What started out as a 5-piece article on health care became Laurie Abraham's book, "Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America". Through her stories, Abraham points out the many hardships and catch-22 scenarios of some poor families. One woman, after caring for her mother all day, Julie, wanted to work part time in the evenings. However, she soon learned that she'd be making too much money and she'd no longer be eligible for Medicaid for herself and her children.

Interviewing Barbara Cartland at her castle and a Welsh physician in Tavistock Square while Studs was in England.

Program includes an excerpt of a discussion with Shilts about his book "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic."

Discussing the book "The Broken Cord" (published by Harper & Row) with the author Michael Dorris.

Lynn Caine discusses her book "Widow" and talks about the death of her husband caused by cancer. She talks about the adjustment to losing your best friend, lover and partner. She describes how grief is buried socially and ignored, and how hard it is to raise children after the death of a spouse.