The common wisdom is that we’re getting more violent all the time. Witness the genocides and world wars of the last century. But cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker says we have it all wrong. And in his 800 page book “The Better Angels of Ourselves” he makes the case for how violence has declined.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
In Sacred Economics, Charles Eisenstein writes that we need to get our economic systems into alignment with our values. He says the indebtness, competition and scarcity leave us anxious and unhappy. In this extended conversation, he digs down to what he sees as the root of the problem with our financial system, and what we can do about it.
Ron Powers tells Jim Fleming that today’s teens may turn to violence to express their individuality since all the traditional means for signaling coolness have been co-opted by corporate consumer culture.
Susannah Cahalan talks about her book, "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness."
Tom Wolfe is back on the bestseller list with his new novel “Back to Blood.” In this interview, Wolfe ranges from why he picked Miami as the location for his novel; his critique of modern fiction; the early days of New Journalism; and his satirical take on the contemporary art world.
Scott Russell Sanders tells Jim Fleming about the spiritual growth spurt he noticed in middle age, and reflects on how he now feels connected to his ancestors and the natural world.
Karl Marlantes served in the Marines in Vietnam, so he knows first hand what it means to go to war. He talks with Jim Fleming about what we get right in training our soldiers, and what we get wrong when they come home. This is an uncut version of the interview.
Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, and his wife have adopted two baby girls from China. Simon tells Anne Strainchamps why he and his wife are such fans of adoption.
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