cartels―from the Jungles to the Streets.”

This hour, we’ll talk about how people are rethinking the definition of family.  New York Times columnist David Brooks joins us to talk about how the “nuclear family” is an outdated concept. We’ll talk about how DNA testing has left some people with more questions than answers. And we’ll hear from a woman about how she and her wife were forced to consider their parenting roles after the birth of their son.

Racial zoning, exploitative mortgage rates, white flight — these are just some of the reasons why one part of a city flourishes and another fails. Andre M. Perry, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his deep-dive into six black-majority cities to find out why property is undervalued and what residents should demand for their futures. His book is “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities.”

Described by the Washington Post as “the perfect novel for your survival bunker,” Emily St. John Mandel’s new book is a tale of international deceit peppered with unusual characters. Her previous book, “Station Eleven,” was a finalist for a National Book Award, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about her new book — without revealing any secrets hidden within. That book is called “The Glass Hotel: A Novel.”

Congress has authorized a series of stimulus packages to see Americans through the coronavirus pandemic. But when the panic subsides, who will pay that bill? Atif Mian, John H. Laporte, Jr. Class of 1967 Professor of Economics, Public Policy and Finance at Princeton University and Director of the Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance at the Woodrow Wilson School, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the short and long-term ramifications of debt on nations and individuals.