Program Alert: April 8, 2011

Think airs Monday to Thursday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on KERA-FM and at 7:00 p.m. every Friday except the last Friday of the month on KERA-TV. Podcasts and streamed video are available online at www.kera.org/think.

KERA Think Rundown – Week of 4/11/11

Monday, 4/11

Noon:  Why do politicians, movie stars and even ordinary folks like us do stupid things and how can we avoid such self-destructive mistakes? We’ll talk this hour with City University of New York Sociologist William Helmreich, Ph.D. His new book is “What Was I Thinking?: The Dumb Things We Do and How to Avoid Them” (Taylor Trade, 2011).

1pm:  Just how big is philanthropy’s global impact and what factors should donors consider before making those financial gifts? We’ll spend this hour with Thomas J. Tierney, cofounder and chairman of The Bridgespan Group and co-author of the new book “Give Smart: Philanthropy that Gets Results” (Public Affairs, 2011).

Tuesday, 4/12

Noon:   What role do emotions play at work? Our guest this hour, journalist and former executive vice president and worldwide creative director for Nickelodeon, Anne Kreamer tackles the issue in her new book “It’s Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace” (Random House, 2011).

1pm: Who was the man that influenced Western philosophy more than any other and what was the nature of his time and place? Historian Bettany Hughes explores the mystery of Socrates in her new book “The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life” (Knopf, 2011). She’ll join us for the hour.

Wednesday, 4/13

Noon:  Can ecology, biology, mathematics and physics help us avoid (or at least predict) forthcoming troubles of the worst kind? We’ll talk this hour with scientist Len Fisher, Ph.D., author of the new book “Crashes, Crises, and Calamities: How We Can Use Science to Read the Early-Warning Signs” (Basic Books, 2011).

1pm:   How does the recent past inform our preset culture and what was so great about the 1980s anyway? We’ll explore ongoing influence of the decade that brought us Rambo, The Cosby Show, Reaganomics and more this hour with journalist David Sirota. His new book is “Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now–Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything” (Ballantine Books, 2011).

Thursday, 4/14

Noon:   What is the status of the civil war in the Congo? Raging since 1996 with at least 20 rebel groups, 9 government armies and millions of dead, the killing has been described as “unstaunchable.” We’ll get an inside look and preview upcoming Congolese elections this hour with journalist, humanitarian and U.N. investigator Jason K. Stearns, author of “Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa” (Public Affairs, 2011).

1pm:   What makes Texas History so fascinating? We’ll spend this hour with Light Townsend Cummins, Ph.D., the Bryan Chair of American History at Austin College and official State Historian of Texas.

Friday, 4/15

Television

7pm: What are the key issues in the competitive Dallas mayoral race? We’ll discuss city elections with Sam Merten at the Dallas Observer and Shawn P. Williams of the Dallas South News.

And in the Art&Seek segment, we’ll talk to Fort Worth Symphony percussionist David Cossin about his unique presentation of Tan Dun’s “Water Concerto.”

ABOUT Think

Think is a topic-driven interview program hosted by Krys Boyd covering a wide variety of subjects ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and trends to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment. Think airs Monday to Thursday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on KERA-FM and at 7:30 p.m. every Friday except the last Friday of the month on KERA-TV. Podcasts and streamed video are available online at www.kera.org/think.

ABOUT KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the fourth-largest population area in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at www.artandseek.org. KERA-TV broadcasts on Channel 13.1. KERA WORLD broadcasts on 13.2. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman. KXT 91.7 FM, KERA’s new music station, KXT 91.7, is streamed online at www.kxt.org.

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CONTACT:

Christopher Wagley

Director, Marketing & Communications

KERA, KXT and Art&Seek

cwagley@kera.org

214-740-9377