Wonder Cabinet

The Heart of Darkness The Act of Killing; The Noble Savage; Better Angels of our Nature; Sonic Sidebar: A Maya Angelou poetry reading; Bookmark: Lorrie Moore; On Our Minds: The Fault in our Stars.

Was Marx right after all in his critique of capitalism?  Our ongoing economic struggles have spawned a new generation of Marxist activists and intellectuals, and renewed interest in Karl Marx's own life.  "Why Marx Was Right" - Terry Eagleton; Marx in Soho - Brian Jones; "Love and Capital" - Mary Gabriel; "Utopia or Bust" - Benjamin Kunkel; BookMark: Walter Kirn; On Our Minds: Colson Whitehead.

You know the earth is round, the sky is up, and your dog loves you.  But HOW do you know those things?  This week, how we form opinions – the psychology and brain chemistry behind our beliefs. You & Your Brain - Julian Keenan; Sonic Sidebar: The Political Divide; Irrational Beliefs - Will Storr; Charting Religious Traditions - Karen Armstrong; Dangerous Idea: American Exceptionalism; On Our Minds: Tiananmen Square.

We explore the world of work -- including cubicles and how corborations rule the world, Life Inc. - Douglas Rushkoff; Cubed - Nikil Saval; Sonic Sidebar: Waitresses; Industrial Musicals - Steve Young; Dangerous Idea: The LitMode 100; On Our Minds: Arundhati Roy.

Survival. Erasing Death - Dr. Sam Parnia; The Oldest Living Things in the World - Rachel Sussman; Sonic Sidebar: Patchwork Flight (radio drama); The Knowledge - Lewis Dartnell; Dangerous Idea: Not Believing in God; On Our Minds: Barbara Ehrenreich.

As summer vacation rolls around, a little inspiration to travel. The Road from Rome; Sonic Sidebar: Aboard Niagara; The Road to Tantra - Asra Nomani; The Art of Travel - Alain de Botton; BookMark: Karen Russell on "A High Wind in Jamaica"; On Our Minds: The High Line.

What makes a great school? Is it the quality of teaching, class size, or the curriculum? When it comes to school reform, everyone seems to have an opinion. Today, we're rethinking schools and the way we teach. Testing Successful Intelligence - Robert Sternberg; Sonic Sidebar: Better Grading; Unschooling - Astra Taylor and Dana Goldstein; The Education of Famous Americans - Daniel Wolff; Bookmark: Sarah Lewis; On Our Minds: Jose Antonio Vargas.

Food to Die for The Last Meal - Death Row cook Brian Price; Southern Guide to Cooking at Funerals - Charlotte Hays; Sonic Sidebar: Dane County Farmer’s Market; Wild Foraging - Sam Thayer; Death Dinners - Michael Hebb; BookMark: Poet Billy Collins; On Our Minds: Poet Nikki Giovanni.

Regarding the Pain of Others. Regarding the Pain of Others - Susan Sontag; At the Hour of Our Death - Sarah Sudhoff; Sonic Sidebar: William Christenberry; Potraits of the Mentally Ill - Michael Nye; Dangerous Idea: Gender Choice; On Our Minds - Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

When’s the last time you took a selfie? You know, a snapshot of yourself that you share online. From feminist selfies to funeral selfies to politicians’ selfies, there’s been hot debate about selfies lately. This week artists, critics and psychologists weigh in.   Selfie Primer; Psychie - The Psychology of Selfies; Sonic Sidebar: Woven Women; Poems & Selfies - Steve Roggenbuck; Picture the Artist; Dangerous Idea: Humane Prisons; On Our Minds: Toms River.