The book, "Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister and Me," gives a lot of background about Shana Alexander's father, Milton Ager. A few of Ager's songs are played throughout the interview. Alexander also glosses over her time spent with "Life Magazine," and with "60 Minutes."

Investigative journalist Sally Belfrage discusses her book “Living With War: A Belfast Year.” Belfrage discusses the complexities of the British and Irish relationship in Belfast and how opinions on this subject change from generation to generation. Studs plays Ireland's national anthem “Amhrán na bhFiann / The Soldier’s Song”; a traditional Irish song “The Sash My Father Wore”; and "Four Green Fields" - Tommy Makem and The Clancy Brothers (1969).

Jessica Mitford an English born author, investigative journalist, and civil rights activist discusses her book "Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business,". Ms Mitford and Studs discuss her finding that prisoners were used as test subjects for drug trials and other medical research, and slave labor. Ms Mitford's book makes the argument that prisons are a governments means to making money from the prisoners they have punished. They speak about reform needed in the laws and decriminalization of many things and the abolishing of prison altogether. Ms.

Interviewing former war correspondent, journalist and author Gloria Emerson.

Discussing the book "Loneliness in America" with the author Suzanne Gordon.

Discussing the book "Interview" (published by Seven Stories Press) with author and interviewer Claudia Dreifus.

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.

Discussing the book "Fear of Falling: The Inner Life of the Middle Class" (published by Pantheon) with the author, political essayist Barbara Ehrenreich.