Think from KERA

Eight-in-10 black adults say the legacy of slavery affects the position of black people in America today. And half of black Americans say it’s unlikely the country will eventually achieve racial equality. That’s according to the Race in American 2019 survey from the Pew Research Center. Juliana Horowitz conducted the survey, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how Americans’ views on race break down across racial lines.

A trip to a counseling session comes wrapped in the hope that our therapists will know exactly what to say to improve our lives. Lori Gottlieb is a therapist by trade, and she joins host Krys Boyd to talk about what it’s like to dispense advice at the same time she was struggling through her own personal problems. She tells her story in her new book,“Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed”(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

In June, Mayor Mike Rawlings will wrap up eight years of running one of the biggest, most dynamic cities in America. He joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how Dallas has changed during his time in office, how he and police chief David Brown guided the city through one of its darkest days and about who he might like to succeed him at City Hall.

Old school conspiracy theorists can be frustrating – but at least they tried to build an argument to support their claims. Nancy L. Rosenblum, Senator Joseph Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government at Harvard, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about a new breed of conspiracy theorist – one who believes an idea to be true and uses repetition and bold assertions to turn fiction into fact. Her new book, written with Russell Muirhead, is called“A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy”(Princeton University Press).

Society loves a good prodigy. But for many of us, it takes a few years wandering in the wilderness to figure out our true calling. Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard counts himself among that group, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the scientific explanation for why so many of us make something of ourselves later in life. His new book is called “Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement”(Currency).

It can seem as if every person we meet has a fully-formed political stance that isn’t open to evolution. John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the how universities might be our last, best hope of fostering an honest exchange of political ideas. His new book is called“Standing for Reason: The University in a Dogmatic Age”(Yale University Press).

In the past eight years, more than 2,100 bills were signed into law that were almost entirely copied from model bills presented to lawmakers by lobbyists. That’s according to a joint investigation by USA Today, The Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity. Reporter Nick Penzenstadler lead the investigation for USA Today, and he joins host Krys Boyd to talk about just how easy it is for special interest groups to push their platforms into law.

In his previous best-sellers “Guns, Germs, and Steel” and “Collapse,” Jared Diamond has explained how civilizations rise and fall. The Pulitzer Prize-winner joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his latest effort on the topic, which looks specifically at why some countries recover from trauma while others don’t. It’s called“Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis”(Little, Brown and Company).

One of the ways humans have distinguished themselves from our animal cousins is in creating a larger view of what we consider a society. Biologist Mark W. Moffett joins host Krys Boyd to talk about how humans have evolved to get along with one another while other primates won’t think twice about killing a fellow chimp they don’t recognize. Moffett’s book is called “The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall”(Basic Books).

Melinda Gates and her husband, Bill, have traveled the world in search of ways they can use their wealth and influence to lift up people in need. She joins host Krys Boyd to make the case that providing opportunities to women is the key to bettering society as a whole. Her new book is called“The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World”(Flatiron Books).