KERA's Think Podcast

What can people learn about you on the internet? Does the rise of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook threaten your privacy and your future reputation? We'll talk this hour with Daniel J. Solove, associate professor at George Washington University Law School and author of "The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet" (Yale University Press, 2007).

What effect does our consumption-based society have on our happiness? We'll explore a simpler lifestyle this hour with Michael Gellert, author of "The Way of the Small: Why Less is Truly More" (Nicholas-Hays, 2007).

What are your plans for 2008? If you're like Tom Hodgkinson, founder of "The Idler", you're planning to throw off the shackles of authority and embrace a freer, happier, and more fulfilled you. We'll find out how he plans to do it this hour as we discuss his new book "The Freedom Manifesto: How to Free Yourself from Anxiety, Fear, Mortgages, Money, Guilt, Debt, Government, Boredom, Supermarkets, Bills, Melancholy, Pain, Depression, Work, and Waste" (Harper Perennial, 2007).

Does almost constant surveillance make us safer or are we sacrificing our privacy out of fear? We'll explore the topic this hour with Christopher Slobogin, Professor of Law at the University of Florida and author of "Privacy at Risk: The New Government Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment" (University of Chicago Press, 2007).

Why is Barack Obama's candidacy so exciting for some and so polarizing for others - even within the African-American community? We'll spend this hour with Shelby Steele, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and author of "A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win" (Free Press, 2007).

How does a company get the best from its employees? Journalist Alex Frankel decided to go undercover to find out. He writes of his experiences working for companies like UPS, Gap and Starbucks in the new book "Punching In: The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-Line Employee" (Collins, 2007).

At a time when we're all likely giving and receiving gifts, it might be worthwhile to discuss the ethical implications of the holiday season. To that end, we'll spend this hour with Dr. Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy.

How much do commercials influence children and what are some strategies for helping kids learn to give and not just receive? Our first guest this hour is Dr. Susan Linn, director of the Campaign For A Commercial-Free Childhood at Harvard's Judge Baker Children's Center. In the second half of the hour we'll talk with Colleen O'Donnell, co-author of "Generous Kids: Helping Your Child Experience the Joy of Giving" (Brown Books, 2007).

What do we really know about the birth of Christ and how does it relate to our current celebration of Christmas? We'll talk this hour with John Dominic Crossan, co-author of "The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus' Birth" (Harper One, 2007).

What political and news events shaped 2007 more than others? We'll talk this evening with William McKenzie of the Dallas Morning News and Bob Ray Sanders of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Our Scene segment will feature a piece by KERA Executive Producer Rob Tranchin. As you'll see, "Million Dollar Monarch" is a profile of not just a tree, but of the history that tree has witnessed.