Coming up on June 5^th is a rare astronomical event: the transit of Venus. We talk to a researcher and author about what the transit is; how, in the 18^th century, explorers and scientists travelled to the ends of the earth to observe and measure the transit; and what it means to science today.

Mark Anderson, author of “The Day the World Discovered the Sun”

Many parents agonize over their baby’s name, wanting something unique, but not too far out.  How do you choose a name for the new arrival? What are the best names? Are there any rules? We talk to a baby name expert and author, and a research psychologist who studied popular names to find the answers to these questions.

Pamela Redmond Satran, author of numerous best-selling baby name books, co-creator of Nameberry.com, and author of the new novel, “The Possibility of You”

Jonah Berger, Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

When children misbehave in the classroom, it takes time away from everyone’s studies, not to mention puts pressure on the teacher to deal successfully with the issue. Our guest says that teachers need to understand WHY a student acts up before they can find the most effective strategy to correct the behavior. We discuss the different types of misbehavior, some of the reasons why students act up, and hear about some responses that can make a classroom a more productive learning environment.

Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, co-author of “The Behavior Code: A practical guide to understanding and teaching the most challenging students”

America’s homes – and its kids – are inundated with technology.  But how do all the tv’s, cell phones, computers, mp3 players and video games affect family life and a child’s education? We talk to several people who deal with kids and technology and find out what it’s like to go retro for 6 months with no tech gadgets; how parents should make tech use an issue as important as nutrition and education, and find out why some kids don’t find their parents’ admonitions about tech use very credible.

Susan Maushart, author of “The Winter of Our Disconnect”

Dr. Eitan Schwarz, child-adolescent psychiatrist, Northwestern Univ. Feinberg School of Medicine, author of “Kids, Parents & Technology: A guide for young families”

Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials,”

An increasing number of employers are checking out the Facebook and other social media pages of job applicants before offering them a position. Some are even asking for their passwords to these sites so they can see what’s on the more private pages. Is this legal? Should it be? We talk to a lawyer and a social media expert about the issue and what needs to be done to protect the image of a business and the privacy of employees.

Lori Andrews teaches law at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, author of “I Know Who You Are, and I Saw What You Did: Social networks and the death of privacy”

Andy Sernovitz, CEO of Social Media.Org, author of “Word of Mouth Marketing: How smart companies get people talking”

Soon, the Canadian government will quit minting pennies because the cost of the metals to manufacture the coin costs more than it’s worth. The U.S. has the same cost-to-worth problem, and many people think it’s time we should chuck the penny too. Others think that the lowly cent is important for commerce, charities and as a tribute to our 16^th president. We talk to representatives from both sides of the issue about why they want to get rid of or keep the penny.

Jeff Gore, Assistant Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founder and president of Citizens for Retiring the Penny

Mark Weller, Executive Director of Americans for Common Cents 

We’ve come a long way technologically since the first telephone and the light bulb, but what did it take to get to where we are today? We talk to two authors about two of the most influential hi-tech incubators of the late 19^th and the 20^th centuries – MIT and Bell Labs. Our focus is the philosophies and the people that brought us the inventions that revolutionized our lives.

Matthew Pearl, author of “The Technologists”

Jon Gertner, author of “The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation”

Most of the electronics and many of the other products on U.S. store shelves are made overseas, increasing our trade deficit and hurting our economy. We talk to two entrepreneurs about why this is happening and how the U.S. can make some regulatory and other, creative changes, to come back to its own in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Alan Uke, founder of Underwater Kinetics, Poway, CA, author of “Buying America Back: A real-deal blueprint for restoring American prosperity”

Ernest Autumn Van Den Heuvel, founder of HandTrux LLC, Little Falls, NJ

The Titanic: What really happened that night?

There have been many books and films made about the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but often the “facts” that are repeated are more myth than real. We talk to an author who has written several books on the tragedy based on research of the government investigations, first-hand accounts and scientific information.

Tim Maltin, author of “Titanic: First Accounts,”  “101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic – But Didn’t!” and “Titanic: A very deceiving night” 

Television shows like “Downton Abbey,” “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and “The Forsyte Saga” on PBS, “Boardwalk Empire” on HBO and films such as “Warhorse” have sparked interest in late 19^th and early 20^th century life in the U.S. and abroad. Women figured prominently in that era of change, and it was their work and the Great War that transformed society and the classes forever. We talk to two authors who have researched this era about how women’s lives and the world were transformed by events.

Jehanne Wake, author of “Sisters of Fortune: America’s Caton Sisters at Home and Abroad”

Jacqueline Winspear, author of “Elegy for Eddie: A Maisie Dobbs Novel”

Many energy companies have been using a relatively new process to bring oil and natural gas out of the ground: hydrofracking. Proponents say it’s safe and will provide the US with energy for decades. Opponents are afraid that toxic chemicals and gases from the process could get into the water supply.  We hear from energy specialists about what the process is, what the dangers are, and how they can be avoided.

Marcia Bjorneurd, Prof. of Geology and Environmental Studies, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI

Josh Goldowitz, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Rochester Institute of Technology’s Environmental Sustainability, Health and Safety Program

Deborah Nardone, Director of the Sierra Club’s Natural Gas Reform Campaign,

Richard Mourdock, Indiana State Treasurer, geologist and former energy industry professional, candidate for U.S. Senate

Do you think you could give up money – ALL money – and live by yourself off the land? Do you think you’d be welcomed by friends and family if you did? We talk to an author whose friend did give up money and find out how it affected him socially, physically and spiritually.

Mark Sundeen, author of “The Man Who Quit Money”

As the elderly population continues to grow in the US, so do the number of older drivers. No matter how healthy and mentally sharp a person is, age does eventually change their ability to drive. We’ll discuss what these changes are, how they affect driving overall, how older people can learn to avoid errors, and how family and friends should approach the topic of cutting back on or quitting driving altogether with an elderly loved one.

Dr. Gary J. Kennedy, Director of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, Professor of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

Alexander Pollatsek, Professor Emeritus, in the Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Late night and cable comedy shows raise skewering politicians to a fine art. But do all of their jokes, skits and parodies have any effect at all on the outcome of elections? And do their antics sometimes go too far? We talk to two popular culture professors about comedy and politics and how some of today’s innovative funnymen are making the electorate think in new and interesting ways.

Robert Thompson, Professor of Television and Popular Culture, Syracuse University, NY

Sophia McClennen, Professor Penn State University, author of the book, “Colbert’s America: Satire and Democracy

What’s the best way to get a child to sleep? How do you get picky eaters to broaden their culinary horizons? When is the best time to start potty training a child? These are the questions that parents in the US face every day – and there are no easy answers.  We talk to a young mother who had the same questions, but instead of running to the latest parenting magazine, she looked to moms and dads around the world for guidance.

Mei-Ling Hopgood, Associate Professor of Journalism, Northwestern University, author of “How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm, and Other Adventures in Parenting”

Hawaii is an island paradise, but it also has its environmental problems – energy generation, trash and landfill issues among them. We talk to government and military officials about some strategies they are implementing to create clean, sustainable energy and deal with waste in an efficient and creative ways.

Peter Carlisle, mayor of Honolulu

Kelsey Gaddy, Energy and Sustainability Coordinator for the City and County of Honolulu; David Zuckerman, member of the support staff for the Hawaii Joint Inter-Service Regional Support Group. Guest audio courtesy of Robert Colangelo, host of Green Sense Radio

This March marks the 100^th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the USA. We talk to a biographer about the amazing woman who loved adventure and thought American girls would too, so she founded an organization that taught them how to be bold, self-sufficient and have fun in the process.

Stacy A. Cordery, author of “Juliette Gordon Low: The remarkable founder of the Girl Scouts“

Sex trafficking around the world is a multi-billion dollar business perpetrated by a wide array of criminals. We talk to two activists who describe how young women and some men are lured or abducted into the sex trades where they are sentenced to a life of degradation, loneliness and violence. We also discuss why children find themselves in these situations, why sex trades are flourishing, and what needs to be done to prevent johns from buying sex and traffickers from selling it.

Corban Addison, attorney, activist and author of the novel, “A Walk Across the Sun”

Rachel Lloyd, founder of Girls Educational & Mentoring Services, or GEMS, author of “Girls Like Us: Fighting for a world where girls are not for sale”

There are millions of young, undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who won’t be going to college next fall despite having good grades and a passion for learning. These are children who were brought here by their parents as infants or young children, but who have no future after high school because they can’t qualify for student loans or even legally drive or work. We find out why it’s important to allow these young people to continue on in school, why it’s almost impossible for them to go back to their own countries to go to school or work, and how it can benefit our economy to pass The Dream Act which will allow them a path to citizenship.

Ana Mencini, Clinical Professor of Law, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law

Marie Friedmann Marquardt, Scholar-in-Residence in the School of Theology, Emory University, co-author of “Living Illegal: The human face of unauthorized immigration”

Michael Wildes, Managing Partner, Wildes & Weinberg, PC, immigration attorney, NY, NY

We’ve all heard stories about people who overcome tremendous odds and end up becoming a success.  Or they’re faced with a serious illness, but they manage to come through it healthier and happier. How do they do it?  We talk to two people who have experience with adversity about what it takes to make it through the dark, and seemingly hopeless times in life.

Trent Angers, Co-editor with Coach Dale Brown, of “Getting Over the Four Hurdles of Life”

Kim Kircher, member of ski patrol at Crystal Mountain resort, WA, author of the book, “The Next 15 Minutes: Strength from the top of the mountain”

Parents and teachers are always looking for ways to get kids to read more, and so are book publishers.  We talk to a teacher, a publisher and an author about what kinds of books are interesting to kids, how to model good reading behavior to them, and what publishers are doing with online media to entice kids and young adults to read more.

Dr. Amy McClure, Professor in Literature and Literacy for Children and Chair of the Department of Education, Ohio Wesleyan University

Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer for Scholastic, Inc.

Annie Barrows, author of “Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance

Can you imagine a world without currency or coins? It could be coming to the US in the not-so-distant future. We talk to a financial payment expert and a man who lived without cash for a year about how the “cash-less” society is growing around the world, the advantages and disadvantages of mobile wallets, and how we need to balance security and privacy with convenience and consumerism.

Bob Ruark, Director in Financial Services Practice, KPMG, “2011 KPMG Mobile Payments Outlook”  – PDF

David Wolman, author of “The End of Money: Counterfeiters, preachers, techies, dreamers, and the coming of the cashless society”

Many kids are victims of bullying by their peers, and they and their parents don’t know why it happens or how to stop it. Hazing rituals are similar to bullying, but the victim willingly participates. We talk to two bullying specialists about why kids bully, what makes someone join in a hazing ritual, what are the signs that a child is being bullied, and find out some strategies parents, teachers and bystanders can use to prevent bullying and deal with both the aggressors and the victims.

Jodee Blanco, speaker, former bully victim, author of “The Please Stop Laughing At Me Journal”

Dr. Nadine Kaslow, professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine, Chief Psychologist at Grady Memorial Hospital

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee Year in 2012, marking 60 years on the throne. We all know who she is, what she looks like and have an idea about the “public” woman who wears the crown. But who is she, really? We talk to an author who asked that question of some of the Queen’s relatives, friends and loyal employees for a new biography of Elizabeth.

Sally Bedell Smith, author of “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch”

This year marks the third time London has hosted the Olympic Games.  The first time was in 1908, when a young veterinarian brought home the first U.S. gold medal won by an African American.  We talk to the author of a book about Dr. John Baxter Taylor, Jr., the struggles the athlete faced, and how young people today can learn from the triumphs of this trailblazing runner.

Craig T. Williams, author of the book, “The Olympian: An American Triumph”

This year boasts three Friday the 13ths, and what’s even more unusual is that they are exactly 13 weeks apart! People who suffer from “triskaidekaphobia” – fear of the number 13 – are going to have a tough time this year. But then phobias of all types are uncomfortable for anyone who suffers from them. We talk to two anxiety disorder specialists about what phobias are, how they differ from other fear-based conditions, and what can be done to treat victims so they can lead normal lives.

Dr. Dean McKay, Professor of Psychology, Fordham University

Dr. David Tolin, psychologist, Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT, Associate Professor in the Yale University School of Medicine, author of the book, “Face Your Fears: A proven plan to beat anxiety, panic, phobias and obsessions”

It’s tough getting kids to eat healthy, and it’s made even worse when families can’t find the healthier fruits and vegetables in their own community. We talk to two authors and a celebrity mom who have looked into this issue about what parents and kids need to know about healthier eating; how to get kids more involved in choosing and preparing their food, and what communities can do to bring nutritious food choices into their neighborhoods.

Peter Ladner, author of “Urban Food Revolution: Changing the way we feed cities”

Angie Harmon, actress, star of “Rizzoli and Isles,” on TNT Television, spokesperson for Uncle Ben’s “Ben’s Beginners” program

Clay Johnson, author of “The Information Diet: A case for conscious consumption”

Everyone says that Meryl Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher in the movie “The Iron Lady” was spot-on. But the film only scratches the surface of the famous British Prime Minister’s life. We talk to her biographer about who Thatcher really was, how she became so powerful and about her strategic alliance with Pres. Reagan and other leaders that changed politics and society in the U.K, the U.S. and around the world.

John Campbell, author of “The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from grocer’s daughter to Prime Minister

Charities are feeling the pinch during the recession the same as businesses and individuals. Our guests say it might be time to take a second look at how their organizations fundraise and how they recruit and keep volunteers.

Brian Reich, Sr. VP and Global Editor, Edelman Public Relations, author of the book, “Shift and Reset: Strategies for addressing serious issues in a connected society”

Peter Farnsworth, founder of Topspin and CEO and founder of the brand and business development firm, Foxrock Partners

Mark Sanborn, President of Sanborn and Associates, author of the book, “Up, Down or Sideways: How to succeed when times are good, bad and in-between”

It’s tax time, and many Americans will forego some deductions and credits they deserve because the tax forms intimidate them. We talk to a tax professional about some overlooked deductions, and discuss a few of the more complicated status issues that people face this tax season.

Mark Steber, Chief Tax Officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about constitutional rights: free speech, gun owning, searches and seizures among them. Also the president’s power to wage war – something that the Constitution says is the right of Congress.  We talk to two law specialists about these issues and try to dispel some of the misunderstandings about Americans’ rights.

Sheldon Nahmod, Distinguished Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

Albert Navarra, an attorney in California and author of “The Elements of Constitutional Law: A guide to America’s most timeless and powerful document”

Globalization is a double-edged sword: it has helped many impoverished and developing countries stand on their own feet; yet it has also caused environmental problems, trampled on the rights of citizens and changed the culture in negative ways for some countries and communities that participate in it. We talk to a woman who has seen a community in southern Mexico deal with globalization, about the up- and downsides of industrial and retail development.

Wendy Call, author of “No Word for Welcome: The Mexican village faces the global economy”

We hear the word “psychopath” and most of us immediately think of serial killers like John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy. What is a psychopath? Are they necessarily criminals? Do productive, law-abiding citizens have psychopathic traits? Can anything be done to help adults and young people who commit crimes and are labeled as psychopaths?  We talk to a psychologist who specializes in the area of psychopathy and social behavior about the issue.

Dr. Jennifer Skeem, Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, co-author of the study, “Psychopathic Personality: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Evidence and Public Policy”

There’s a lot of “conventional wisdom” surrounding sports, especially football: defense wins championships; a team’s momentum going into the play-offs will clinch a berth; icing a kicker will put him off his game; a first-round draft pick is always the most valuable to a team. Sportscasters love to discuss these situations during breaks in the action, but is there any truth to them? We talk to an economist and data analyst about how these tactics really play into a victory or loss.

Tobias J. Moskowitz, Professor of Finance, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, co-author of “Scorecasting: The hidden influences behind how sports are played and games are won”

Climate change and pollution are problems worldwide, but nowhere are they more noticeable than on the coastlines and oceans surrounding North and South America.  We talk to an environmentalist about his voyage around these continents, the people he met along the way and the ecological warning signs that show how manmade waste and poor stewardship of the oceans are contributing to environmental change.

David Rockefeller, Jr., environmentalist, philanthropist, contributor to the book, “One Island, One Ocean: Around the Americas Aboard Ocean Watch”

The aftermath of a loved-one’s suicide or attempted suicide is very difficult for family members and friends to deal with. There are often feelings of guilt, anger and, in the case of an attempt, fear that it will happen again. We talk to a physician who specializes in the issue and a woman who lives with her mother’s suicide and her own attempts, about the affects on the family and what can be done to help them.

Dr. Yeates Conwell, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, co-director of their Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide

Linda Gray Sexton, author of “Half in Love: Surviving the legacy of suicide”

We all make mistakes, and more often than not, we feel bad about doing so. But should we? We talk to an author and an educator about why making mistakes can help children learn and make adults better at their jobs.

Alina Tugend, “Shortcuts” columnist for the NYTimes, author of “Better by Mistake: The unexpected benefits of being wrong”

Deirdre Fitzgerald, Board-certified behavior analyst, member of the psychology department, St. Joseph College, West Hartford, CT

There are many ideas floating around Washington these days about how to get the country out of the economic doldrums – but most of them sound like the same old ideas we’ve been hearing for years. We talk to an author about a not-so-new, but a bold idea that he says will get people back to work, increase productivity, and lessen the gap between the rich and the poor: co-ops. We’ll hear why he thinks most businesses could benefit from being employee-owned and operated.

Gar Alperovitz, Professor of Political Economy, University of Maryland, co-founder of the Democracy Collborative, and author of “America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming our wealth, our liberty, & our democracy”

There are millions of good ideas out there, so why is it that so many of them fall by the wayside? On the other hand, why do so many really bad ideas get acted upon? We talk to a business guru who says it’s not just the idea that’s important but also the way it’s presented to the decision makers that determines if it takes off or gets ignored.

John A. Daly, professor in the McCombs School of Business and the College of Communications, University of Texas, Austin, author of “Advocacy: Championing ideas and influencing others”

Although the economic picture in the U.S. is looking up, people are still trying to find ways to tighten their belts this year. We talk to three women who offer some conventional and decidedly unconventional ways to make that dollar stretch and, at the same time, eat more nutritiously, live more sustainably and have fun in the process.

Jane Dwinell, author of “Freedom Through Frugality: Spend less, have more”

Didi Emmons, chef, author of “Wild flavors: One chef’s transformative year cooking from Eva’s Farm”

Sylvia Bernstein, author of “Aquaponic Gardening: A step-by-step guide to raising vegetables and fish together”

Many people received gourmet cookware, knives and appliances for Christmas, and maybe even a cookbook or two. Now comes the hard part: learning to use those gadgets and create tasty dishes from new recipes. We talk to a foodie, cook and author who says it’s not enough to have a list of ingredients and a few instructions: you have to understand how those ingredients transform food and learn the basic and most important techniques before you can create memorable meals.

Michael Ruhlman, food journalist, “Iron Chef America” judge, and author of “Ruhlman’s Twenty: 20 techniques, 100 recipes. A cook’s manifesto”

There have been some big money scams in the news during the past few years such as the multi-billion-dollar ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanford committed. There are also money laundering schemes that have been uncovered and prosecuted by the Feds that involve drug cartels, billions of dollars and some of the largest international banks in the world. We talk to two investigators about how the crimes are pulled off, who gets hurt, and how the justice system handles these cases.

Michael Diaz, Jr., Managing Partner in the international law firm, Diaz, Reus & Targ, Miami, FL

Robert Mazur, former federal undercover operative, author of “The Infiltrator: My secret life inside the dirty banks behind Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel”

The film “Anonymous” recently opened around the world, re-opening the old controversy of who actually wrote the works we attribute to William Shakespeare.  We talk to a scholar who believes that the cannon was the work of the Earl of Oxford about the evidence for her theory. We also consult a professor of English who specializes in entertainment at the time of Shakespeare about why “the Bard of Avon” could have and most certainly did write the works.

Katherine Chiljan, independent scholar, author of “Shakespeare Suppressed: The uncensored truth about Shakespeare and his works”

Dr. Lauren Shohet, Professor of English and holder of the Luckow Family Endowed Chair in English Literature at Villanova University, and author or “Reading Masques: The English masque and public culture in the seventeenth century”

Seventy years ago this month, the U.S. was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, drawing the country into World War II.  We talk to an author about how FDR, Churchill, MacArthur and others planned for the war during those few weeks before the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Stanley Weintraub, Professor Emeritus of Arts and Humanities, Penn State University, author of “Pearl Harbor Christmas: A world at war 1941.”

Tales of the Old West in history and folklore are popular around the world, but many of them are more folklore than fact.  We talk to an author who has studied and written extensively on the U.S. expansion westward about the politicians who wheeled and dealed to acquire large swaths of the heartland, how settlers risked their lives on the frontier, and about trailblazers and other characters who created a country that extended “from sea to shining sea.”

Robert Morgan, award-winning author of “Lions of the West: Heroes and villains of the western expansion”

Color is all around us, but have you ever wondered why we see the colors we do in consumer products, fashion, and the media? We talk to two color specialists about what color means, if it has a psychological affect on us. We also hear how certain color palettes came to be popular in the 20^th century.

Andrew J. Elliot, Professor of Psychology, University of Rochester, NY

Leatrice Eisman, Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Director of the Eisman Center for Color Information and Training

Have you ever gone shopping, brought your purchase back home and wondered, “why did I buy that?”  Everyone does now and then. It’s called “impulse buying,” and in this economy it can really ruin a family’s budget. We talk to two financial specialists about why we impulse buy, the subtle ways  stores encourage it, and get some tips on how to help prevent buying on a whim.

Paul Golden, spokesperson for the National Endowment for Financial Education, NEFE

Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert, author of “Psych Yourself Rich”

The holidays are upon us and so are the arguments that seem to crop up whenever families get together. How do you avoid these conflicts? Is there a way to navigate an argument so it doesn’t turn into an all-out war?  And how can you handle a difficult guest who wants nothing more than to pick a fight? We talk to a mediator and argument specialist about the issue.

Robert Mayer, negotiator and attorney, author of “How to Win Any Argument Without Raising Your Voice, Losing Your Cool, Or Coming to Blows”

This month marks the 150^th anniversary of America’s highest military award: The Medal of Honor. Throughout it’s history the men and one woman who received the medal stood in for all of those heroes who were just as courageous but whose bravery was never acknowledged. We talk to a medal recipient about his own and other’s experiences on the battlefield, what the honor means to the recipients, and why he thinks Americans should embrace service to their country as the price of freedom.

Jack Jacobs, Vietnam War veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, and spokesperson for the new book and DVD, “Medal of Honor: Portraits of valor beyond the call of duty”

Almost 40,000 military men and women are expected to return to the U.S. from Iraq shortly, but what do they come home to? The employment picture is poor for everyone, and veterans are no exception. We talk to two vets who help other servicemen and women navigate the job market, about the services available to all vets and employers, the transition process, PTSD issues, and how vet-to-vet mentoring can help former soldiers, sailors and airmen return to productive lives outside the military.

Jimm Dodd, Director of Veteran and Employer Relations, National Able Network 855-994-8300, veterans@nationalable.org

Jorge Hernandez, Community Support Specialist for the Veterans Project at Thresholds 

Self-publishing a book or memoir is so easy, and inexpensive, that it’s becoming the go-to method of getting your book in front of an audience. But is it worth it? We talk to two authors about their self-publishing experiences, how to do it yourself, why it’s so popular and if it’s the best way to go for everyone.

M.J. Rose, author of “In Session”

Stefan Schumacher, author of “Death By Strip Mall,” available on Amazon.com or follow Stefan on Twitter and Facebook

Innovation is the bedrock of our economy, and we need to foster it in businesses and schools. But how does innovation work? And how can we make our businesses, factories and schools more conducive to creating innovative products and services?  We talk to two experts in creative thinking about the issue.

Dr. Min Basadur, founder of Basadur Applied Creativity, Burlington, ON, Canada, member, Association for Psychological Science

Steven Johnson, author of “The Innovator’s Cookbook: Essentials for inventing what’s next”

Students use so much technology and social media today, that some educators and parents fear that in-depth research projects, face-to-face conversations and the leisurely reading of books and other paper media could disappear completely. We look at how technology changes the way we learn and how it affects the brain; and hear the pros and cons about the role of computers, cell phones, texting and social media in our lives today and in the future.

Cathy Davidson, Professor at Duke University, author of “Now You See It: How the brain science of attention will transform the way we live, work and learn”

Mark Bauerlein, Professor of English, Emory University, editor of the new book, “The Digital Divide: Arguments for and against facebook, Google, texting and the age of social networking”

We usually think of obsessions as being something negative, something that wastes our time and can affect our job and family.  Our guest says that obsessions have gotten a bad reputation over the years.  He discusses how we can turn our passions and effort into productive or “creative obsessions” that can enrich our lives and lead us to doing those pleasurable things we thought we’d never have the time – or the ability – to tackle.

Eric Maisel, PhD, psychotherapist, creativity coach, and co-author with Ann Maisel of “Brainstorm: Harnessing the power of productive obsessions” 

Because of the economy, many people are forced to work in risky, low-wage jobs. Some of this work is not monitored or unionized and the employees can suffer all kinds of health problems as well as long hours for meager wages. Although most stay out of necessity, there are other reasons for these workers to remain on the job. We talk to two researchers about what a low-wage worker’s life is like, how they fight to make their jobs safer and better, and why some employees relish the risks involved in their work.

Jill B. Jones, Associate Professor Emeritus of Social Work, University of Nevada-Reno, co-author of “Casino Women: Courage in Unexpected Places”

Jeffrey L. Kidder, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, author of “Urban Flow: Bike Messengers and the City”

It’s been 33 years since more than 900 People’s Temple followers died in the steaming jungles of Guyana. Today, people still wonder why this group of average people could have committed suicide drinking cyanide-laced kool-aid at the behest of their leader, the Reverand Jim Jones. We talk to an author who combed through new information released by the FBI on the People’s Temple, its charismatic leader, his sadistic methods of governing his flock, and hear the reasons why people put their faith in a mad man.

Julia Scheeres, author of “A Thousand Lives: The untold story of hope, deception and survival at Jonestown”

Jane Fonda is one of the most talented and controversial women of our time. She’s been married to three high-profile men; created a fitness empire; became an award-winning actress and has been vilified for her anti-Vietnam War stance and social activism. But who is this woman, really? And what led her to re-make herself over and over again? We talk to one of her longtime friends and biographer about this many-faceted star.

Patricia Bosworth, journalist, author of “Jane Fonda: The private life of a public woman”

Millions of Americans are incarcerated in jail or prison on any given day – many of them for non-violent crimes. Because of our tough “law and order” stance against crime in the U.S., a great number of these inmates will be behind bars for five years, 10 years, maybe even life. Is this a good strategy? We talk to two prison educators about how long incarcerations of non-violent criminals such as drug users, hurts families and communities, and find out how prisons, non-profits and communities can help rehabilitate and return inmates to their families to live productive lives.

Ernest Drucker, Scholar in Residence, John Jay college of Criminal Justice, Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University, NYC,  author of “A Plague of Prisons”

Joan Blount, former parenting educator in the Healthier Urban Families Outreach program, Wayne State University, Detroit

What is it that affects the choices we make?  Do we actually make independent choices? Or are we silently affected by outside influences?  We talk to a university professor, author and expert on choices about what goes into making a choice, and why it’s not easy to do it well.

Sheena S. Iyengar, S.T. Lee Professor of  Business, Columbia University, NYC

Many of the  most memorable newspaper items weren’t in the news section at all. They were the contributions of columnists who wrote not only about events, but about how they affected people, policies and our culture. We talk to two journalists and columnists about these “deadline artists,” how they did their jobs under pressure, defined our country, and how we learned more about ourselves through their writings.

Errol Louis and John Avlon, editors of “Deadline Artists: America’s greatest newspaper columns” 

A great many schools don’t teach geography as a separate subject anymore, so it doesn’t always get a lot of time devoted to it in class. Our two authors think that’s a shame, and offer up their reasons for being so interested in the subject, why it’s important to know more about our shrinking world, and why one of them considers himself a “maphead.”

Kenneth C. Davis, author of “Don’t Know Much About Geography,” and other books in the “Don’t Know Much About…” series

Ken Jennings, 2004 Jeopardy! Champion, map geek and author of “Maphead”

This Halloween many of us will be heading for the Cineplex to watch the latest Hollywood horror movie or visiting a “haunted house” with the kids. This is the time of year when we actually seek out those things that scare us the most. Why?  We’ll discuss that with our guests and get some suggestions on films and stories that have thrilled and chilled millions on Halloweens past.

Dr. Frank Farley, psychologist, professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, former president of the American Psychological Association

Catherine Zimmer, Assistant Professor in the Program in Film and Screen Studies, Department of English, Pace University, NY

Allen W. Grove, Professor of English, Alfred University, NY

The war in Afghanistan is 10 years old this month.  Reports coming out of that country hint that the people there could be on the brink of civil war. More and more American and international troops are dying, and now Pakistan’s involvement is complicating matters even more in that war-torn part of the world. We talk to a reporter who has spent 30 years covering Afghanistan, its people and the wars they’ve waged to find out why it’s so difficult for outsiders to gain a foothold there, and what we should do to end the fighting and help rebuild the country.

Edward Girardet, independent journalist, author of “Killing the Cranes: A reporter’s journey through three decades of war in Afghanistan”

It’s hard to believe but today in the U.S. there are millions of adults who can’t read or who read well below a 6^th grade level. How does this lack of literacy affect their lives?  Affect the community and the economy?  And what’s being done to raise the literacy levels of low- and non-reading adults? We talk to two literacy experts and a man who learned to read late in life about the issue and how it needs to be addressed by government and the community.

David Harvey, President & CEO, ProLiteracy

Keith Norling, adult learner and reading tutor in Minnesota

Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer, American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Programs

With unemployment high, and the baby boomers retiring at a higher rate, many people are looking to strike out on their own or start new careers doing something completely different. We talk to two business consultants about marketing your services as a solo entrepreneur, and about making an “encore” career out of one of your passions.

Jeanna Pool, marketing professional, author of the book, “Marketing for Solos”

John Schuster, executive Coach, author of “The Power of Your Past”

These days, it seems that all of the ads on TV and radio, and those in newspapers and magazines are focused on the 18-54-year old market, leaving out the over-55 crowd, except for pharmaceuticals and luxury cars. We talk to two marketing professionals about the buying power of the baby boomers, why many advertisers are missing out on this huge market by harboring outdated ideas about older consumers, and the ways that some savvy retailers and marketers are learning to tap into this lucrative market.

Brent Green, Pres., Brent Green & Associates, Inc., author of “Generation Reinvention”

Kate Forgach, baby boomer consumer specialist, affiliated with www.FreeShipping.org

Guarding the US borders is the job of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and it’s a dangerous and frustrating job. We talk to a television producer who has filmed the work of these brave men and women about the “revolving door” of drugs and illegal immigrants that make their way into this country, how cartels have taken over smuggling and human trafficking, and the complexities of dealing with the problems at the border that defy a quick, political fix.

Nicholas Stein, series producer for National Geographic Channel’s series, “Border Wars”

School cafeterias are now under more pressure than ever to provide wholesome and nutritious meals for kids, and dial back on the fats, sugars and salt in their foods. How can they get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables and stay away from the vending machines? We talk to two school lunch specialists about the strategies that some schools are using to make kids want to eat healthier.

Registered Dietician, Dr. Cathy Kapica, Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, Tufts University and part of the Leadership Team of the Ketchum Food and Nutrition Practice

Amy Kalafa, award-winning filmmaker, author of  “Lunch Wars”

Many schools have stopped teaching cursive handwriting because kids now turn to texting and keyboarding for much of their writing. Is this a good thing? We talk to two handwriting specialists about the benefits of cursive.

Jan Olsen, occupational therapist, President of Handwriting Without Tears

Margaret Shepherd, calligrapher & artist, author of “Learn World Calligraphy”

Victims of crimes and their families aren’t the only ones who suffer during a high-profile investigation and trial. Lawyers, especially attorneys representing hated defendants, and their families can suffer because of 24/7 news coverage, death threats and extreme stress. We talk to two attorneys who have defended murderers about the toll it takes on everyone involved; and how they fight for their clients’ rights to a fair trial in an environment of mass media consumption.

Sam Amirante, retired judge, defense attorney for John Wayne Gacy, and Danny Broderick, attorney, co-authors of “John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster”

Richard Kling, clinical professor of law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, practicing defense attorney

In 2009, a Jordanian doctor-turned-Al Qaeda informant arrived at a CIA station in Khost, Afghanistan to meet with operatives and, hopefully, agree to work for the U.S. What happened instead was a tragedy that left many Americans and Jordanians dead, and raised questions and concerns about intelligence gathering by the CIA. We talk to an author and a former intelligence operative about the incident and the hazards of collecting intelligence in the war zone.

Joby Warrick, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of “The Triple Agent: the Al Qaeda mole who infiltrated the CIA”

Edward Turzanski, former intelligence operative; Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Professor of Political Science & History, LaSalle University, Philadelphia

Studies show that in a down economy, the incidences of depression and suicide rise. Our guests discuss the reasons why, how to spot depression and possible suicide, and what people can do to help friends and loved-ones battling the illness, and those left behind after a death by suicide.

Bob Gebbia, Executive Director, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Dr. Deborah Serani, psychologist, therapist, depression sufferer, author of “Living with Depression”

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is celebrated every year on September 19, and many people join in the fun by dressing, acting and talking like the pirates they’ve enjoyed in movies such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and books like “Treasure Island.” But were pirates really the peg-legged, eye-patched, parrot-loving sailors depicted in popular culture? We talk to two pirate researchers about who these men were, their exploits, and what their lives were really like.

Charles Ewen, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, East Carolina University, co-editor of “X Marks the Spot: The archeology of piracy”

Pat Croce, author of “The Pirate Handbook: A rogue’s guide to pillage, plunder, chaos & conquest”

Also check out the official Talk Like a Pirate Day website, www.talklikeapirate.com

Climate change is affecting every country on the globe. However, those between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are being hit the hardest. Drought and famine have created a population of climate change refugees, forced to move from their land or face starvation – and sometimes violence. We talk to two men who have been to East Africa and have seen first-hand how extreme weather is causing extreme hardship for farmers, cattle herders and other people who live there.

Christian Parenti, Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at the Nation Institute, Contributing Editor, The Nation magazine, author of “Tropic of Chaos: Climate change and the new geography of violence”

Patrick McHaffie, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, DePaul University, Chicago

It seems that everyone with a computer or cell phone is on Facebook, Twitter or one of the other social media sites. Business has realized that they, too, should take advantage of this huge audience to get the message out about their goods and services. But is social media right for every business?  What are the advantages and the pitfalls? And how do you decide what kind of network is good for you and for what you’re selling?  We talk to three marketing specialists about the issue.

Thomas Harpointner, CEO of AIS Media, Atlanta

Lon Safko, author of “The Social Media Bible”

Gail Martin, President of Dreamspinner Communications, author of “30 Days to Social Media Success”

The Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of the backyard barbecue season – and the end of many men’s cooking duties. However, more and more guys are moving into the kitchen to cook for their families and friends during the other three seasons. We’ll find out why, what they’re cooking up and how it helps them bond with their wives and children.

Ryan D’Agostino, editor of “Esquire: Eat Like a Man: The only cookbook a man will ever need”

John Donohue, cartoonist, The New Yorker magazine, editor, “Man With the Pan: Culinary adventures of fathers who cook for their families”

We take our numbers an arithmetic for granted, and that’s a good thing. However there was a time when it wasn’t so simple to count, keep records of business transactions or do simple math problems because our numerals 0 through 9 weren’t in common use around the world. We talk to a mathematician and author about the man who started the “arithmetic revolution.”

Keith Devlin, Mathematician, Stanford University, NPR’s “Math Guy,” author of the book, “The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci’s arithmetic revolution”

Hotter summers, violent storms, flooding…these are just some of the problems faced by cities due, in part, to climate change. We talk to several urban experts about how cities are designing and re-designing infrastructure to cope.

Cynthia Rosenzweig, Head of the Climate Impact Group, NASA Goddard Institute For Space Studies

Janet Attarian, Project Director for the Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program, City of Chicago

Greg Miller, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington

Joseph Schwieterman, professor in the School of Public Service, De Paul University, Chicago

A small, niche market is building for an alternative type of neighborhood: co-housing.  We talk to the man who helped bring the concept to the U.S. from Europe, and find out how it works, who is best served by the plan, how it encourages sustainable living options, and hear about the different types of residences there are around the country.

Charles Durrett, architect and co-author of “Creating Co-housing: Building Sustainable Communities”

With unemployment high, more people are vying for fewer jobs. It’s important to get an edge on the competition, and one way that’s possible is with your appearance. We talk to two authors who explain why it’s important to “dress for success,” and how men and women can accomplish that goal whether it’s in a job interview, an important meeting or a “business casual” event.

Glen R. Sondag, financial services professional, fashion aficionado, author of “Anything Other Than Naked”

Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, public relations professional, co-author of “Be Your Own Best Publicist”

Schools are having to do more with fewer resources, and it’s not an easy task for teachers and administrators. Plus, parents these days want their children to learn more than the 3 Rs – they also want schools to provide students with life lessons. We talk to a Los Angeles teacher whose class is in one of the roughest areas of the city about how he helps his 5^th grade students learn to make their own decisions, manage their time, be helpful to others and develop a love for art, music, sports and other people.

Rafe Esquith, 5^th grade teacher, Hobart Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA, author of “Lighting Their Fires: How parents and teachers can raise extraordinary kids in a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world”

According to films and pop culture, the art heist is an exciting, complex event pulled off by master thieves, so they can sell their booty to wealthy art collectors who keep their paintings in secret galleries for their own enjoyment. We talk to a journalist and a museum security expert who dispel this myth and tell us the real stories behind some of the biggest art thefts in the world.

Anthony Amore, Director of Security, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA, and award-winning journalist, Tom Mashberg, co-authors of the book, “Stealing Rembrandts: The untold stories of notorious art heists”

Gambling is all around us, and most people can have fun at the track or casino without going broke. Pathological or problem gamblers are a different story. We talk to two specialists about what gambling addiction is, various treatments for it and how families can help loved ones who are pathological gamblers.

Christine Reilly, the executive director for the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders

Mitchell Wallick holds PhDs in both addictions and counseling and is the executive director of C.A.R.E Florida

So many people these days have little time for a walk in the woods or a relaxing evening sitting outdoors, and it’s taking its toll on their physical health and ability to function at the highest levels. We talk to an author about “nature deficit disorder” and how it affects the way we work, think and play.

Richard Louv, author, ”The Nature Principle: Human restoration and the end of nature deficit disorder”

Information spreads like wildfire across the internet, and it’s hard to tell who has yours, and what they’re doing with it. But do we have a right to privacy? How do we keep our private info away from corporations looking to sell us something? And why do we seem to have this need to share info, videos and pictures with others across the internet?

Harold Krent, Dean and professor, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute Of Technology

Avi Savar, founding partner and Chief Creative Officer, Big Fuel, Inc.

Jonah Berger, Joseph G. Campbell Assistant Professor of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Many authors whose names and stories we know and love, aren’t who they purport to be. We’ll hear why many authors had to write under pseudonyms, and how they created their alter egos.

Carmela Ciuraru, author of “Nom de Plume: The (secret) history of pseudonyms”

Robots seem to be doing everything these days, from vacuuming floors to building cars to dispensing pills in a pharmacy. In the movies they regularly try to take over the world, but ultimately fail. Just how far can robots go? And what’s in store in fiction and the real world for them in the future? We talk to two roboticists – one who’s a sci-fi novelist – about ‘bots in real life and in fantasy.

Daniel H. Wilson, PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, author of the sci-fi thriller, “Robopocalypse”

Christopher Atkeson, PhD, Professor in The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Immigration reform is a big issue in the US today. Caught in the middle are the citizen children of undocumented workers. The need to live under the radar, most often in poverty and isolation, can adversely affect the cognitive abilities of these young kids who, by law, deserve all of the benefits that other citizen children have.  We talk to a researcher about how the lives of these families and children is hurting not only the kids, but our country’s economy and future; and discuss possible remedies for the situation the addresses the legal and educational concerns.

Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, author of, “Immigrants Raising Citizens: Undocumented parents and their young children.”

It won’t be long now before parents say goodbye to their kids going off to college – many for the first time. And they worry about their children’s safety on campus and in apartments and frat houses. We talk to a safety expert and mother of a college student about how kids – mainly young women – can learn to recognize signs that something is wrong, and avoid dangerous situations while enjoying their college years.

Kathleen Baty, COO of SafeyChick Enterprises, author of “College Safety 101: Miss Independent’s guide to empowerment, confidence and staying safe”

Activism and protest movements are as American as apple pie: from the Boston Tea Party in 1773, to the Tea Party movement of today, we’ve always been a country where people have marched for change. However, today there’s a difference in the way many activists are going about their business.  We talk to two women who have written about the “new activism” and how it’s become more inclusive, diverse and effective in getting the message out.

Emily Hunter, journalist, author of “The Next Eco-Warriors: 22 young men and women who are saving the planet”

Linda Stout, founder and director of Spirit in Action, author of “Collective Visioning: How groups can work together for a just and sustainable future”

Money can be a contentious subject within relationships, especially when it’s between a saver and a spender. It’s also often a touchy subject when it comes to discussing retirement income and estate planning with aging parents. We talk to two finance and investment experts about how  money and relationships mix, and about how to talk to parents about their money issues before and during their senior years.

Bethany and Scott Palmer – “The Money Couple”– licensed financial planners, retirement specialists, co-authors of the book, “First Comes Love, Then Comes Money: A couple’s guide to financial communication”

How much can you tell about someone by taking their photograph? Quite a bit, if you’re an award-winning photographer and you’re snapping world leaders. We talk to that man about his mission to photograph these powerful men and women and what he found out about many of them as he interacted with them to get the shot.

Platon, award-winning photographer for “The New Yorker” magazine; creator and editor of the book, “Power: Portraits of World Leaders”

We all know the names of famous Americans like Paul Revere, Abe Lincoln, Betsy Ross, and Martin Luther King, Jr.  But what about William Dawes?  Stephen Pleasanton?  Gaston Means?  We talk to an author about many of the “supporting actors” of history, and how these lesser lights, in many cases, were as influential in shaping our nation as their better-known counterparts.

Michael Farquhar, former editor and history reporter for the Washington Post, author of “A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans: Pirates, skinflints, patriots and other colorful characters stuck in the footnotes of history”

As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, it’s a good time to look back and see who actually built this country. We talk with an author and his son, an artist, about their new book that celebrates the people who fought for our freedom, built an industrial power and debated its issues to create the America we know today.

Walter Dean Myers, award-winning author; Christopher Myers, award-winning artist, “We Are America: A tribute from the heart”

The mortgage crisis, the Wall St. meltdown, Enron, the abuse of children by priests were all tragedies that profoundly affected individuals and nations. How could these huge debacles occur right in front of our noses, without a hint to anyone about what was going on? Well they didn’t. We talk to a author about how we often turn a blind eye to ongoing problems – partly because of our neurological make up, and partly because we just don’t want to believe them.

Margaret Heffernan, author, playwright, television producer and entrepreneur. Author of “Willful Blindness: Why we ignore the obvious at our peril”

Summertime means weddings, parties and family gatherings. Most people look forward to reunions and back yard barbecues, but for shy people they can create days or even weeks of anxiety before the big event.  We talk to a psychologist and an award-winning speaker and consultant about navigating the social scene if you tend to be a little stand-offish or anxious about attending a party this season.

Jonathan Cheek, Prof. of Psychology specializing in shyness at Wellesley College, MA,

Jill Spiegel, speaker and entrepreneur, author of “Jill Spiegel’s How to Talk to Anyone About Anything: The secrets to connecting”

Some people go on social media, and think, “everybody’s got a good life except me” and they become chronically depressed. Other people can’t shut down technology at all…not even to get a good night’s sleep or carry on a dinner conversation. We talk to three experts about “facebook depression” and the obsession with texting and using technology almost non-stop to find out why it happens and what can be done to alleviate it.

Daniel Sieberg, technology journalist, author of “The Digital Diet: The 4-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life”

Amy Wood, psychologist in private practice in Portland, ME, author of the book, “Life Your Way”

Jason Ohler, Professor Emeritus, University of Alaska; teaches media psychology at Fielding University, author of “Digital Community, Digital Citizen”

We all have our favorite comfort foods. For some it’s mac and cheese, for others it’s meatloaf, or maybe pad thai.  But what is it that makes it so, well, comforting? We talk to a scientist, a chef and cookbook editor, and a restaurateur about how our comfort food becomes that way, if there’s any common factor among comfort foods, and if these dishes are related to our need to connect with people.

James Oseland, Judge on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef Masters,” editor-in-chief, Saveur magazine, editor of the new cookbook, “Saveur: The New Comfort Food: Home cooking from around the world”

Greg Dollarhyde, CEO of The Veggie Grill restaurants, CA

Jordan Troisi, doctoral researcher in psychology, University at Buffalo, NY

Amy Stewart, author of “Wicked Bugs”

We all know that there are beneficial bugs in the world, and without them, we’d have no agriculture, no honey, and no butterflies!  However, along with the beneficial things bugs do, comes the bad…and even the “wicked.” We talk to a writer who documents the darker side of the bug world, and an exterminator who pulls back the covers on bed bugs and tells us how to avoid and get rid of them.

Amy Stewart, author of “Wicked Bugs,” illustrated by Briony Morrow-Cribbs

Jeff Eisenberg, President of PestAway, Inc., author of “The Bed Bug Survival Guide”

The life of President Obama has been documented by himself and others.  And because of the president’s own writings, we have a very good picture of what his father was like. However, the life of his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was mainly a collection of stereotypes we heard about during the 2008 election.  We talk to a journalist and author who has researched and written the definitive biography of the woman who gave birth to our 44^th president.

Janny Scott, former Pulitzer prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, author of “A Singular Woman: The untold story of Barack Obama’s mother”

Kurt Michael Friese, chef, restaurateur, co-author of “Chasing Chiles: Hot spots along the pepper trail”

Summer brings with it not only hot temperatures and humid conditions, it can also be a time when your dog picks up heartworm larvae, fleas and ticks.  We talk to television’s “Dog Whisperer” about protecting your pooch from these parasites and the heat, and find out why some owners have well-behaved dogs and others don’t.

Cesar Millan, host of “The Dog Whisperer” on National Geographic Channel, spokesman for Frontline and Heartgard animal health products

Are kids today growing up too fast? Or do parents hover around them, “infantilizing” their kids by making decisions for them? We talk to three psychologists who specialize in young people about maturity, and hear some ideas on how moms and dads can help their children grow up to be happy kids and independent adults.

Dr. Beth Halbert, clinical child-family psychologist

Dr. Edward Christophersen, clinical psychologist, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

Dr. Robert Epstein, research psychologist, author of “Teen 2.0: Saving our families from the torment of adolescence”

These days, high school juniors and seniors are under a lot more stress trying to get into college than their parents or grandparents ever were.  And families are facing ever-increasing tuition and fees even for state universities. We talk to two college researchers about what you really need to get into college; how a good fit is more important than prestige; why you might want to take time off before entering college; and we’ll get some tips on what admissions directors are really looking for on applications.

Dave Marcus, Pulitzer Prize-winning education journalist and author of “Acceptance”

Nancy Folbre, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, author of “Saving State U: Why we must fix public higher education”

There’s a myth about President Abraham Lincoln that persists to this day: that he wrote his famous Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope on the train while on his way to Pennsylvania to deliver the speech. We learn the truth about this and other myths, as well as some surprising facts about our 16^th president from his own writings, and from the author who studied them.

Harold Holzer, Lincoln scholar, Chairman., United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation, editor of “Lincoln on War: Our greatest commander-in-chief speaks to America”

After the nuclear power plant tragedy in Fukushima, Japan, people are questioning if we can find abundant energy with fewer safety problems using something besides uranium to produce nuclear power. Some scientists think thorium is the way to go. We talk to several engineers and scientists about thorium, hear about it’s differences and similarities to uranium, and find out about research going on in generating power with thorium.

Temitope Taiwo, Dept. Manager in Nuclear Systems Analysis, Argonne National Laboratory, IL

Edward McAssey, Emeritus Professor of Mech. Engineering, Villanova University, PA

Stephen Huber, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering, and Columbia Combined Plan for Engineering, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA

What if you knew there would be an apocalyptic event in 21 days that would turn your life around 180 degrees? How would you cope? Where would you live? How would you eat? We talk to a mother and “suburban homesteader” about how to pare down your life, use less oil, change the way you work and play, and save some money in the process. We also visit with an urban farmer in a Minneapolis suburb who talks about how she learned to raise chickens in her yard…and reaped the health and culinary benefits of fresh eggs everyday.

Wendy Brown, author of “Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs: The thrivalist’s guide to life without oil”

Janice Cole, chef, urban farmer, author of “Chicken and Egg: A memoir of suburban homesteading with 125 recipes”

It seems that wherever you look in urban areas this spring there’s a garden growing. Sometimes it’s in a vacant lot; or maybe in flower boxes on the sill; or even in pots on the patio of a townhouse or the fire escape in a multi-story apartment complex. What’s causing this epidemic of green thumbs? And how does it benefit not just the gardener but the community?  We get answers from three men who know a thing or two about urban gardening in various parts of the country.

Vincent Olivares, Director. of Arthropod Conservation, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, IL

Bobby Wilson, President of the American Community Gardening Association, Atlanta, GA

Kurt Michael Friese, chef, restaurateur, co-author of “Chasing Chiles: Hot spots along the pepper trail”

Back in the 1930s and 1940s, great purges of Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians were taking place at the hands of the Nazis and then the Soviets. Tens of millions of people were killed in concentration camps or died on their way to the gulags of Siberia. Still, many survived horrific conditions for years, but did not come forward to tell their stories. We talk to a novelist who decided the world needed to know more about these brave Baltic people, how they withstood torture and abuse, but also learned to forgive in the process.

Ruta Sepetys, author of “Between Shades of Gray”

Do you realize there are tons and tons of manmade garbage floating around in “gyres” in the world’s oceans? And that most of that debris is made of plastic that could live in the sea forever? We talk to two adventurers who went on journeys to find and chronicle the oceans’ plastic garbage dumps and bring awareness to the world that chemicals in plastic hurt the ocean, it’s animals and plants and ultimately us.

David deRothschild, author of “Plastiki: Across the Pacific on plastic – an adventure to save our oceans”

Donovan Hohn, essayist, journalist, author of “Moby Duck”

Science fiction is full of wizardry like phasers, invisibility, and time travel. It’s pretty fantastical, but we don’t think much about it really existing outside the pages of books or the movie screen. We talk to a renown physicist who says that not only are these things possible, they’re being worked on right now.

Michio Kaku, Professor of theoretical physics, City University of New York, NYC, host of Sci-Fi Science on the Science Channel, author of “Physics of the Impossible: A scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force fields, teleportation and time travel”

Many gardeners plant flowers, shrubs, vegetables and pull weeds out of their yards without giving much thought to the history or the potency of their plants.  We talk to a gardener and author who made a study of the dangerous, illegal and deadly plants that inhabit our gardens and florists’ shops, and the dark stories of these botanical villains throughout history.

Amy Stewart, gardener, author of “Wicked Plants: The weed that killed Lincoln’s mother and other botanical atrocities,”

When you face adversity, how do you deal with it? Turn and run? Stay and fight? Or do you find a more creative way of handling it? We talk to two authors who learned how to handle it when the cards were stacked against them – one using prayer and the other confidence – by helping those around them.

River Jordan, author of “Praying for Strangers: An adventure of the human spirit”

Tim Sanders, CEO of Deeper Media, author of “Today We Are Rich: Harnessing the power of total confidence”

Climate change is real, and man’s contribution to it is accepted by most people in the world. We talk to two authors about what’s in store for humans in the near term and the very, very long term now that the world is warming up. We also discuss what can be done now to prevent the worst case scenarios from eventually coming true.

Mark Hertsgaard, environmental journalist, author of “Hot: Living through the next fifty years on earth”

Dr. Curt Stager, Professor of Natural Sciences, Paul Smith’s College, NY, author of “Deep Future: The next 100,000 years of life on earth”

When you think of the dictionary, the name Webster is probably top of mind. But which Webster? And was he just a dictionary writer?  We talk to an author who turned up some rather surprising information about Noah – the dictionary – Webster, and how he was not only a word man, but one of our real founding fathers.

Joshua Kendall, author of “The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s obsession and the creation of American culture”

More people are being home schooled these days, or taking online courses from community colleges and universities. That’s not really hard if the subject is math or literature. But what if it’s chemistry, or physics or biology? How do they do the lab portions of the course? We talk to three educators about the trend of buying a “lab in a box” for home use and also for teachers to take to classrooms where a traditional lab isn’t available.

Ziporrah Miller, Associate Executive Director for Professional Programs and Conferences, National Science Teacher’s Association

Dr. Nicolas Benedict, President & CEO, eScience Labs, Inc.

Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri, Professor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, President-elect of the American Chemical Society, Director of the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy

Back in the 1940s the US was headed for war, but without credible intelligence operatives anywhere in the world. President Franklin Roosevelt understood that if the Allies hoped to make headway against Hitler in Europe, they would need a spy network to help them. That’s when the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, was born. We’ll hear about their leader, Wild Bill Donovan, his stories of early espionage and how he created the spycraft that is still used in today’s CIA.

Douglas Waller, author of “Wild Bill Donovan: The spymaster who created the OSS and modern American espionage”

We all make mistakes, and more often than not, we feel bad about doing so. But should we? We talk to an author and an educator about why making mistakes can help children learn better and make adults better at their jobs.

Alina Tugend, “Shortcuts” columnist for the New York Times, author of “Better by Mistake: The unexpected benefits of being wrong”

Deirdre Fitzgerald, Board-certified behavior analyst, Associate Professor of Psychology, Eastern Connecticut State University

The baseball season is upon us, and many fans will head out to the park to watch the boys of summer play their game. We talk to a baseball writer/historian about how the boomers’ game and its heroes differed from today’s baseball – and why the game is still number one in the hearts of millions of American sports fans.

Talmage Boston, baseball historian, author of “Baseball and the Baby Boomer: A history, commentary and memoir”

We’ve always heard that writing is a solitary pursuit, but more and more these days we’re seeing noted authors collaborating with other writers to create best-selling books. We talk to several of these collaborators about how the creative process works with two writers, what each can bring to the table, and how they manage to settle creative differences.

Douglas Preston, co-author with Lincoln Child of the novel, “Gideon’s Sword”

Walter Dean Myers & Ross Workman, co-authors of the novel, “Kick”

In February, the IBM computer, Watson, beat two of Jeopardy’s all-time champions at their own game. The computer seemed almost human sometimes, but could even the best tech whizzes build a machine that could think and converse like a human? We talk to a man who researched that issue and even competed in a contest to prove HE was human, and find out what it takes for a chatbot to beat a human at their own games.

Brian Christian, author of “The Most Human Human: What talking to computers teaches us about what it means to be alive”

Google is the biggest search engine out there and a savior to anyone who needs information quickly. But is it always the best move to use Google over others? Is bigger and faster necessarily better? Does our reliance on Google give it powers we might not want it to have? We talk to two tech professionals about the issue.

Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies and Law, University of Virginia, author of “The Googlization of Everything: And why we should worry”

Doug Jacobson, Professor of Electrical  and Computer Engineering, Director of the Information Assurance Center, Iowa State University

Nobody likes receiving unsolicited mail. It fills up your mailbox, clutters up your desk and kitchen counters, and it just gets tossed out anyway. Cities hate it because it ends up in the trash and it costs money to haul away and dump. But what can you do about it?  We’ll hear about a free program that’s taking off around the country that can get rid of unsolicited mail for good.

Suzanne Malec-McKenna, Commissioner of Environment, City of Chicago

Chuck Teller, Executive Director of Catalog Choice

Tom Bates, Mayor, Berkeley, CA

Cities have a bad reputation: they’re dirty, noisy, dangerous and expensive.  But are they really that bad? We talk to an economist about why cities are the centers of change in the US and the world, are healthier than you might think and are at the forefront of innovation and and find out why some cities succeed while others fail.

Edward Glaeser, Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University, author of “The Triumph of the City: How our greatest invention makes us richer, smarter, greener, healthier and happier”

Dogs have been man’s companions for centuries, helping us in our work, play and in times of joy and deep sadness. What is it about dogs that fascinates us so? And what can we learn from them? We talk to three dog people about their pets, and how their relationship with their dogs changed their lives.

Julie Klam, author of “You Had Me at Woof: How dogs taught me the secrets of happiness”

Larry Levin, author of “Oogy: The dog only a family could love”

Nancy Stanley, author of “Pillow With a Heartbeat”

There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about constitutional rights: free speech, gun owning, searches and seizures among them. Also the president’s power to wage war – something that the Constitution says is the right of Congress.  We talk to two law specialists about these issues and try to dispel some of the misunderstandings about Americans’ rights.

Sheldon Nahmod, Distinguished Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

Albert Navarra, an attorney in California and author of “The Elements of Constitutional Law: A guide to America’s most timeless and powerful document”

We’ve all felt like our elected officials and other authorities don’t listen to us sometimes, and that trying to “fight city hall” is just a frustrating and often futile undertaking.  We talk to two communication experts about how to frame your message and your delivery to get the ear of your legislator and, maybe give you a better chance of getting what you want.

Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Associates, Washington, DC, author of “Citizens in Action: a guide to influencing government”

Jason Del Gandio, Assistant Professor of Public Communication, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, author of “Rhetoric for Radicals: A handbook for 21^st century activists

We’ve had some whopper weather this past winter with record snow and cold in the northern plains, east coast and of all places the south and southwest. Is this weather a trend? Or just a passing phenomenon? How do we know? And what causes much of the huge precipitation events we’ve been experiencing? We talk to three weather and climate specialists about these issues.

Marty Ralph, Chief of the Water Cycle Branch, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Physical Sciences Division

Adam Houston, Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

David Loope, Professor in Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

This year will mark the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attack on 9/11/2001. The nation will be remembering the victims in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and United Flight 93, as well as the rescue workers who fought to save them. What most of us won’t remember is the other New York City attack.  The one that happened 90 years before that was the 9-11 of its time. We talk to an author about the circumstances surrounding the crime – which was never solved, and about some similarities between the America of the 1920s and today.

Jed Rubenfeld, Professor of Law, Yale University,  author of the novel “The Death Instinct”

When most people hear the word “Quaker,” they think of the oatmeal box with the white-haired man wearing the big hat. Not many people think of African Americans.  We talk to an African American author and Quaker about the struggles and the triumphs of black Quakers throughout American history.

Dr. Harold Weaver, fellow at the W.E.B DuBois Institute for African American Research at Harvard University, co-editor of “Black Fire: African American Quakers on Spirituality and Human Rights”

Millions of Americans lost a good chunk of their investments during the economic crash. Now that the markets and economy are picking up, they’re looking to get back on a sound financial footing. We talk to 3 financial experts about how to budget, save and invest wisely to minimize losses during the next downturn.

Liz Weston, financial columnist and commentator, author of “The 10 Commandments of Money”

Ken Kamen, President of Mercadien Asset Management, author of “Reclaim Your Nest Egg”

Dan Goldie, CFP, President of Dan Goldie Financial Services LLC, co-author of “The Investment Answer”

Dr. Yeates Conwell, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, co-director of their Center for theStudy and Prevention of Suicide

George Burke, CEO of www.BookSwim.com and www.eBookFling.com

Tessa Smith McGovern, author and founder of www.eChook.com

Frank Farley, professor and psychologist at Temple University, and former president of the American Psychological Association

Ray Raphael, author of “Founders: The people who brought you a nation”

Jay Walljasper, editor of www.OnTheCommons.org, and author of “All That We Share: A field guide to the commons”

Curt Smith, former speechwriter for George H.W. Bush, Senior Lecturer at University of Rochester

Martin J. Medhurst, Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric & Communication, Baylor University

Rosalind Wiseman, author of “Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials”

Susan Maushart, author of “The Winter of Our Disconnect”

Chris Rabb, visiting researcher, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, University, author of “Invisible Capital”

Liz Weston, financial columnist and commentator, author of “The 10 Commandments of Money”

Ari Berman, political correspondent for The Nation magazine, author of Herding Donkeys: The fight to rebuild the Democratic Party and reshape American politics

Nanette Gartrell, MD,  Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, University of California, San Francisco, author of My Answer is No – If that’s okay with you

Christine Arylo, inspirational catalyst, author of Choosing Me Before We

Herman Jimerson, St. Louis-area attorney

Foreclosure information sites: HUD.gov and United States Foreclosure Laws

Andrew Harrison, author of Love Your 84,000 Hours at Work: Stories on the road from people with purpose and passion

David Grann, journalist with “The New Yorker” magazine, and author of “The Lost City of Z: A tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon”

Koren Zailckas, author of “Fury: A memoir”

Dr. Howard Kassinove, Professor of Psychology, Director of The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Anger and Aggression, Hofstra University, Long Island, NY, co-author of the book, “Anger Management for Everyone: Seven proven ways to control anger”

Clifton Harris, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, Nashville, TN.

Caroline Fraser, environmentalist and author of Rewilding the World: Dispatches from the conservation revolution

Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Vincent DePaul Distinguished Professor of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, author of “Still Procrastinating? The no regrets guide to getting it done”

Catherine Peters, owner and trainer of service dogs, and obedience judge for the American Kennel Club

Ellen Rogers, author of “Kasey to the Rescue: A remarkable story of a monkey and a miracle”

Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Vincent DePaul Distinguished Professor of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, author of “Still Procrastinating? The no regrets guide to getting it done”

Gen. George Washington’s Christmas Farewell

Stanley Weintraub, author of “General Washington’s Christmas Farewell”

Catherine Weigel Foy, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Family Therapist at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center for Women and Girls, and Clinical Lecturer at The Family Institute at Northwestern University

Dr. Daniela Schreier, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

General George Washington’s Christmas Farewell

Holiday Cuisine: How ethnic and regional differences enrich us

Joanne Chang, owner of Flour Bakery, Boston, author of “Flour: Spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery and Café”

Joan Nathan, author of “Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My search for Jewish cooking in France”

Alamelu Vairavan, culinary educator, author of “Healthy South Indian Cooking”

Nancie McDermott, author of “Southern Pies”

Dr. Linda Sapadin, psychologist in private practice, founder of psychwisdom.com

Susan Shapiro Barash, teaches gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College, author of “Toxic Friends: The antidote for women stuck in complicated friendships”

The USO: It’s more than just entertainment tours

Frank Thorp, USO Sr. VP for Marketing and Communications

Steve Berry, USO entertainer and author of “The Emperor’s Tomb”

Dr. Richard Restak, Neuropsychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Neurology, George Washington University, author of “Think Smart: A neuroscientist’s prescription for improving your brain’s performance”

Scott Mercer, Campaign Director for “You Can Do the Rubik’s Cube” program

Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist and author of “Program or Be Programmed: Ten commands for a digital age”

Steve Berry, author of “The Emperor’s Tomb,” co-founder of History Matters

Jack Woodville London, author of the French Letters series of books, founder of The Letter Project

Karen Cerulo, Professor and Chair of the Sociology Deptartment, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Charles Seife, Associate Professor of Journalism, New York University, author of “Proofiness: The dark arts of mathematical deception”

Computer Programming for Kids? Why it’s so important

Douglas Rushkoff, media theorist and author of “Program or Be Programmed: Ten commands for a digital age”

Cyber Bullying: How it’s worse than face-to-face

Robin Kowalski, Professor of Psychology, Clemson University, and co-author of “Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the digital age”

Paul Golden, spokesperson for the National Endowment for Financial Education, NEFE

Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert, author of “Psych Yourself Rich”

Dr. Lisa Shives, Medical Director, Northshore Sleep Medicine Evanston, IL, also a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Dr. David M. Rapoport, Director of the Sleep Medicine Program at New York University School of Medicine, NYC

Leslie Dunton-Downer, author of “The English is Coming! How one language is sweeping the world”

Jay Varner, journalist, author of “Nothing Left to Burn”

Playing with Fire: Pyromania and Arson: Dr. Debra Warner, forensic psychologist, lead faculty department director of the forensic training institute, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles

Leonard Mlodinow, physicist at Caltech University, co-author with Stephen Hawking of “The Grand Design

Leonard Mlodinow, physicist at Caltech University, co-author with Stephen Hawking of “The Grand Design”

Tom Gjelten, NPR Correspondent who writes on international, economic and security topics,  and is author of “Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba”

Dr. Park Dietz, forensic psychiatrist, President of Park Dietz & Associates, Newport Beach, CA, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Medical School

Kathy Reichs, forensic anthropologist, a producer of the TV series “Bones,” author of the book, “Spider Bones”

Richard Kling, Clinical Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, Chicago, practicing criminal defense attorney

Russell Friedman, Executive Director of The Grief Recovery Institute, Sherman Oaks, CA, co-author of “The Grief Recovery Handbook”

Guy Finley, Founder and Director, Life of Learning Foundation, author of “The Essential Laws of Fearless Living”

Susan Casey, Editor-in-Chief of “O, The Oprah Magazine,” author of “The Wave: In pursuit of the rogues, freaks and giants of the ocean”

Michael Diaz, Jr., Managing Partner in the international law firm, Diaz, Reus & Targ, Miami, FL ( HYPERLINK “http://www.diazreus.com” www.diazreus.com)

Robert Mazur, former federal undercover operative, author of “The Infiltrator: My secret life inside the dirty banks behind Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.the-infiltrator.com”)

John L. Locke, Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Lehman College (City University of New York), and author of “Eavesdropping: An Intimate History,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.johnllocke.com” www.johnllocke.com)

Kate Zernike, National Correspondent, NYTimes, author of “Boiling Mad: Inside Tea Party America,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision, LLC, political consultant for GOP candidates and campaigns ( HYPERLINK “http://www.strategicvision.biz” www.strategicvision.biz)

Greg Haas, political consultant for Democratic candidates and campaigns, co-author of the political thriller, “The Butcher’s Thumb: A Novel,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

Roy Rowan, author of “First Dogs: American Presidents and their best friends

Dr. Stanley Coren, author of “The Modern Dog”

How it’s useful; when it’s not:
Lon Safko, author of “The Social Media Bible”

Gail Martin, President of Dreamspinner Communications, author of “30 Days to Social Media Success”

Thomas Harpointner, CEO of AIS Media, Atlanta

Jamie Cox Robertson, English lecturer, University of Arizona, author of “A Literary Paris,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

Eli Horowitz, editor and designer, “Art of McSweeney’s,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.mcsweeneys.net” www.mcsweeneys.net)

John Prendergast, co-founder of The Enough Project, and co-author of “The Enough Moment: Fighting to end Africa’s worst human rights crimes,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.enoughproject.org” www.enoughproject.org;  HYPERLINK “http://www.enoughmoment.org” www.enoughmoment.org)

Twesigye Jackson Kaguri, author of “The Price of Stones: Building a school for my village,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.thepriceofstones.com” www.thepriceofstones.com)

Sam Kean, correspondent for Science Magazine, author of “The Disappearing Spoon and other true tales of madness, love and history of the world from the periodic table of the elements,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

The Disappearing Spoon: Fun with the Periodic Table
Sam Kean, correspondent for Science Magazine

Workplace Violence

Dr. Park Dietz, forensic psychiatrist, president of Threat Assessment Group, Newport Beach, CA
Dr. Catherine Lewis, forensic psychiatrist, Associate Professor University of Connecticut Health Center
Rich Cordivari, VP of Learning and Development for Allied Barton Security Services Center
Ron Williams, former Secret Service agent, now heads up Talon Executive Services, Inc
Mark Franks, sociologist, anthropologist at University of Mississippi

Jeff Gajewski, Assoc. Dean of Faculty for Student Academic Services, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI ( HYPERLINK “http://www.lawrence.edu” www.lawrence.edu)

Patrick Scanlon, Prof. and Coordinator of Undergraduate Degree Prgms, Rochester Institute of Technology, NY ( HYPERLINK “http://www.rit.edu” www.rit.edu)

Brett Wilmot, Assoc. Dir. of the Ethics Program, Villanova University, PA ( HYPERLINK “http://www.villanova.edu” www1.villanova.edu)

Scott Seider, Asst. Prof. School of Education, Boston Univ., ( HYPERLINK “http://www.bu.edu” www.bu.edu)

Pat Nicklin, Managing Dir. of Share Our Strength, a non-profit child hunger organization ( HYPERLINK “http://www.strength.org” www.strength.org;  HYPERLINK “http://www.nochildhungry.org” www.nochildhungry.org )

Dr. Mariana Chilton, Assoc. Prof. in the School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA ( HYPERLINK “http://publichealth.drexel.edu” http://publichealth.drexel.edu)

David Johnson, CEO, Strategic Vision LLC ( HYPERLINK “http://www.strategicvision.biz” www.strategicvision.biz)

Richard Laermer, CEO, RLM Public Relations, author of “Full Frontal PR,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.rlmpr.com” www.rlmpr.com)

Rick Maurer, author of “Beyond the Wall of Resistance” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.beyondresistance.com” www.beyondresistance.com)

Robert Thompson, Prof. of Television and Popular Culture, Syracuse Univ. ( HYPERLINK “http://newhouse.syr.edu” http://newhouse.syr.edu)

Bill Ryerson, Pres. of Population Media Center and Population Institute, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.populationmedia.org” www.populationmedia.org)

Aaron Dorfman, Exec. Dir. of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.ncrp.org” www.ncrp.org)

Michael Edwards, Sr. Fellow at Demos, NYC, author of “Small Change: Why business won’t save the world,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.demos.org” www.demos.org)

Dave Leinweber, computer scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, author of “Nerds on Wall St.: Math, machines and wired markets,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.nerdsonwallstreet.typepad.com” www.nerdsonwallstreet.typepad.com)

Brian Richman, Dir. of the Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance, University of Iowa ( HYPERLINK “http://www.biz.uiowa.edu” www.biz.uiowa.edu

Jim Rubens, entrepreneur, venture investor, author of “Oversuccess: Healing the American obsession with wealth, fame, power and perfection,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.oversuccess.com/wordpress” www.oversuccess.com/wordpress)

Richard Kling, clinical professor of law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Ill. Institute of Technology, and practicing criminal defense attorney ( HYPERLINK “http://www.kentlaw.edu” www.kentlaw.edu)

David R. Dow, Prof. at the Univ. of Houston Law Ctr., Litigation Dir. at the Texas Defender Service, author of “Autobiography of an Execution,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

Pat McDonough, Sr. VP of Insights and Analysis for The Nielsen Company ( HYPERLINK “http://www.nielsen.com” www.nielsen.com)

Edward Russell, Assoc. Prof. of Advertising at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, NY ( HYPERLINK “http://newhouse.syr.edu” http://newhouse.syr.edu)

Bill Murtagh, Program Coordinator at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder, CO. ( HYPERLINK “http://www.spaceweather.gov” www.spaceweather.gov)

Paul M. Kintner, Jr., Professor of electrical and computer engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY ( HYPERLINK “http://gps.ece.cornell.edu” http://gps.ece.cornell.edu)

Marc Gallicchio, Prof. and Chair of the History Department at Villanova University, author of “The Scramble for Asia: U.S. military power in the aftermath of the Pacific war” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.amazon.com” www.amazon.com)

Susan Southard, author of the upcoming book, “Nagasaki,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.susansouthard.com” www.susansouthard.com)

Rafe Esquith, 5^th grade teacher, Hobart Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA, author of “Lighting Their Fires: How parents and teachers can raise extraordinary kids in a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org” www.hobartshakespeareans.org)

Eric Maisel, PhD, psychotherapist, creativity coach, and co-author with Ann Maisel of “Brainstorm: Harnessing the power of productive obsessions,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.brainstormthebook.com” www.brainstormthebook.com)

Dr. Steven Lammers, psychiatrist, addictionologist, Medical Dir. of Resurrection Behavioral Health, Lake Bluff, IL ( HYPERLINK “http://www.reshealth.com” www.reshealth.com)

Dr. Simon Casey, Exec. Dir., Capo By The Sea, Dana Point, CA ( HYPERLINK “http://www.capobythesea.com” www.capobythesea.com)

Joyce Rebeta Burditt, television producer, sobriety specialist, author of “The Cracker Factory,” and “Women’s Group,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.womensgroupforum.com” www.womensgroupforum.com)

Juliet Schor, Prof. of Sociology, Boston College, author of “Plentitude: The new economics of true wealth,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.julietschor.com” www.julietschor.com)

Andres Edwards, founder and principal of EduTracks, author of “Thriving Beyond Sustainability: Pathways to a resilient society,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.andresedwards.com” www.andresedwards.com)

Christine Reilly, the executive director for the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.gamblingdisorders.org” www.gamblingdisorders.org)

Mitchell Wallick holds PhDs in both addictions and counseling and is the executive director of C.A.R.E Florida ( HYPERLINK “http://www.careflorida.com” www.careflorida.com)

Robert K. Wittman, former FBI art crimes investigator, Pres. of Robert K. Wittman, Inc., and author of “Priceless: How I went undercover to rescue the world’s stolen treasures,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.robertwittman.com” www.robertwittman.com)

Laney Salisbury, co-author of “Provenance: How a con man and forger rewrote the history of modern art,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.laneysalisbury.com” www.laneysalisbury.com)

Linda Greenlaw, swordboat captain and author of “Seaworthy: A swordboat captain returns to the sea,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.lindagreenlawbooks.com” www.lindagreenlawbooks.com)

E. Benjamin Skinner, investigative journalist and author of “A Crime So Monstrous: Face to Face with Modern-Day Slavery,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.acrimesomonstrous.com” www.acrimesomonstrous.com)

Claude d’Estree, Prof. of Law, School of International Studies, University of Denver, Dir. of the Center on Rights Development, Chair of the Taskforce on Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.du.edu/gsis/people” www.du.edu/gsis/people)

Vanessa Garza, Assoc. Dir. for Human Trafficking Policy in the Office of Refugee Settlement, DHHS, Washington, DC ( HYPERLINK “http://www.rescueandrestore.org” www.rescueandrestore.org) hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of 20-first, author of “How Women Mean Business,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.20-first.com” www.20-first.com)

Sharon Lerner, journalist, author of “The War on Moms,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.sharonlerner.com” www.sharonlerner.com)

Dr. Tuck Hines, Dir. of the Smithsonian’s Environmental Research Center ( HYPERLINK “http://www.ocean.si.edu” www.ocean.si.edu)

Phil Smith, Assoc. Prof. Texas Tech University’s Institute of Environmental and Human Health ( HYPERLINK “http://www.tiehh.ttu.edu” www.tiehh.ttu.edu)

Charles Wohlforth, author of “The Fate of Nature: Rediscovering our ability to rescue the earth,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.wohlforth.net” www.wohlforth.net); Eric Janszen, founder and president of iTulip, Inc., author of “The Postcatastrophe Economy: Rebuilding America and avoiding the next bubble,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.itulip.com” www.itulip.com)

Eben Weiss, cycling blogger and author of “Bike Snob: Systematically and mercilessly realigning the world of cycling,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com” www.bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com)

Dan Grunig, Exec. Dir. of Bicycle Colorado ( HYPERLINK “http://www.bicyclecolorado.org” www.bicyclecolorado.org)

Helen Thorpe, journalist, author of “Just Like Us: The true story of four Mexican girls coming of age in America,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.helenthorpe.wordpress.com” www.helenthorpe.wordpress.com)

Iris Gomez, attorney, author of “Try to Remember,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.irisgomez.com” www.irisgomez.com)

Joyce Rivers, Veterans’ Advocate, and John Dulmage, Veterans’ Affairs and Troop Welfare Worksite Coordinator, Norwich University, VT ( HYPERLINK “http://www.norwich.edu” www.norwich.edu)

Larry Clifton, Sr. VP for Recruiting and Workforce Planning, CACI Int’l, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.caci.com” www.caci.com)

John Molino, Exec. VP for the Wounded Warrior Project ( HYPERLINK “http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org” www.woundedwarriorproject.org)

Sue Adair, Dir. of Education and Quality Assurance for Goddard Systems ( HYPERLINK “http://www.goddardschool.com” www.goddardschool.com)

Todd Davis, host of HGTV’s “Over Your Head” program and author of “Handy Dad,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.epic-spaces.com” www.epic-spaces.com)

Mickie Piatt, Assoc. Prof. of Law, Interim Dir. of the Program on Intellectual Property, Chicago Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology ( HYPERLINK “http://www.kentlaw.edu” www.kentlaw.edu)

Marty Machowsky, Communications Dir., musicFirst Coalition ( HYPERLINK “http://www.musicfirstcoalition.org” www.musicfirstcoalition.org)

Kent Cornish, Pres. Kansas Association of Broadcasters ( HYPERLINK “http://www.kab.net” www.kab.net)

Ray D. Madoff, Prof. of Law, Boston College Law School and author of “Immortality and the Law: The rising power of the American dead,” (www.amazon.com)

Dr. Judy Postmus, Asst. Prof., Dir of the Center on Violence Against Women and Children, School of Social Work, Rutgers University

Rene Renick, Dir. of Programs and Operations for the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Washington, DC ( HYPERLINK “http://www.nnedv.org” www.nnedv.org) ( HYPERLINK “http://www.clicktoempower.org” www.clicktoempower.org)

Glenn Smith, Prof. of Constitutional Law, California Western Law School, San Diego, and Visiting Prof in the Political Science Dept., University of California, San Diego

Carolyn Shapiro, Asst. Prof. of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL. ( HYPERLINK “http://www.supremecourt.gov” www.supremecourt.gov)

Daphne Rose Kingma, therapist, author of “The Ten Things to Do When Your Life Falls Apart,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.daphnekingma.com” www.daphnekingma.com)

Laura Munson, author of “This Is Not the Story You Think It Is: A season of unlikely happiness,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.lauramunsonauthor.com” www.lauramunsonauthor.com)

David Grann, journalist with “The New Yorker” magazine, and author of “The Lost City of Z: A tale of deadly obsession in the Amazon,” (www.davidgrann.com)

Francine Russo, author of “They’re Your Parents Too,” ( HYPERLINK “http://www.theyreyourparentstoo.com” www.theyreyourparentstoo.com)

Kim Dayton, Prof. of Law, Dir of the Center for Elder Justice and Policy at William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN, ( HYPERLINK “http://www.wmitchell.edu/CEJP/elderjustice/” www.wmitchell.edu/CEJP/elderjustice/)

Vivian Pisano, Chief of Information Technology, San Francisco Public Library, and chair of the Office of Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee for the American Library Assoc. (www.ala.org)

Linda Smith, Prof. and Assoc. Dean for Academic Programs, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (www.illinois.edu)

Walter Mosley, best-selling author of “Known to Evil: A Leonid McGill Mystery,” honorary co-chair, ALA Spectrum Presidential Initiative (www.waltermosley.com).

Hampton Sides, author of “Hellhound on His Trail” (www.randomhouse.com).

Allison J. Pugh Asst. Prof. of Sociology, University of Virginia, and author of “Longing and Belonging: Parents, children and the consumer culture,” (www.allisonpugh.com); Richard Weissbourd, child and family psychologist on the faculty of Harvard’s School of Education and Kennedy School of Government, author of “The Parents We Mean To Be: How well-intentioned adults undermine children’s moral and emotional development,” (www.richardweissbourd.com).

Catriona MacGregor, author of “Partnering With Nature: The wild path to reconnecting with the earth,” (www.naturalpathfinder.com)

Anna Getty, holistic lifestyle expert, author of “Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic,” (www.purestyleliving.com)

Aaron Lubeck, partner in Trinity Design/Build, a building restoration and preservation consultancy in N. Carolina (www.greenrestorations.com).

David Harvey, Pres. & CEO, ProLiteracy (www.proliteracy.org); Keith Norling, adult learner and reading tutor in Minnesota

Dale Lipschultz, Literacy Officer, American Library Assoc. Office for Literacy and Outreach Programs (www.ala.org).

Nathaniel Philbrick, author of “The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn,” (www.nathanielphilbrick.com).

Dave Marcus, Pulitzer Prize-winning education journalist and author of “Acceptance” (www.davemarcus.com)

Nancy Folbre, Prof. of Economics, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, author of “Saving State U: Why we must fix public higher education,” (www.people.umass.edu/folbre/folbre)

Jack Bowen, philosopher and teacher at Menlo School, in Atherton, CA, author of “If You Can Read This: The philosophy of bumper stickers,” (www.dreamweaverphilosophy.com).

James Proudfoot, Sr. Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory, IL (www.anl.gov)

Brad Abbott, Asst. Prof. of Physics, Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma (www.nhn.ou.edu).

Mark Derowitsch, public relations manager, the Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org)

Dr. Kim Coder, Prof. of Tree Biology and Healthcare, Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (www.uga.edu/academics/forest.html).

Stephen Asma, Prof. of Philosophy, Columbia College, Chicago, IL, author of “Why I Am a Buddhist: No-nonsense Buddhism with red meat and whiskey,” (www.stephenasma.com)

Josh Karp, journalist and author of “Straight Down The Middle: Shivas irons, Bagger Vance, and how I learned to stop worrying and love my golf swing,” (www.dougkenney.com).

Nancy Stoner, Co-Director of Water Programs, Natural Resources Defense Council (www.nrdc.org www.simplesteps.org)

Chris Wood, journalist and author of “Dry Spring: The coming water crisis in North America,” (www.bychriswood.com).

Sheena S. Iyengar, S.T. Lee Professor of  Business, Columbia University, NYC. (www.columbia.edu)

David Schmid, professor in the  Dept. of English, University of Buffalo in NY (www.buffalo.edu)

M.J. Rose, suspense writer, author of “The Hypnotist,” due out in May (www.mjrose.com).

Christina Kahrl, one of the founders and currently Executive Editor of “The Baseball Prospectus,” (www.baseballprospectus.com).

Joel Kotkin, Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University, Orange, CA, adjunct fellow with the Legatum Institute, London, UK, author of “The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050,” (www.joelkotkin.com)

Peter Seidel, environmentalist, architect & planner, author of the novel, “2045: A story of our future,” (www.amazon.com).

Peggy Goldman, Pres. and co-owner, Friendly Planet Travel (www.friendlyplanet.com)

Incy Britton-Foster, Dir. of Sales, Lakani World Tours, Newport Beach, CA (www.lakani.com).

Megan Smolenyak, Chief Genealogical Consultant, NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” and author of the companion book of the same name

Richard Whitmire, education reporter and author of “Why Boys Fail: Saving our sons from an educational system that’s leaving them behind,” (www.whyboysfail.com)

Dr. Anthony Rao, child psychologist at Behavioral Solutions, Lexington, MA, author of “The Way of Boys: Raising healthy boys in a challenging and complex world,” (www.anthonyrao.com).

Sally Hogshead, corporate brand consultant, author of “Fascinate: Your 7 triggers to persuasion and captivation,” (www.sallyhogshead.com)

Mick Mulcrone, Assoc. Prof. Dept. of Communication Studies, University of Portland, OR

Colman Andrews, co-founder and former editor-in-chief, “Saveur” magazine, author of “The Country Cooking of Ireland,” (www. twitter.com/Colmanandrews).

Colleen DeBaise, Small Business Editor, The Wall Street Journal, author of “The Wall St. Journal Complete Small Business Guidebook,” (www.amazon.com)

Michael Bungay Stanier, founder and senior partner of the creative consulting company, Box Of Crayons, and author of “Do More Great Work,”  (www.boxofcrayons.biz)

John Cassidy, journalist for  the “New Yorker” magazine, author of “How Markets Fail: The logic of economic calamities (www.newyorker.com)

Mark Gilbert, London Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News, author of “Complicit: How greed and collusion made the credit crisis unstoppable,” (www.bloomberg.com).

Jonah Lehrer, science journalist, author of “How We Decide,” (www.jonahlehrer.com).

Susan J. Elliott, grief counselor, therapist, attorney and author of “Getting Past Your Break-Up,” (www.gettingpastyourbreakup.com)

Maria Finn, author  of “Hold Me Tight & Tango Me Home,” (www.mariafinn.com).

Dr. David Anderegg, psychologist and teacher at Bennington College, VT., author of the book, “Nerds: Who they are and why we need more of them,” (www.drdavidanderegg.com)

Laura Preble, H.S. teacher in San Diego, author of the teen novels, “The Queen Geek Social Club” and “Queen Geeks in Love,” (www.queengeeksocialclub.com).

Arnold A. Jackson, Assoc. Dir. for the 2010 Census (www.2010census.gov)

Dr. Clara Rodriguez, Prof. of Sociology, Fordham University-Lincoln Center, NY

Ana-María Gonzalez Wahl, Asst. Prof. of Sociology, Wake Forest University, North Carolina

William Borucki, Science Principle Investigator at NASA for Kepler mission (www.kepler.nasa.gov)

Dr. Reta Beebe, College Professor in Dept. of Astronomy, New Mexico State Univ., and a Chief Scientist for NASA’s Planetary Data System (http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov).

Dr. Len Fisher, science communicator and author of “The Perfect Swarm: The science of complexity in everyday life,” (www.lenfisherscience.com).

Staff Sgt. Mike Côté, spokesman for the Integrated Security Unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?contentId=235&siteNodeId=51)

Jerry Hunter, CEO and founder, U.S. Fleet Tracking (www.usfleettracking.com)

Dr. Frank Farley, psychologist, Temple University; Dr. Linda Sapadin, psychologist in private practice in Valley Stream, NY (www.beatprocrastinationcoach.com)

Bob Harper, professional trainer on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” spokesman for Extra SugarFree gum (www.extra3pmsnackdown.com).

Barbara Gold, Professor and Chair of Classics, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

Phil Adamo, Asst. Professor of Ancient and Medieval History, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN

Lindsey Roy, Product Manager for Valentine’s Day, Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, MO (www.hallmark.com).

Dr. Joseph Allen, Prof. of Psychology, Univ. of Virginia, author of “Escaping the Endless Adolescence,” (www.amazon.com)

Susan Stiffelman, Marriage and Family Therapist, founder of www.passionateparenting.net author of “Parenting Without Power Struggles”

Ruth Reichl, former editor of “Gourmet” magazine, television host, editor of the new cookbook, “Gourmet Today,” (www.ruthreichl.com) (www.gourmet.com).

Art Koff, founder of www.retiredbrains.com

Gayle Gamauf McCoy, MSW, LCSW, VP of Senior Services. SCSEP Programming at the non-profit National Able Network (www.nationalable.org).

Don Lyman Adjunct Instructor of Biology, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA (www.merrimack.edu)

Lang Elliott, head of Nature Sound Studio, author of the book and CD, “The Frogs and Toads of North America,” (www.naturesound.com).

E. Scott Geller, Distinguished Professor and Dir. of the Center for Applied Behavior Systems, Dept. of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg,VA

Dr. Richard Hanowski, Dir. of the Center for Truck and Bus Safety, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (www.vtti.vt.edu).

Dr. Amy McClure, Prof. in Literature and Literacy for Children and Chair of the Dept. of Education, Ohio Wesleyan University (www.owu.edu)

Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer for Scholastic, Inc. (www.scholastic.com)

Annie Barrows, author of “Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance,” (www.anniebarrows.com)

Robert Wallace, former Director of the CIA’s Office of Technical Service, author of “Spycraft: The secret history of the CIA’s spytechs from Communism to Al Qaeda” (www.amazon.com)(www.spymuseum.org).

Rick Posner, author of “Lives of Passion, School of Hope,” (www.rickposner.com)

Linda Nathan, Co-Headmaster, Boston Arts Academy, author of “The Hardest Questions Aren’t on the Test: Lessons from an innovative urban school” (www.lindanathan.net).

Joseph DiBenedetto, prominent NY defense attorney (www.dibenedettolaw.com)

Barry Slotnick, NY defense attorney, shareholder in the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney (www.bipc.com)

Nancy Marder, attorney, Prof. of Law specializing in juries, Chicago Kent College of Law (www.kentlaw.edu

Chris Shearer, Associate Executive Director, National Geographic Educational Foundation (www.geographyawarenessweek.org).