June 2005
Shows
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WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 1ST
THURSDAY, JUNE 2ND
FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD
Extension 720 takes a seat on the bench as the Cubs play west
coast ball games starting at 9:00 p.m.
MONDAY,
JUNE 6TH
TUESDAY, JUNE 7TH
A recorded edition of Extension 720 will air after these 7:05
p.m. Cubs games with extended post-game coverage.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 8TH
SURVIVING CANCER
Someone once said that cancer is “not only a physical disease,
it is a state of mind.” Tonight, we will be exploring the
psychological effects of cancer with noted social critic DAVID
HOROWITZ. His latest book, 
The
End of Time, not only describes his fight against prostate
cancer, but also his struggle with his own mortality and the redemptive
powers of language, literature and learning.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 9TH
THE EARLY DAYS OF RADIO
“Radio is the theater of the mind; television is the theater
of the mindless,” or so quipped Steve Allen. Tonight’s
program will be dedicated to the early days of radio, from the
heydays of large stations owned by Westinghouse, General Electric,
RCA and other corporations to the small independent outlets that
popped up across the United States. One of our guests is FRED
MacDONALD, president of MacDonald and Associates and an expert
in old time radio, who will be bringing along some great sound
clips from his vast archives. He will be joined by CLIFFORD DOERKSEN,
author of the new book 
American
Babel: Rogue Radio Broadcasters of the Jazz Age.
FRIDAY,
JUNE 10TH
THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE
It has been almost thirteen years since William Jefferson Clinton
was elected the forty-second president of the United States. His
years as president were rife with both triumph and tragedy. He
holds the distinction of being the only Democratic presidential
candidate to serve two terms since FDR, but he also is only the
second president to have impeachment proceedings brought against
him. Tonight, we will be exploring all aspects of his administration—from
the economic boom to the Starr Report—with JOHN F. HARRIS,
veteran political reporter for the Washington Post and
author of the new book 
The
Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House.
MONDAY,
JUNE 13TH
TUESDAY, JUNE 14TH
A brief recorded edition of Extension 720 will air tonight after
the 7:05 p.m. Cubs game and extended post-game coverage.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 15TH
QUARTERLY BOOK REVIEW
James Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, once remarked, “The
printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest
curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is.”
Tonight, we will be assessing the quality of recently published
books with our regular panel of literary experts: ALAN GITELSON,
professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago, DAN
TUCKER, noted composer and former member of the Chicago Tribune
editorial board, and PENELOPE MESIC, critic at North Shore
magazine.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 16TH
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CARDIOLOGY
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2002 over twenty
three million Americans were diagnosed with heart disease, and
it was the leading cause of death for both men and women. Our
program tonight will feature two top cardiologists who will discuss
how to prevent and fight heart disease as well as new treatment
options and approaches. Our guests are MATTHEW SORRENTINO M.D.,
professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals,
and MICHAEL DAVIDSON M.D., professor of medicine and pharmacology
at Rush University Medical Center and Executive Medical Director
at Radiant Research Chicago.
FRIDAY,
JUNE 17TH
THE LURE OF SUICIDE TERROR
Why do people feel compelled to die for a cause? From kamikaze
pilots in World War II to the all-too-frequent occurrence of suicide
bombings in both Israel and Iraq, the lure of suicide terror is
a trend we must strive to comprehend. Tonight, after the 6:05
p.m. Cubs game, we will explore the psychology and methodology
of suicide bombers with MIA BLOOM, professor of political science
at the University of Cincinnati and author of 
Dying
to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror.
MONDAY,
JUNE 20TH
A short recorded edition of Extension 720 aired tonight
after the 7:05 p.m. Cubs game.
TUESDAY,
JUNE 21ST
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS?
Milt's interview with THOMAS FRANK, author of 
What's
the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America,
aired after tonight's 7:05 p.m. Cubs game.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 22ND
WE IRISH AND AMERICANS
Tonight, after the 7:05 p.m. Cubs game, we are pleased
to welcome National Book Award finalist THOMAS LYNCH, who has
detailed his search for his Irish heritage in his new book 
Booking
Passage: We Irish and Americans.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 23RD
VLADIMIR PUTIN’S RUSSIA
In 1999, Vladimir Putin was elected president of Russia, succeeding
the famous anti-Communist Boris Yeltsin. During these last six
years, this former KGB agent has restored the primacy of the Kremlin
in Russian politics and overseen what many deem a disturbing trend
towards re-embracing some elements of Communist ideology and programs.
Tonight, we will discuss Putin’s Russia with PETER BAKER
and SUSAN GLASSER, the Washington Post’s co-bureau
chiefs in Moscow and authors of the new book 
Kremlin
Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution.
FRIDAY,
JUNE 24TH
RESTAURATEURS
It was once said that "a restaurant is a fantasy--a
kind of living fantasy in which diners are the most important
members of the cast." But it takes a lot of hard work, talent
and dedication to make the fantasy of fine dining a reality. Tonight,
we are joined by three of Chicago's top restaurateurs who will
discuss life behind the scenes of Chicago's top eateries. Our
guests are MARY BETH LICCIONI of Les Nomades, HENRY ADANIYA of
Trio Atelier, and HUGO RALLI of Gibson's Steakhouse and Hugo's
Frog Bar.
MONDAY,
JUNE 27TH
THE EVOLUTION OF RELIGION IN AMERICA
Tonight's show
is dedicated to the myriad evolutions in American religion that
have occurred since 1945. From the rise of the evangelical Christian
movement to the growing influence of Islam, our panel will discuss
how religious practice has changed since the end of World War
II. Our guests include MARK NOLL, professor of history at Wheaton
College, SCOTT APPLEBY, professor of history and director of the
Kroc Center for International Peace Studies at the University
of Notre Dame, and PHILIP GOFF, professor of religious studies
at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and co-editor
of 
The
Columbia Documentary History of Religion in America Since 1945.
TUESDAY,
JUNE 28TH
THE AMERICAN REVELATION
After the 7:05 Cubs game and President Bush's speech
on Iraq, Milt's recently recorded interview with NEIL BALDWIN
aired. Baldwin's latest book is 
The
American Revelation: Ten Ideals That Shaped Our Country from the
Puritans to the Cold War.
WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 29TH
AMERICAN COUNTERTERRORISM: A HISTORY
British scholar Paul Wilkinson once said: “Fighting terrorism
is like being a goalkeeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves
but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past
you.” Without question, United States’ failure to
prevent the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have placed a
new—and important—emphasis on improving our counterterrorism
efforts. But despite that recent catastrophe, America has a long
history of predicting and preventing such attacks on our soil.
Tonight, we examine that history with TIM NAFTALI, professor at
the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs
and author of the new book 
Blind
Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism.
THURSDAY,
JUNE 30TH
A NEW SPECIES OF HUMAN?
In 2003, a supposed new species of human was discovered on the
remote Indonesian island of Flores. Homo Floresiensis
is a dwarfed version of homo erectus, said to have been
created by the process of island dwarfing on Flores, which had
created several other dwarfed species. Tonight we will discuss
these developments, along with the latest research on the origins
and descent of the human species with BOB MARTIN, primatologist
and provost at the Field Museum, and JIM PHILLIPS, professor of
anthropology at the University of Illinois Chicago and an adjunct
curator at the Field.
Archive
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2005
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