McNamara And The 'Fog Of War'

Errol Morris' Academy Award-Winning documentary about former defense secretary Robert McNamara, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, offers fresh insight into the man many consider to be the architect of the Vietnam conflict.

Robert McNamara On Doubts, And Vietnam

Former defense secretary Robert McNamara died Monday. In a 1995 interview with Terry Gross, McNamara reflects on Vietnam and admits his serious doubts about US policy and the decision-making that escalated the war.

Spanish Court To Investigate Bush's 'Torture Team'

A book about the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay has led to an investigation by the Spanish court. In Torture Team, Philippe Sands alleges that high-ranking members of the Bush administration were responsible for instituting harsh interrogation tactics.

Long History Of Child Abuse Haunts Island 'Paradise'

In 2000, police investigating the rape allegations of a 15-year-old girl on a remote Pacific island uncovered a trail of child abuse dating back at least three generations. Journalist Kathy Marks details the story in her new book...

John Mellencamp, The Modern Mortal

Fresh Air from WHYY, March 31, 2009 - Long a standout purveyor of rootsy, direct "heartland" rock, John Mellencamp recently returned with a new album that finds him on a folksy, pessimistic streak.

Life, Death, Love and Freedom is what Mellencamp calls a collection of "modern electric folk songs," on which he muses largely on mortality (his own) and impending trouble (in the wider world).

Michael Schaffer: America's Going To The Dogs

Fresh Air from WHYY, April 1, 2009 · "Pet fashion shows, Chihuahua social networking, veterinary antidepressants [and] ambulance-chasing animal lawyers" are just the tip of what Philadelphia-based journalist Michael Schaffer says is a kind of pet-obsession iceberg in the lives of the American middle class.

In his new book One Nation Under Dog, Schaffer takes a close look at the $43 billion industry that's grown to help enable that obsession, explaining how that booming market reflects our evolving ideas of consumerism, family, politics and domesticity.

Leonard Cohen: Zen And The Art Of Songwriting

Fresh Air from WHYY, April 3, 2009 - Leonard Cohen is touring the U.S. for the first time in 15 years.

The deep-voiced musician, best known for writing songs that straddle the folk-rock fence, has produced numerous albums and written several books of poetry. He has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the U.S.

Here, Cohen joins Fresh Air host Terry Gross to talk about his poetry, his songwriting and his time at a retreat called the Zen Center.

This interview was first broadcast on May 22, 2006.

The Well-Meaning, Bad Parent

Fresh Air from WHYY, April 7, 2009 · Psychologist Richard Weissbourd contends that parents who are obsessed with their children's happiness are ignoring other important values — like goodness, empathy, appreciation and caring — that are necessary to a well-rounded personality. Weissbourd is the author of The Parents We Mean to Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development.