Simon Winchester talks about the enormous volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883. The tidal waves killed almost forty thousand people, and the resulting social chaos gave rise to the first incidents of Muslim clerics fomenting violent uprisings against Westerners.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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The idea of a universal basic income is getting serious consideration these days from governments -- in Switzerland, Finland, even Kenya. Could it get traction in the U.S.? Absolutely, says journalist Rutger Bregman.
We're celebrating National Poetry Month this year by reading some of our favorite poems. Here's Sara with Allen Ginsberg's "Sunflower Sutra."
A small warning, there are some explicit words in the poem.
What does the growing popularity of podcasts mean for public radio? Are they competition? Inspiration? For insight, we turned to one content director who's also launched a few podcasts.
Timothy Ryback is a Holocaust scholar and tells Steve Paulson the shocking truth that the two books that most influenced Hitler's thinking were American.
Stacy Holman Jones is the author of "Torch Singing." She loves the music, but as an avowed feminist.
What helps you remember people you’ve lost? Take a look at what other listeners have shared, and share a photo of your own via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TTBOOKonDeath.
William Dean teaches theology. His book is “The American Spiritual Culture, and the Invention of Jazz, Football, and the Movies.”
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