Think from KERA

The Western world celebrates when a dictatorship or monarchy transitions into a democracy. Not all democracies last forever, though. Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky joins us to talk about the societal fissures that have historically taken down these republics. His new book is called “How Democracies Die” (Crown).

When parents realize they are raising a child prodigy, their imaginations often run wild with the possibilities. Ann Hulbert joins us to talk about the plusses and minuses of being a child genius. Her new book is called “Off the Charts: The Hidden Lives and Lessons of American Child Prodigies” (Knopf).

Since 2000, more than 300,000 Americans have died after overdosing on opioids, according to the CDC. Ted Price researches chronic pain at UT-Dallas, and he joins us to talk about arguably America’s most important public health crisis – and about the prospects for non-opioid pain medication.

This flu season has been particularly rough as more than 2,000 Texans have already died after contracting it. Harvard Medical School faculty member and chair of the Global Health Council Dr. Jonathan D. Quick joins us to talk about practical ways to stop influenza, Ebola, SARS and other outbreaks before they begin. His new book is called “The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It” (St. Martin’s Press).

Financial problems, long-term illness and parenting are common stresses on a marriage. A less commonly discusses strain, though, is the fact that we inevitably change as we age. Psychologist Daphne de Marneffe joins us to talk about how spouses can flourish both as individuals and as a couple, which she writes about in “The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together”(Scribner).

The Declaration of Independence doesn’t mince words when it states that “all men are created equal.” And yet the country’s other foundational document – The Constitution – protected the most unequal of institutions in slavery. Harvard Law professor Annette Gordon-Reed joins us to talk about how America has struggled since its founding to reconcile these conflicting ideas. Her essay “America’s Original Sin” appears in Foreign Affairs magazine.

Virginia’s Buchanan County relies on its coal mines to fuel its economy. And that dedication played out in the 2016 election as Donald Trump won a whopping 78.9 percent of the county’s vote. Wall Street Journal reporter Joshua Jamerson recently visited Buchanan County, and he joins us to talk about how its residents reflect the views of Trump supporters nationwide.

CIA operative Edward Landsdale arrived in Vietnam in 1954 with a mission of winning over the hearts and minds of the people of South Vietnam. Historian Max Boot joins us to talk about how Lansdale’s diplomatic efforts were squashed by the American industrial complex, which he writes about in “The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam” (Liveright).

Humans have been using handaxes for more than 2 million years. And for the first time, a museum is considering these tools as works of art. Artist Tony Berlant and anthropologist Thomas Wynn join us to talk about how early humans created objects that were both useful and beautiful. They curated “First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone,” an exhibition that opens Saturday at the Nasher Sculpture Center.

In the most tense situations, civility goes a long way in keeping the peace. It’s a lesson Lea Berman learned while serving as White House Social Secretary under President George W. Bush. She joins us to talk about how we can boost our social skills in both personal and professional settings. Her new book – written with Obama White House Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard – is called “Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life” (Scribner). She’ll talk about it tonight during Authors Live! at Highland Park United Methodist Church.