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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, August 31, 2007
  • Gary Sheffield
    Gary Sheffield

    Heavy Hitters

    On today's show: Baseball superstar Gary Sheffield shares his candid memoir of twenty years in the major leagues. Then journalist Cait Murphy explains how the 1908 baseball season gave birth to the game as we know it today. Also, Walter Isaacson describes his best-selling biography of Albert Einstein. And surgeon Atul Gawande challenges doctors to improve the quality of health care by improving their bedside manners.

Inside Power

Gary Sheffield has been a baseball insider since childhood, when his uncle Dwight Gooden first taught him how to play. Over a twenty year career in the majors, he's been a Brewer, a Padre, a Marlin, a Dodger, a Brave, a Yankee, and now a Tiger. His memoir Inside Power offers a candid account of his time on the field, as well as a player's eye view of the big business side of America's pastime.

Purchase Inside Power at amazon.com.

Baseball Crazy

Modern baseball began in 1908. Fortune editor - and former Little League infielder - Cait Murphy has written a lively history of that landmark season, when riots, rivalries, corruption, greed, and a cast of characters that included Christy Mathewson, Hal Chase, John McGraw, Cy Young, and Ty Cobb made for a truly unforgettable year.

Purchase Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History at amazon.com.

Einstein's World

Albert Einstein's scientific theories are so renowned that his name has become synonymous with genius. Much less is known about his personal life, who he was as a son, husband, father, and friend. Walter Isaacson's bestselling biography examines the man behind the science, shedding light on the experiences that would shape his most famous ideas.

Purchase Einstein: His Life and Universe at amazon.com.

Getting Better

A new collection of essays from surgeon and New Yorker contributor Atul Gawande challenges doctors to improve the quality of health care by improving their personal interactions with patients.

Purchase Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance at amazon.com.

Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska Politics

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 08, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is Sen. John McCain’s VP running mate. To find out more about Gov. Palin and Alaska politics, check out our States of the Union: Alaska segment from Aug. 8, 2008.

Sen. Joe Biden on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. Obama has chosen Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware to be his running mate. To find out more about his personal and political life, listen to Leonard’s Aug. 2007 interview with Sen. Biden. At the time, the Senator from Delaware was still a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

As the Democratic Convention is underway in Denver, listen to 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.

John McCain in 2000

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. John McCain spoke with Leonard in September 2000 about his memoir, Faith of My Fathers. He discussed his family's naval background, his time in POW camps, as well as his own presidential ambitions for the 2000 election.

States of the Union

The Leonard Lopate Show

Why is New York a blue state, Wyoming a red, and Ohio a shade of purple? Looking ahead to Election Day 2008, Leonard talks to journalists, scholars, and activists from each of the 50 states to find out what motivates voters from Maine to California.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?