Think from KERA

Sujatha Gidla was born one of India’s “untouchables” – destined for a life in the slums struggling to get by. She talks to host Krys Boyd about how an education helped her to rise above her lot in life – and about how in India, you can’t ever fully leave your caste behind. She tells her story in “Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. And while a cure remains elusive, doctors are developing promising treatments. Dr. Dale E. Bredesen talks with host Krys Boyd about current treatment options. His new book is called “The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline” (Avery).

As a culinary historian, Michael W. Twitty has researched the origins of Southern food traditions. He talks with host Krys Boyd about the history of soul food, barbecue and other Southern staples and about how these styles of cooking bring together people from different backgrounds. His new book is called “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South” (Amistad).

If we hope to rid our country of racism, we need to understand the origins of racist thought. That’s the basis of historian Ibram X. Kendi’s research, in which he explores the intellectual justifications that lead to discriminatory policies. He talks with Krys Boyd about his book “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” (Nation Books), which won the 2016 National Book Award for nonfiction and is now out in paperback.

Anecdotal evidence has pointed to a connection between human trafficking and organized crime. And a new study seems to confirm that theory. Vanessa Bouche, an assistant professor of political science at TCU, conducted the study and talks with host Krys Boyd about her findings and about current strategies for combating trafficking.

The United States has helped save millions of lives in Africa through foreign aid. Dr. Mark Dybul, former executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and professor of medicine at Georgetown University, joins host Krys Boyd to talk about the connection between global health and national security. His essay “How HIV, SARS, and Ebola Put Global Health on the Agenda” appears in the current issue of The Catalyst.

Deciding to bring a child into the world presents a daunting list of questions for would-be parents to consider. And the deep thinking doesn’t stop after the delivery. SMU philosopher Jean Kazez joins host Krys Boyd to walk through some of these considerations, which she writes about in “The Philosophical Parent: Asking the Hard Questions About Having and Raising Children” (Oxford University Press).

One of the small joys of parenthood comes in sharing a beloved book from childhood with your own kids. Bruce Handy talks to host Krys Boyd about how revisiting the work of Louisa May Alcott, Dr. Seuss and others can be incredibly rewarding years after we’ve moved onto more grown-up reads. His new book is called “Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult” (Simon & Schuster).

If you had a bowl of corn flakes this morning, you have John and Will Kellogg to thank. Howard Markel talks to host Krys Boyd about the 19th Century wellness trend that led to the invention of the cereal – and about how their company shaped manufacturing, philanthropy and even medicine. He tells the siblings’ story in “The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek” (Pantheon). Markel talks about the book tonight during an Authors Live! event at Highland Park United Methodist Church.

José and Miguel Treviño grew up in the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo. José eventually immigrated to the U.S. while Miguel stayed behind and moved up the ranks of the Zetas cartel. Joe Tone joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of how the brothers’ paths crossed later in life – and caught the attention of the F.B.I. His new book is called “Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream” (One World). He speaks tonight at Interabang Books.