Prime Time Radio - AARP

Part A:Society has a deep aversion to growing older that is mostly fueled by the media. In her book, How to Age, sociologist and award-winning journalist Anne Karpf urges us to completely revamp our perspective of aging and growing old.Part B:Based on the most detailed survey of longmarried people ever conducted, 30 Lessons for Loving shows the way to lifelong, fulfilling relationships. Karl Pillemer, an internationally renowned gerontologist at Cornell University, offers sage advice from the oldest and wisest Americans on everything from finding a partner, to deciding to commit, to growing old together.

Part A:In a musical career spanning seven decades, Herbie Hancock’s genius has influenced the world of jazz like almost no other musician. Hancock continues to push the boundaries of music by experimenting with and combining eclectic genres. He explains his creative inspiration and tells tales from his career in his memoir, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, a must read for anyone who is a music lover.Part B:Everyone knows someone that looks much younger than their age. What is not necessarily common knowledge are daily habits that can slow the aging process to a crawl. Dr. David Agus, in his book, Short Guide to a Long Life, reveals small lifestyle and diet changes that will help anyone maintain a more youthful appearance, higher energy levels and much more.     

Part A:Noticing there was disparity between the rich and poor in legal protection, Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative. He was a young and gifted lawyer wanting to help those trapped within the dark corners of the legal system, the wrongly condemned and poor. In his book, Just Mercy, he recounts the pursuit of true justice in one of his earliest cases, that of Walter McMillian, who insisted he was innocent of the murder charge for which was being tried.Part B:The Great American Songbook is the canon for great twentieth-century composers from 1920 to about 1950. However, in the early fifties this river of great songs shifted as pop-culture music took over and eventually gave way to rock and roll. Ben Yagoda investigates this shift and examines the cultural influences that caused it in his book, The B-Side.    

Part A:Have you ever had a “gut feeling” that someone was lying to you, out for their own gain at all costs, or that something else was just wrong? Former FBI profiler, Joe Navarro, discusses various methods you might use to determine if someone has one of the four most dangerous personality types and analyze how much of a threat they could be to your life. He also shares a few techniques you can use, that are currently taught to law enforcement officers, to protect yourself both immediately and long-term against the damage these people can do, as well as, how to recover from being close to a destructive person.Part B:Comedian and Indian-American, Aasif Mandvi, explains his love of brunch, his journey between countries, and his experience as America's favorite Muslim/Indian/Arab/Brown/Doctor correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in his book, “No Land’s Man”. 

Part A:It is common knowledge that the best way to succeed in any endeavor is to have a plan. This is especially true in business. Career expert, Carla Harris, gives many tips on planning a strategy that will help get you to the next level, whether you are starting over, at mid-level, or striving for a promotion. Harris reveals longstanding success tools that will fortify your career and help you move upward or recover from setback.Part B:Many people dream of starting over in their dream career but hesitate when they realize how tough it could be during a later stage in life. Composer and musician, Michael Colina, made such a transition at 55. Although he hasn’t looked back since, he overcame many obstacles, but found great satisfaction that he didn’t think possible.  

Part A:A large cornerstone of the American Dream once included individuality, creative and critical thinking. Some of our nation’s brightest minds seem to be without a sense of purpose and adrift in life while they are still fresh out of school. Bill Deressiewicz especially noticed this while serving on the admissions committee at Yale. The same phenomena also greatly bothered him as a professor. His book, Excellent Sheep, provides solutions this problem and ways to receive a great education in the high-pressure factory like system that is American higher education.Part B:As a teenager, he volunteered to serve under General George Washington and from there became a hero of the American Revolution. The Marquis de Lafayette was a man driven by idealism and selfless righteous causes, or so history remembers him. Historian and author, Laura Auricchio, looks past these superficial notorieties to give a portrait of a man filled with complex humanity, emotion and dreams in her new biography. 

New Orleans and Jazz are as synonymous as the winter holidays and music. When the Preservation Hall Jazz Band joins Prime Time Radio for an hour long special and combines all four of those elements for a truly special performance. Guest hosted by Marcellus The Bassman Shepard, who has been an on-air radio personality and is well known for his distinctive deep voice, which he uses for his afternoon drive shift, In the Groove, on WEAA in Baltimore, MD and as co-host of the nationally syndicated Cool Jazz Countdown. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, this week on Prime Time Radio.

Part A:There are many ways to bring happiness and satisfaction into life from helping others to accomplishing goals. Author and goal seeker Chris Guillebeau, discovered there are many people set and accomplish extraordinarily lofty goals, similar to several he set. He began to think of these goals as quests, and was shocked that there are many other people that also pursue lofty quests as he did. He explores some of these in his book, Happiness of Pursuit.Part B:Although history is often not kind to Jefferson Davis. He is often criticized as being an incompetent leader as well as a traitor to the nation from which he attempted to break away. However, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, James McPherson argues that Davis may not be getting his full due and that it’s all too easy to diminish him due to his cause’s failure. McPherson’s book, Embattled Rebel, shows Jefferson Davis as the commander in chief in reality, explaining that while Davis did not win the war for the South, he was not responsible for losing it.

Join us for a rebroadcast of Prime Time Radio's popular holiday program—an hour-long special featuring the bells of Washington National Cathedral’s carillon. Host Mike Cuthbert ascended the bell tower and sat in the “wheelhouse” with distinguished carillonneur Edward Nassor who played the beautiful bells expressly for Prime Time Radio. He and Mike also had a fascinating conversation about the history and workings of the bells.

Part A:Gail Sheehy always wanted to be a writer from the time she was a young girl. Whether for a magazine or newspaper, and in the 40sand 50s, that meant settling to write fluffy social stories or recipes. However she had much loftier goals and she fulfilled them. In the 70s, with her marriage falling apart, she gets a job with the New York Tribune, met Clay Felker, its renowned editor and wrote for him a study of her shattered marriage, Lovesounds of a Wife. She tells of her triumphs and heartbreaks in life in her memoir, My Passages.Part B:The Saturday Evening Post has been a journalistic institution for nearly 300 years. Although it's only published online now, author and editor Jeff Nilsson, pulls together a complete retrospective of World War II from the points of view of the homefront and soldiers as reported by the post.

Part A:As the era of connectivity floods society with an unprecedented barrage of information, individuals are expected to retain more and make faster decisions about life. However, there is only a limited capacity in the brain to retain data, so something has to give way and be forgotten. The average American reports frequently losing car keys, missing appointments, or feeling worn down by the effort required just to keep up. Author Daniel Levitin unveils not only crucial studies into the phenomena but methods to retain data, successfully manage the information flow and live a more organized life.Part B:It has been said that everyone is born with a sense of curiosity and wonderment. However, studies show that as we age, we tend to lose our sense of curiosity. But those who retain that sense also tend to be smarter and more creative, if not more successful. Author Ian Leslie explores this trend and how new technology also affects it. He argues that it is not an inherent gift but is more like a plant that needs to be cultivated and fed to stay alive.

Part A:Bill Cosby grew up in a housing project in Philadelphia, his father was largely absent but his mother was very loving. Although he dropped out of high school, he turned things around by joining the Navy and subsequently going to college. Cosby seized every opportunity as a stand-up comedian and landed a breakout role on the show, “I Spy”. That is just a brief overview of the beginning of his story, there is so much more. Mark Whitaker reveals the career setbacks, looks at the controversies, and explores the “Cosby Effect” in his book, “Cosby: His Life and Times”.Part B:She emerged as the first jazz singer to record on the prestigious Blue Note label with her debut album, Portrait of Sheila. Exploding on the jazz scene, she set the bar high for her career early on and worked close such names as Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Thelonious Monk. After innovating the voice and bass sound, Sheila Jordan is still going strong as a jazz vocalist after fifty years. She tells her amazing story in her new biography, Jazz Child: A Portrait of Sheila Jordan. 

Part A:Legendary talk show host Dick Cavett has crossed paths with many of the most interesting personalities in Hollywood, from a young Steve Jobs to Muhammad Ali. On his talk show, Cavett interviewed prominent figures from every facet of life, engaging them in enthralling and personal conversations that entertained millions. In his new memoir, Brief Encounters, he reminisces many of those interactions that are most memorable and dear to him.Part B:Being well into their “second act”, Louise Lague and Tom Lichty decided to sell nearly all they owned and embarked on a yearlong global journey. During this time, they lived in four countries, travelled by nearly all modes of transportation, and had severe health emergencies and many other adventures. Their blog and subsequent book, The Expat Almanac, tells many harrowing and comedic stories of their misadventures before they resettled in Portland.

Part A:One of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War are the stories of four women, a socialite, a farm girl, an abolitionist, and a widow, who were spies. Karen Abbott illuminates the lives of these courageous women in her book, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy.Part B:William Alexander is more than a Francophile. He wants to be French. There’s one small obstacle though, he doesn’t speak a lick of la langue française. Alexander eats, breathes, and sleeps French and travels to France to be immersed in the culture. Prime Time Radio host, Mike Cuthbert recently travelled to France as well. They discuss the tricks of learning the language of love. 

Part A:To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the best loved novels of the twentieth century. And for the last fifty years, Lee, has been living in relative solitude with her sister. Only one journalist, Marja Mills, has had the privilege of not only spending time with the sisters, but she has also been permitted to tell the story of Harper Lee. Mills looks at the life of Harper Lee, known to her friends as Nelle.Part B:Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that today affects 5.4 million people in the U.S. alone. It ravages the brain, and destroys the person’s personality. Meryl Comer gave up her television career to care for her husband, diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, and later her mother.