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Studs interview with Dieter Lattman, German author and journalist. They discuss the powerful influence that German intellectuals have over the general public and how this led to the silent acceptance and ignorance of concentration camps and euphemism in Germany pre WWII. Littman praises William Shirer's book, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" but warns that he did not know about the average German family. Littman shares some of his memories as a German youth living during the Nazi reign. Interview takes place in Germany.

Photographer David Scherman talks with Studs Terkel about the stories that photos can tell, famous photographers, and the book “The Best of Life,” which Scherman edited. A recording of the song “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” by the Weavers is played.

History, genocide, human rights and Amnesty International are all topics of this interview with David Hawk. Solutions to the problems in Cambodia are presented by Hawk, too. There is also an excerpt from Studs Terkel's conversation with William Shawcross.

Members of John F. Kennedy's administration are featured in David Halberstam's book, "The Best and the Brightest." Halberstam points out the irony of the title, as some in the administration may not have been the best or the brightest.  As a result of their bad decisions, America got tangled up in the Vietnam War.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations

Writer Dan Wakefield discusses his book “Between the Lines,” his relationship with C. Wright Mills, and his career. Wakefield reads the epigraph from his book.

The outspoken reporter, critic, and commentator joins Studs to discuss his book, The Trouble with Nowadays: A Curmudgeon Strikes Back.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Clancy Sigal and Studs Terkel discuss Sigal’s book “Zone of the Interior” and the role that schizophrenia plays in it. Both Sigal and Terkel read excerpts from Sigal’s book.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault's book, "In My Place," offers Hunter-Gault's experiences with history, namely her being one of only 2 Black students that were allowed to go to the University of Georgia. She talks about liberation and freedom and she recalls what it would have been like for her ancestors to struggle .

Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist discusses his book "The End of Nature." McKibben talks about climate and weather, greenhouse gasses, fossil fuels, chlorofluorocarbons, and carbon dioxide. He also explains how climate change could damage the ecosystems including birds. He ends the interview discussing what can be changed such as solar power.

The game of baseball today is very different from when Bill Leonard was a young boy. Today, the last names of baseball players are on the backs of their uniforms. When Leonard was a boy, his father would tell him who was up to bat solely by the player's walk or his stance. The selling of players' contracts to other teams is when Leonard believes the business of baseball changed. This recording includes snippets of author Lawrence Ritter's interviews with early 20th century ballplayers Sam Crawford, Goose Goslin, Fred Snodgrass, Rube Marquard, and Chief Meyers.

According to Barbara Garson's book, "The Electronic Sweatshop: How Computers are Transforming the Office of the Future into the Factory of the Past," companies are trying to make jobs so simple, as a result, kids in jobs are as replaceable as paper plates. Some companies don't want their employees to have to think but rather they need them to push buttons on machinery to get jobs accomplished.