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While America Aged by Roger Lowenstein
If you live in San Diego, and you follow the news, nobody needs to tell you the city has a problem with its pension fund. A lot of public agencies and private firms have courted financial insolvency by failing to financially manage their pensions. In this end, it says some very profound and troubling things about politics, and the changing demographics of America.
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The Big Sort by Bill Bishop
E Pluribus Unum is the motto of our country. It means “out of many, one.” Just dig a coin out of your pocket and you'll see it right there. But is it true? I mean... do our many parts make one America? That's become a profound and troubling question in our country. And it's one that's closely examined in a new book called The Big Sort, written by journalist Bill Bishop.
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Unhappiness by Eric G. Wilson
Are Americans too happy? Unhappiness gets a bad name in the United States. We're a happy county, after all. A poll by the Pew Research Center indicates that 85 percent of Americans are either happy or very happy. Author Eric G. Wilson explains why we spend too much energy trying to be happy, and that melancholy is one of the human world's truly constructive emotions.
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One Helluva Ride: How NASCAR Swept the Nation by Liz Clarke
For the average person, the sport of NASCAR may look like a bunch of big, colorful cars driving around an oval a couple hundred times until one driver is determined the winner. While that description is somewhat true, the sport is actually very complex and very popular.
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America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction by Brian Alexander
Sex in America, and probably around the world, is governed by many customs and taboos: from the awkward rituals of the teenage date to decisions of how to care for that by-product of sex, children. The popular myth of sex in America is that everything has changed. Today, we're much freer about it.
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The Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents by Richard Lederer
Presidential history can be dry. But language expert Richard Lederer's new book “Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles and Firsts of Our American Presidents” takes a whimsical look at the men who've held the most powerful position in the world.
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is the name of a new illustrated book by Brian Selznick, who lives part of the year in San Diego. Brian's book is selling like crazy. The New York Times has it at number one among children's chapter books. It also has the attention of critics and film makers, for its innovative use of illustrations.
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California Gardener's Guide, Vol III by Nan Sterman
In San Diego, winter may actually be the best time to grow things. The sunlight is not so overpowering and we actually get a little rain. Of course, we've been dealing with a drought for the past year or two, and it's still having an effect on local plant life. On the other hand, we did get a couple welcome days of rain a week or so ago.
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Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before by Jean Twenge
Up until now, there's one thing that most politicians agreed on when it came to young voters. They all agreed that what young voters wanted wasn't terribly interesting to them due to the fact that young voters don't often bother to go to the polls.
These Days talks to author Jean Twenge» |
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Jihad and American Medicine by Adam Dorin
American hospitals do a good job protecting their patients when it comes to things like keeping health records secret. But how physically safe are people in hospitals from those who wish to do them harm? It's a good question, especially since the health care system offers so many opportunities to do harm to a very vulnerable population.
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The Forgetting: Understanding Alzheimers by David Shenk
Alzheimer's disease is the cause of very serious dementia in elderly people. It's a disease that destroys brain cells, initially affecting short-term memory. Soon after that, it affects language and the most basic cognitive skills, even some functions that would seem to be involuntary, like breathing and swallowing. An estimated 90,000 people in San Diego Country have Alzheimer's.
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On Nuclear Terrorism by Michael Levi
The possibility of the country of Pakistan falling into chaos is frightening because Pakistan is a nuclear power. But it's not the only country we're concerned about as it relates to nuclear weapons. The apparent efforts by Iran to create nuclear weapons have become a great concern to America and Europe, not to mention Israel. In fact, people who are concerned about nuclear proliferation imagine what may be the most dire situation: nuclear weapons in the hands of international terrorists.
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When Television was Young by Ed McMahon
To people of a certain generation, Ed McMahon was a very familiar and prominent presence on television. He was the man who introduced The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, then played the role of his foil and his comic assistant. Ed McMahon says he was Johnny Carson's "Second Banana," and he says it with pride.
These Days talks to Ed McMahon»
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Revenge of the Doughnut Boys: True Stories of Lust, Fame, Survival and Multiple Personalities by Mike Sager
Mike Sager is a journalist who lives in San Diego, and he happens to be one of the country's top magazine writers. He has a new book that is a collection of many recent stories.
These Days talks to author Mike Sager»
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Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany by Eleanor Ramrath Garner
San Diegan Eleanor Ramrath Garner is the daughter of German immigrant parents. That may not be terribly unusual. But what's remarkable in her case is that early on, in the 1930s depression, she moved with her parents back to Germany. The bad news is the family was stuck in Berlin for WWII and all of the bombing and repression the Nazi era brought. The good news is the family survived. And Eleanor has written a book about her experience.
These Days talks to author Eleanor Ramrath Garner»
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The Scent of Desire by Rachel Herz
The sense of smell is something that all healthy people have. But it has a bit of an image problem. Rachel Herz, however, says when sense of smell is lost, it is a serious problem. It affects a person's ability to eat, to fall in love, to remember things and to experience life as we expect to be able to. In fact, serious depression often accompanies the loss of sense of smell.
These Days talks to author Rachel Herz»
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Avoid Boring People by Dr. James Watson
Some of the fastest growing cities in America are "boomburbs." A "boomburb" is a large incorporated community of more than 100,000 residents that is not the biggest city in its region. We speak to the author of "Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities," about why this type of suburb is thriving in America.
These Days talks to author Dr. James Watson»
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Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities by Robert Lang
Some of the fastest growing cities in America are "boomburbs." A "boomburb" is a large incorporated community of more than 100,000 residents that is not the biggest city in its region. We speak to the author of "Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities," about why this type of suburb is thriving in America.
These Days talks to author Malcolm MacPherson»
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Hocus Potus by Malcolm MacPherson
There have been many satires written about war. Catch-22 is well known, and there are many others. Now, a former Time Magazine correspondent has written one about Iraq. The novel is called Hocus Potus, and the author is Malcolm MacPherson. In the story, a con man named Rick Gannon says he may have located Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
These Days talks to author Malcolm MacPherson»
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Journey to the Copper Age by Thomas Levy
It's hard to imagine a world without metal. But for most of human history that's how we lived... until the copper age. The age that began about six thousand years ago, and it had profound changes in the way people lived and organized their societies. That's what Thomas Levy writes in his book Journey to the Copper Age. Levy is working closely with San Diego's Museum of Man, which has mounted an exhibition of the same name.
These Days talks to author Thomas Levy»
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The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson
Marilyn Johnson says now is a great time to die. That's because, according to many accounts, we live in a golden age of obituary writing. Marilyn should know, because she’s spent much of her career writing obituaries of famous people. Today, she says the art of writing obits is getting the respect it deserves.
These Days talks to author Marilyn Johnson»
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The Fire Next Time by Randall Kenan
The noted African American, Randall Kenan, wrote essays, novels and poetry. Most Americans knew him as a member of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He wrote a famous essay, which became a book, called The Fire Next Time. Baldwin's comments on the black movement and black identity have inspired one of today's writers to tackle the subject.
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Storm Runners by T. Jefferson Parker
T. Jefferson Parker has been writing crime novels for many years and his milieu is Southern California. Many of his stories are set in Orange and San Diego counties. As a resident of Fallbrook, Jeff’s last novel was a murder-mystery called The Fallen, whose main character was a San Diego cop.
These Days talks to author T. Jefferson Parker »
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Lives Per Gallon by Terery Tamminen
When we go to the gas pump to fill up, there's a price per gallon that we all see. Right now in San Diego it's more than $3.00 a gallon. But most people agree that the real price of our dependence on oil and gas is much greater than that. Obviously some would include the hundreds of billions of dollars we're spending to wage war and patrol the waters in the Middle East.
These Days talks to author Terry Tamminen»
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Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang has Defied the Law by Marjorie Cohn
Thomas Jefferson Law School Professor Marjorie Cohn is out with a new book, Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law. In it, she argues that the Bush Administration has repeatedly violated the constitution and international law on everything from torture and illegal detentions to the Iraq war.
Full Focus talks to author Marjorie Cohn»
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Discover Wellness by Jason Deitch
From cancer to arthritis, authors of a new book say most of today's health ailments are preventable. In “Discover Wellness”, Jason Deitch argues that our healthcare system is institutionalizing illness, and bankrupting Americans. Consider that excessive medical expenses lead to 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings in the U.S.
Full Focus talks to author Jason Deitch»
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China Ghost by Jeff Gammage
Imagine traveling to China to adopt a baby you've never seen except in a photo. Jeff Gammage, a reporter for the Philadelphia Enquirer, made the journey with his wife to pick up a two-year-old girl called Jin Yu. Jin Yu is one of more than 60,000 Chinese babies who have been adopted by Americans. Gammage has written a book called China Ghosts about how he, his wife and his two-year-old dealt with the emotional turmoil of the experience.
These Days talks to author Jeff Gammage»
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The Entitled by Frank Deford
Frank Deford is renowned as one of America's best sportswriters. So while it's no surprise that he was named national sportswriter of the year six times, it may surprise you to learn that he's adept in several genres. His latest book, The Entitled, is a novel.
Full Focus talks to author Frank Deford»
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America Libre by Raul Ramos Sanchez
America Libre is subtitled A Novel of a National Nightmare and it is the wake-up call of author Raul Ramos Sanchez. Raul's story is chilling. It takes place in familiar territory, along the border and in the barrios of southern California. It's a thought provoking look at how forces already at work could break out in uncontrollable ways with devastating results. But it also has a message of hope within it.
These Days talks to author Raul Ramos Sanchez»
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The Stranger is Me: Travels and Self-Discoveries by James Clapp
James Clapp, a former professor at San Diego State University, has written a memoir of his travels to more than 60 countries over the past 25 years. It's called The Stranger is Me: Travels and Self-Discoveries. And it has some good insights for getting the most out of being somewhere new and unfamiliar.
These Days talks to author James Clapp»
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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Afghan-American novelist Khaled Hosseini won critical and popular acclaim in 2003 for his book The Kite Runner. His latest novel is called A Thousand Splendid Suns and it’s also set in Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns chronicles the last thirty years of Afghan history through the lives of two women.
These Days talks to author Khaled Hosseini»
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Best Seat in the House: A Father, a Daughter, a Journey Through Sports by Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan is a sports columnist for USA Today and author of the book, Best Seat in the House: A Father, a Daughter, a Journey Through Sports. With the approach of Father's Day, she discusses her father's impact on her love for sports and her successful career as a sports journalist.
These Days talks to author Christine Brennan»
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