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Donkey Kong (tifotter/flickr)
On today’s show: a psychologist and Harvard professor explains how we can learn to be happy...and it doesn’t involve millions of dollars, convertibles, and luxurious mansions. Next, the director and subject of a new documentary on the world of competitive video gaming. Then, famed science fiction writer William Gibson on his new novel. And on this month’s Backstory, we look at how Zimbabwe transformed itself from one of Africa’s most stable countries to one of its most chaotic.
Guests:
William GibsonPositive Psychology
Can you learn to be happy? Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar says yes. In Happier, Dr. Ben-Shahar argues that happiness isn’t as elusive as most people think. He says that all we need is some keen self-awareness and purposeful action to uncover the key to happiness.
Happier is available for purchase at ...
The King of Kong
“King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters” is a documentary that tackles the world of competitive video gaming. It follows Steve Wiebe as he perfects the game of Donkey Kong and takes on the reigning champion in a cross-country duel to see who will set the highest score ever. Leonard ...
Spook Country
William Gibson is often considered the most influential science fiction writer of the past quarter century. Now that the present has caught up with Gibson’s vision of the future, he’s started writing about our own time – when everyday life feels like science fiction. Gibson's new novel is Spook Country. ...
Backstory: Zimbabwe
In the space of just seven years, Zimbabwe has managed to transform itself from one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous countries to one of its poorest and most chaotic. One estimate suggests that three million Zimbabweans have fled across the border in recent years. On this month's Backstory, we ...
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