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The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, July 09, 2007
  • crystal ball

    Hitler's Secret Plot

    On today's show: find out about Adolf Hitler's secret plot to seize the Vatican and kidnap Pope Pius the XII. Then, a look at why it's so hard to predict the future, even though we try each time we check the weather forecast or get an insurance policy. We'll also hear how one man made and lost 4 million dollars as a typesetter. And Tina Brown explains why she thinks Princess Diana was the best thing to happen to the British royals since the restoration of Charles II.

Hitler's Plot to Kidnap the Pope

In 1943, Adolf Hitler devised a plot to seize the Vatican and kidnap Pope Pius the XII. Historian Dan Kurzman tells the little-known story of Nazi intrigue in his new book, A Special Mission.

A Special Mission is available for purchase at amazon.com


Event: Dan Kurzman will be speaking
Tuesday, July 10 at 6:30 pm
The Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library
455 Fifth Avenue, at 40th Street

It's Hard to Predict

Predicting the future is a big business, but it's hard to do it well. Author Nassim Nicholas Taleb says that the most important and influential events are always rare and unpredictable. His new book about prediction is The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.

The Black Swan is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Rise and Fall of a Typesetter

David Silverman bought a typesetting company in Iowa, made 4 million dollars, and then lost it all. He tells his saga of failed entrepreneurship in his new book, Typo.

Typo is available for purchase at amazon.com

Princess Di: Liar and Saint

Tina Brown, the former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, says that Diana was both a liar and a saint. Her new much-talked-about book is The Diana Chronicles.

The Diana Chronicles is available for purchase at amazon.com


Event: Tina Brown will be in conversation with Warren Hoge
Tuesday, July 10 at 7 pm
The Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway, at 12th Street

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.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

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.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.