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.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Michael Schaffer: America's Going To The Dogs
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.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)