September 30 - October 4, 2002

Monday, Sept. 30

The Case for Invading Iraq (Listen)
Kenneth Pollack, director of research at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, joins Larry Mantle to discuss his new book, The Threatening Storm: The Case For Invading Iraq (Random House). Mr. Pollack worked as director of Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council during the Clinton Administration. He also served for seven years as a Persian Gulf military analyst for the CIA and is considered a foremost authority on Iraq and Saddam Hussein, having predicted the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. His new book raises many questions and concludes that the US has “few good policy options regarding Iraq.” Mr. Pollack advocates a full-scale invasion to topple one what he claims is one of the most brutal regimes since Stalinist Russia. We’ll hear why he thinks this, and give listeners ample opportunity to question Mr. Pollack’s views.

Salman Rushdie (Listen)
The highly acclaimed, controversial author of The Satanic Verses, The Moor’s Last Sigh and The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Salman Rushdie, joins Larry Mantle to discuss his new collection of non-fiction essays.

Tuesday, Oct. 1

Authentic Happiness (Listen)
Martin Seligman, Ph.D, the Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Positive Psychology Network, joins Larry Mantle to discuss his book Authentic Happiness: Using the New Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment (Free Press). Dr. Seligman discusses a new approach to happiness, called “flexible optimism,” based upon his doctrine of Positive Psychology. The focus here is on an individual’s strengths, not on his faults, weaknesses, or traumas, as has been the case in mainstream psychology.

Yiddishkayt! (Listen)
Yiddishkayt LA is the largest festival of Yiddish culture in the United States, featuring Klezmer, singing, humor, culinary delights, film and much more. Yiddishkayt means Yiddish culture, and “Air Talk” host Larry Mantle will explore just what that means with festival founder Aaron Paley and Dr. Paul Glasser, Associate Dean and Senior Research Associate of the Yiddish Language at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York.

Wednesday, Oct. 2

Abraham: The Shared Ancestor of Three Faiths (Listen)
New York Times best selling author Bruce Feiler joins Larry to discuss his new book, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (William Morrow), in which he embarks on a personal quest to better understand Abraham, the shared ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Bernard of Hollywood (Listen)
Susan Bernard joins Larry Mantle to talk about her latest book, Bernard of Hollywood: The Ultimate Pin-up Book (Taschen). Daughter of famed glamour photographer Bruno Bernard--of Bernard of Hollywood--Ms. Bernard spent years choosing this book’s content--from 30,000 negatives. The result is a smorgasbord of beauties—blondes, brunettes, redheads . . . famous and unknown. Ms. Bernard will discuss her father’s life, his technique, and how his work affected the careers of the women he photographed.

Thursday, Oct. 3

Mayor Hahn's Pick for LAPD Chief (Listen)
KPCC Reporter Frank Stoltze joins Larry Mantle for an update on Mayor Hahn's choice for the next Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton.

Stargazing (Listen)
Larry Mantle talks with science journalist and author Timothy Ferris about his new book Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers Are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth From Interplanetary Peril (Simon & Schuster). Mr. Ferris discusses how to stargaze and get the most out of being an amateur astronomer.

The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace (Listen)
Larry Mantle talks with KPCC science expert and founder and publisher of Skeptic magazine Michael Shermer about his new book In Darwin’s Shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace (Oxford University Press). Mr. Shermer chronicles the life and research of eminent scientist Alfred Russel Wallace, the co-discoverer, with Charles Darwin, of natural selection.

Friday, Oct. 4

Live Coverage of Senate Debate
KPCC brings you live coverage of the Senate Debate on potential military action in Iraq.