wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, April 19, 2007
  • globe

    Minority Views

    On today’s Underreported, we talk about the Mandaeans, a Gnostic sect in Iraq that has been targeted by both Sunni and Shiite extremists. And a Harvard Business School professor argues that globalization's impact has been greatly exaggerated. Later on: one woman's experiences growing up white during Rhodesia’s civil war. Plus, Tatyana Tolstaya talks about her recent works of fiction. And we get an inside look at the powerful investment firm Lazard Freres & Co.

Underreported: The Mandaeans

Eliot Weinberger explores the ancient beliefs of the Mandaeans--a Gnostic sect in Iraq that follows John the Baptist--in the May issue of Harper’s. Dr. Suhaib Nashi, a co-founder of the Mandaean Human Rights Group, tells us about some of the modern human rights challenges facing the Mandaeans--from killings, to rape, forced conversions, and displacement.

The Mandaean Associations Union

Eliot Weinberger's essay "Mandaeans" is included in his collection An Elemental Thing, which is available for purchase at amazon.com

The World is Round

Thomas Friedman has famously written about the impact of globalization in his bestselling book The World Is Flat. Harvard Business School Professor Pankaj Ghemawat tells us why he believes globalization isn’t nearly as powerful as Mr. Friedman, and many others, believe. In his article "Why the World Isn't Flat" (in the March/April issue of Foreign Policy), Professor Ghemawat explains that more than 90% of all phone calls, web traffic, and investment is local.

Civil War and Childhood

In Rainbow's End, Lauren St. John talks about her complicated feelings about growing up white on an African farm during Rhodesia’s civil war.

Rainbow's End is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Lauren St. John will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, April 19 at 7 pm
Astor Place Barnes & Noble

A Russian Dystopia

Tatyana Tolstaya talks about her recent works of fiction. Her novel The Slynx is set in Russia 200 years after a nuclear accident.

The Slynx is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: Tatyana Tolstaya will be in conversation with David Remnick
As part of the PEN World Voices Festival
Saturday, April 28 at 2 pm
The Tishman Auditorium at the New School
66 West 12th Street
Free and open to the public. No reservations are required
For more information, visit the PEN World Voices Festival website.

The Last Tycoons

In The Last Tycoons, William D. Cohan reveals how the dramatic inner workings of Lazard Freres & Co. have shaped the high-powered Wall Street firm.

The Last Tycoons is available for purchase at amazon.com

Events: William Cohan will be reading and signing books
Thursday, April 26 at 1 pm
Borders Books and Music
100 Broadway, at Wall Street

William Cohan will be reading and signing books
Thursday, May 3 at 7 pm
Citicorp Center Barnes & Noble
160 East 54th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues

National Book Award Winners

The Leonard Lopate Show

A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Please Explain: Eco-Labels

The Leonard Lopate Show

Your broccoli, shampoo, and air conditioner might bear labels declaring them to be organic, cruelty-free, or energy efficient, but what do those labels mean and are they true? Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Project Director for Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org and Consumers Union’s Senior Scientist for Policy Initiatives, and Dara O'Rourke, founder and CEO of GoodGuide.com, took a look at what eco-labels indicate, how standards are set, and what they mean for consumers and manufacturers around the world.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.