Think from KERA

Princeton professor Eddie S. Glaude Jr. argues that America was founded on a “value gap,” in which white lives are valued more than others. He joins us to talk about how that gap has yet to be bridged – and about why a total remaking of our democracy is the only path to equality. His new book is called “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul” (Broadway Books).

Sometimes a trip to the doctor’s office – or even the emergency room – can feel like a ride along a conveyor belt with no real human connection between patient and physician. Dr. Ronald Epstein joins us to talk about restoring a personal touch to healthcare, which he writes about in “Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity” (Scribner).

George Takei will always be best known for playing Sulu on “Star Trek.” In the decades since, though, he’s also become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights and other humanitarian causes. He joins us to talk about his life on and off the screen ahead of his participation tonight in the Upstander Speaker series at McFarlin Auditorium in association with the Dallas Holocaust Museum Center.

Nicole Dennis-Benn received rave reviews for her debut novel, “Here Comes the Sun” (Liveright). She joins us to talk about her story of a pair of sisters whose very existence is threatened by a new luxury hotel planned for their Jamaican village. Dennis-Benn is in town to speak tonight at the African Diaspora: New Dialogues series at the South Dallas Cultural Center.

With our day-to-day responsibilities, it’s tough to find the headspace to actually construct a plan for how our lives will unfold. Stanford lecturer Dave Evans joins us to talk about how we can borrow strategies from designers to create a more meaningful existence, which he writes about in “Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life” (Knopf). Evans is in Dallas to speak tonight at DMA Arts & Letters Live! at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The most successful CEOs and executives distance themselves from competitors through innovative thinking. The reality, though, is that many business leaders are prone to sticking to the well-worn path rather than taking a risk. Jennifer Mueller of UC-San Diego joins us to talk about strategies for stepping out of our comfort zones, which she writes about in “Creative Change: Why We Resist It … How We Can Embrace It” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Ever notice that time drags on when you’re bored and flies by when you’re having fun? New Yorker staff writer Alan Burdick joins us to talk about the many ways that we perceive time. He writes about the topic in “Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Investigation” (Simon & Schuster)

Many people say they would like to live in diverse neighborhoods. In practice, though, white Americans generally stick to traditionally white areas. Alvin Chang joins us to talk about this disconnect. His piece “White America is Quietly Self-Segregating” appears on the website Vox.

Generous people are usually among the most important members of any organization because of their ability to motivate others and get things done. Reb Rebele of the Wharton School has studied these individuals and found that the most generous among are also at a higher risk for burnout. He joins us to talk about how we can be selfless without running out of steam, the topic of his article “Beat Generosity Burnout” in the Harvard Business Review.

President Trump’s executive order banning travel for refugees and others from seven predominantly Muslim countries led to protests at airports across the country. We’ll talk about what happened over the weekend and what the order means going forward with KERA reporter Stella Chavez and Houston Public Media reporter Laura Isensee. And we’ll also be joined by UT-Dallas political scientist Idean Salehyan and Alia Salem, executive director for the DFW Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.