Studs Terkel speaks with translator and lawyer Sidney Shapiro about Shapiro’s life in China and what life was like there before and after the Communist Revolution. An audio clip is played of Dr. George Hatem discussing his experiences of being a doctor in China during the Long March.

Bahamian actor Sidney Poitier talks with Studs Terkel about his most recent film "The Defiant Ones" and how racial type-casting for typically white roles works in Hollywood films. Besides being an actor, he is also a film director, author, and diplomat.

Actor and director Sidney Poitier offers his reflections about his autobiographical memoir, "This Life". Poitier explains how he never had ambitions to be an actor and yet he stumbled into acting when looking through the clasisfied ads. There's a story about his agent trying to settle a negotiation on Poitier's behalf. Poitier's agent told the others involved that Poitier was offered a film in Hollywood. Believing it was a cheap ploy, the agent was told to tell Poitier to go onto Hollywood, and the rest is history for Sidney Poitier.

Discussing the book "The Maginot Line Syndrome: America's Hopeless Foreign Policy" (published by Ballinger) with the author, labor activists, and historian Sidney Lens.

Unions, strikes, the eight-hour work day, and better pay are all topics from Sidney Lens' book, "The Labor Wars: From the Molly Maguires to the Sitdowns". This recording also includes an excerpt of an interview from the Flint sitdown in 1937 with a worker named Bob Stinson.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Discussing the biography, "Unrepentant Radical: An American Activist's Account of Five Turbulent Decades," with the author Sidney Lens.

Author Sidney Blumenthal discusses his book "The Permanent Campaign," touching on topics including political consultants, modern campaigning, and the election process.

Comedians Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca talk about their work together. They explore the meaning and emotions behind comedy, improv, and pantomime and how the audience is involved with their shows. Sid recalls several of their skits and does a few examples of his dialects.

On the day before the opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, talks about the art of her husband, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Mrs. Moholy-Nagy said her husband believed in self discipline and the sacrifice to learn. In addition, she explained that her husband didn't believe in focusing on one type of material for his art but rather he worked with different types of materials like oil on canvas, steel, and plexiglass.

Shirley MacLaine discusses her travels to China. Includes passages from her book "You Can Get There From Here." Includes Chinese children chanting. Includes a clip from an interview with Dr. Joshua Horn.

Shirley Bryant, Nancy Fisher, and Nicole Mills discuss how a new sex education based in the importance of feelings and the use of contraception.

In the play, "The Value of Names," Shelley Berman plays Benny Silverman, a role which he says is him, an actor from the Hollywood black list. Berman said being in Chicago, acting the role and working with the cast has been THE best experience of his life and when the show closes, it will be the saddest day of his life. The director of the play, Sandy Shinner, said she knew of the Hollywood black list but didn't know about all the personal stories. There is an excerpt of Vic Navasky.

Shel Silverstein discusses his books and children's literature, and art. Shel Silverstein discusses his contemporaries, art, and life experiences.

Shel Silverstein discusses his books "Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back" and "Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book".. Shel Silverstein discusses his books, children's literature, and cartoonists.

In order to write her book, "Nobody Ever Died of Old Age", Sharon R. Curtin went undercover and pretended to be interested in nursing homes in order to visit the facilities. Curtin's book also offers praise for older people and outrage for their loneliness.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations