Added 6.12.18. Foreshadowing much of the current conversation about the Middle East, Milt plus guests Charles Lipson and Laith Saud explore pressing questions such as, do Israel and Iran actually have any real intention of working out their differences, or is all the rhetorical jousting really just for political affect? How should Israel think about compromise with Palestine while still preserving the Israeli state? Is Israel less a “Jewish” state than a modern, vibrant and pluralistic democracy? Is the dichotomy between Sunni and Shia Arabs greatly overplayed? What role does Islamic fundamentalism continue to play in the Middle East? Does not the U.S. allow for easier assimilation by Arab immigrants than, say, France, because its jobs and housing markets are markedly more open? This and much more is on the table. Lipson is a distinguished expert on foreign affairs, prolific writer, and former chair of the political science department at the University of Chicago. Saud brings a unique perspective to the conversation, having been born in Iraq and migrated with his parents to the U.S. at an early age. He is an assistant professor of religious studies at DePaul University, and founder of a company which provides counsel to media and NGOs focused on the Middle East.

Added 6.5.18. The practice of psychiatry in recent decades has grown in sophistication and diagnostic capabilities. Milt in this 2010 probe discusses the state of modern psychiatry with three prominent researcher-practitioners. They are: Mani Pavuluri, Founding Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorders Program, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine; Will Cronenwett, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavorial Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; and Murali Rao, Department Chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Loyola University Medicial Center. They delve into a range of topics, including: the hard-wiring of the human brain; how advances in biomedical technology and analysis have fostered earlier detection and treatment of psychiatric pathologies; and the ongoing tension between  the need for involuntary treatment and the individual’s right to autonomy. Discussants also briefly wrestle with whether, in fact, the world’s vast proportion of psychiatrists are based in the United States, and what that might mean.

Added 6.5.18. Some of the major charismatic preachers who made a difference in religious life, have also changed the course of history.  For starters, think Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohammed, and Rabbi Hillel. How exactly does this happen, and why? Milt explores the anatomy of religious leaders’ influence on society. He is joined by Chicago Tribune religion reporter Manya Brachear Pashman, and Dartmouth religion professor and author Randall Balmer.  He is the author of numerous books, including, “The Making Of Evangelism,” and “God In The White House: How Faith Shaped The Presidency From John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush.”

Added 5.29.18. Milt talks in 2010 with noted scholar Richard Rhodes, who had just authored his fourth major book on nuclear weapons. It was titled, “The Twilight Of The Bombs: Recent Challenges, New Dangers, And The Prospects For A World Without Nuclear Weapons.” Rhodes won the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction for his 1986 book, “The Making of the Bomb.” It covered the discovery of nuclear fission in the 1930s, the Manhattan Project, and the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Added 5.29.18. Milt sits down with three Chicago restaurant industry denizens to discuss the ins and outs of the business. They are GianCarlo Nardini, co-owner of Club Lago; Michael Taus, then chef-owner of Zealous; and Liz Van Leeuwen, then front of the house manager at Avec, a Mediterranean dining establishment. They dine out on a broad menu of topics including how to read – and sometimes – console your customers; handling difficult diners; the glories of communal seating, octopus and eel; and where to get the best steak dinner in Chicago.