Tagged: books

Coming up on Speakers Forum, May 23 at 8:00 p.m.

Pepto-Bismol pink is a color sometimes used in prisons to calm inmates. People with names that start with K are more likely to donate to victims of Hurricane Katrina than Hurricane Rita. Professional cyclists pedal faster when people are watching.

A variety of external factors influence our thoughts, feelings, and decisions, says Adam Alter, a professor of psychology at NYU and the author of “Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave.”

He spoke about the degree to which our environment shapes who we are at Seattle’s Town Hall on April 2, 2013.

Coming up on Weekday, May 21 at 9:00 a.m.

Comic Actress Kate Hess Parodies Masterpiece Theater  
Everyone loves Downton Abbey these days and Hollywood is paying attention by hiring British actors for American roles. Is the favor being returned in Great Britain? Not really. Writer and actress Kate Hess reflects on the British invasion in her costume drama parody “Murder Abbey.”

Author Nathaniel Philbrick On "Bunker Hill"
Nathaniel Philbrick’s award-winning books reveal forgotten moments and characters in American history.  His latest effort “Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution”  looks at the tension-filled city of Boston in the months leading up to the American Revolution. Philbrick’s portrait of the city reveals deep divisions over the issue of independence from Britain. And he recounts the little-known story of Dr. Joseph Warren, a young physician whose passion for independence fueled the Patriot cause and led to Warren’s much-lamented death in the Battle of Bunker Hill. KUOW’s Dave Beck speaks with Nathaniel Philbrick.

City Considers More Permanent Home for Nickelsville
For two years, the temporary homeless camp that goes by Nickelsville has been parked in a vacant Southwest Seattle lot among the warehouses and shipping yards off West Marginal Way. This week city officials are taking up legislation that would allow Nickelsville to have a more permanent home. We talk with City Councilmember Nick Licata.

Worth Listening To: A Music Recommendation
Are you stuck in a music listening rut?  We are surrounded by new music and innovative artists.  Branch out!  New music recommendations every Tuesday at 9:20 a.m.  This time Seattle Weekly classical music writer Gavin Borchert recommends pianist Simone Dinnerstein and roots vocalist Tift Merritt.

Walter Mosley's "Little Green"
It’s been more than 20 years since Walter Mosley introduced readers to L.A. detective Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins in his 1990 mystery “Devil in a Blue Dress.” In "Little Green" the iconic private eye Easy Rawlins returns to investigate L.A.'s Sunset Strip circa 1960. A writer of stories of redemption, Mosley describes this latest work as his "one and only novel of resurrection."

The Weather and Hike of the Week
What happened to our sunshine? Michael Fagin will give us a forecast and a hike to match it.

She wanted their daughter to get a nice Catholic education. He wanted to send her to learn about Scientology on a cruise ship. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are a very public example of interfaith marriage, but they represent some trends Naomi Schaefer Riley discusses in her new book, “’Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America.”

Most notably, 45 percent of marriages in the United States are between people of different religions — and these unions can often lead to unhappiness. By conducting interviews with married (and divorced) couples, Riley explores why interfaith couples tend to be less happy than others and why certain combinations are more likely to lead to failed marriages. She spoke at Seattle’s Town Hall on April 10, 2013.