The New Asia from KQED's Forum Podcast

International policy expert Kishore Mahbubani discusses the growing influence of China and India, along with the implications for the rest of Asia and the United States. His new book is "The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East." Mahbubani is a dean and professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Listen to the full podcast here. Download the mp3 file here.

Ron Suskind Alleges War Fought On False Premises from NPR Podcast Fresh Air

Story: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind says that the war in Iraq was based not simply on blunders but on lies. His book, The Way of the World, accuses the Bush administration of burying critical information and forging a letter that linked Iraq to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Read the full Fresh Air transcript here, and listen to the podcast. See also: A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League

The Black Hole War from KQED's Forum Podcast

Physicists Leonard Susskind and Stephen Hawking have disagreed vehemently on the fundamental nature of black holes. Susskind's new book "The Black Hole War" is his version of that dispute, and he joins us for a discussion in studio. Susskind's other books include "The Cosmic Landscape."

Download the podcast here. See also: Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (Commonwealth Fund Book Program), An Introduction To Black Holes, Information And The String Theory Revolution: The Holographic Universe, The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design

The Secret History of Dreaming from KQED's Forum by forum@kqed.org (KQED Public Radio)

Writer Robert Moss considers dreams "secret engines" in the history of everything from literature to quantum physics, and from religion to psychology. We talk with Moss about his new book, "The Secret History of Dreaming."

Listen to the podcast here. Download the podcast here.

The Black Hole War from KQED's Forum by forum@kqed.org (KQED Public Radio)

The Black Hole War -- Physicists Leonard Susskind and Stephen Hawking have disagreed vehemently on the fundamental nature of black holes. Susskind's new book "The Black Hole War" is his version of that dispute, and he joins us for a discussion in studio. Susskind is Felix Bloch professor of physics at Stanford University. His other books include "The Cosmic Landscape."

Listen to the podcast here, download the podcast file here. See also: The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design

Richard Muller -- "Physics for Future Presidents" from KQED's Forum by forum@kqed.org (KQED Public Radio)

Richard Muller -- "Physics for Future Presidents" -- Physics can help inform our understanding of such hot-button topics as climate change, energy consumption, space exploration, weapons and war. Professor Richard Muller's new book explains the basics of physics that all voters and politicians should know in order to make educated decisions on these and other issues. Muller is a professor in the physics department at UC Berkeley, and faculty senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

Listen to the show here, or download the podcast here.

What Does China Think? from KERA's Think Podcast

China is big news this year. With a rapidly expanding economy, devastating environmental issues, and (oh yeah) the Olympics just around the corner everyone's talking about China. But how is the country changing politically and philosophically? We'll spend this hour with Mark Leonard, Executive Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations and author of the new book "What Does China Think?" (Public Affairs, 2008).

Listen to the full KERA show here. Download the mp3 here.

"Michael Pollan: If You Can't Say It, Don't Eat It" - from NPR's Day to Day

If your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, then neither should you, award-winning writer Michael Pollan is wont to say. He shares additional tips on how to eat for a healthier body and planet, the focus of his latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

A few pages of the book, as well as the podcast of the show can be found here. See also: Food Rules: An Eater's Manual, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, Second Nature: A Gardener's Education

The High Price of Chinese Industrialization (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 21 April 2008) from WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show by listenerservices@wnyc.org (WNYC, New York Public Radio)

China’s mass industrialization is coming at a high cost for many Chinese workers, from long hours and low wages to nearly unbreathable air. Financial Times editor Alexandra Harney’s new book is The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage. Events: Alexandra Harney will be speaking and signing books. Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 pm. China Institute. 125 East 65th Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues). Alexandra Harney will be speaking and signing books. Monday, April 28 at 6:30 pm. Asia Society. 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street).

Download and listen to the podcast here (mp3 file).

The Splendid Table for Saturday December 30, 2006 from APM: The Splendid Table

This week we talk to Paula Wolfert about the reissue of her classic The Cooking of Southwest France, The Sterns are eating Indian fry bread in Greybull, WY at Lisa's, bestselling author Peter Mayle has taken on French wine, French festivals and now he's taken on French bread in his new book Confessions of a French Baker, and we meet the woman and culture behind one of Portland, Oregon's best restaurants, Andina, sophisticated Peruvian cuisine.

Download the podcast here. See also: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share, The Cooking of Southwest France : Recipes from France's Magnificent Rustic Cuisine, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco