Think from KERA

A common thread that runs throughout the history of humanity is the desire to build barriers that separate us from those we think aren’t like us. Historian David Frye joins us to talk about the purposes served by Hadrian’s Wall, the Great Wall of China and other structures – and about how a potential wall along the U.S.-Mexico border might affect the two modern-day cultures who live next to one another. His new book is called “Walls: A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick” (Scribner).

American kids are listening in on a national conversation about race that’s more nuanced than in previous generations. Mississippi State sociologist Margaret Hagerman joins us to talk specifically about how white children learn about race – and about how that affects their outlooks as adults. Her new book is called “White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege In A Racially Divided America” (NYU Press).

Raising children can be one of the most fulfilling experiences in a person’s life – and also one of the hardest. Parenting expert KJ Dell’Antonia joins us to talk about some of the most common stresses parents face – and how to ease them. Her new book is called“How to Be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute”(Avery).

Last year, a 21-year-old patient at the Cleveland Clinic became the youngest ever recipient of a full-face transplant. National Geographic documented the 31-hour procedure, and Joanna Connors joins us to walk through the miraculous transformation. Her article “The Story of a Face” appears in the September issue of National Geographic magazine.

A year ago this week, much of Houston was under water as residents surveyed the damage of Hurricane Harvey. Texas Monthly executive editor Mimi Swartz joins us to talk about lessons learned from the disaster, which she writes about this month for the magazine.

Most parents dread having to finally have The Talk with their children, primarily because there’s no definitive way to talk about love and sex. Bonnie J. Rough joins us to offer some insights into how we might better communicate the facts of life to the youngsters in our lives, which she writes about in “Beyond Birds & Bees: Bringing Home a New Message to Our Kids About Sex, Love, and Equality” (Seal).

The elite among us talk a big game when it comes to equality and justice – so long as it doesn’t threaten their place in the world order. Anand Giridharadas joins us to talk about the hypocrisy at play in our conversations about equality – and about how we can make our democracy actually work for more of its participants. His new book is called “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World” (Knopf).

Grassroots movements come in many forms – and some are more successful than others. Charlene A Carruthers joins us to talk about strategies social justice activists can adopt to accomplish their missions. Her book is called “Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements” (Beacon Press).

The standard thinking goes that the 2008 recession plus a more sophisticated internet led to the gig economy. Louis Hyman joins us to talk about how decisions made by business leaders as early as the 1950s actually laid the foundation for where we are today. His new book is called “Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary” (Viking).

Cases involving labor unions have been argued before the Supreme Court in recent years. Garret Keizer joins us to talk about how organized labor has mostly been weakened by these decisions – and about what workers can do to strengthen their position. His essay “Labor’s Last Stand” appears in the current issue of Harper’s magazine.