Journalist and Author Jessica Mitford discusses her life and her works, including and her books, "The American Way of Death," "Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business," and "Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking."

Journalist and author Jessica Mitford discusses her life and her work as a muckraker journalist including her exposing The Famous Writer's School and her "short and happy life as a professor" at San Jose State University. She also discusses her books, "The American Way of Death," "Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business," and "Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking."

James David Barber, author and political scientist, discusses his book, "The Pulse of Politics: Electing Presidents in the Media Age." He explains the premise of his beliefs that presidential elections run a cycle of "conflict, conscience, conciliation," and how media affects this. He uses examples of elections from Teddy Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter. Presidential campaign songs are played throughout the interview. A record is played to hear the voices of Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt.