TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE
from Wisconsin Public Radio
November 17, 1996 Programs
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1100 - 1159 Hour #1 Downsizing
1200 - 1259 Hour #2 Invention
1300 - 1359 Hour #3 Golden Years
PROGRAM RUNDOWN Hour 1:Downsizing
SEGMENT 1:
Is downsizing the quickest way to regain your company's
competitive edge? Not according to Alan Downs. The
management consultant who used to orchestrate layoffs
tells Jim Fleming that downsizing doesn't make companies
more productive, or even leaner. Downs is the author of
"Corporate Executions." Also, film-maker ("Roger and
Me") and writer ("Downsize This!") Michael Moore tells
Steve Paulson what he's gleaned about the etiquette of
downsizing from various corporate documents.
SEGMENT 2:
Theologian Michael Novak believes business is a noble
profession. He tells Judith Strasser that most business
leaders want to act ethically and that under certain
circumstances downsizing may be a moral imperative.
Novak's book is "Business As a Calling: Work and the
Examined Life."
SEGMENT 3:
David Sedaris is a playwright, NPR commentator and the
author of "Barrel Fever," a collection of essays and
stories. He also cleans houses. As he tells Steve
Paulson, his employment history includes stints as an elf
and a cable layer. Sedaris talks about the world of work
and reads an excerpt from his book.
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
11-17-A.
PROGRAM RUNDOWN Hour 2:Invention
SEGMENT 1:
Paul McCready, inventor of the pedal-powered airplane,
the Gossamer Condor, tells Steve Paulson about his new
gizmo: the Pathfinder is an unmanned airplane that
cruises at 60,000 feet for months at a time powered by
the sun. McCready is the chairman of AeroVironment in
Monrovia, CA.
SEGMENT 2:
Dava Sobel explains to Jim Fleming how an eighteenth
century woodworker built a clock that kept ships from
getting lost at sea. Her book is "Longitude: The True
Story of the Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest
Scientific Problem of His Time." Also, longitude is at
the heart of Umberto Eco's novel, "The Island of the Day
Before." Eco tells Steve Paulson why he is fascinated by
the period when the world of alchemy and religion was
being challenged by the new thinking of Galileo and
Descartes.
SEGMENT 3:
Chindogu is the Japanese art of almost useless inventions
-- things like the Hay Fever Hat which dispenses a roll
of toilet paper conveniently close to your runny nose.
Or Duster Slippers -- tiny mops you attach to your cats'
feet so they can dust under the bed for you; or training
wheels for high heel shoes. Dan Papia, president of the
Chindogu America, tells Judith Strasser that not just any
screwball idea can make the grade. Papia is the co-
author (with Kenji Kawakami) of "101 Unuseless Japanese
Inventions."
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
02-18-B.
PROGRAM RUNDOWN: HOUR 3: Golden Years
SEGMENT 1
Surgeon (and author of "How We Die") Sherwin Nuland tells
Jim Fleming that death is a process that we should begin
preparing ourselves and our families for while we're
still healthy and clear-headed. Also, British poet Susan
Wicks tells Judith Strasser about caring for her aged
father, especially after her mother's death. Wicks'
memoir is "Driving My Father."
SEGMENT 2:
Brendan Gill has been on the staff of the New Yorker
magazine for sixty years. In his book "Late Bloomers" he
tells the stories of several high achievers who didn't
come into their own until late in life. Gill tells
Judith Strasser about some of them.
SEGMENT 3:
British novelist Graham Swift won this year's Booker
Prize for his book "Last Orders." It's the story of four
men who set out to scatter their late friend's ashes in
the sea and get embroiled in all sorts of misadventures
along the way. Swift sketches the story and characters
in this conversation with Steve Paulson and explains why
he enjoyed writing from the point of view of someone much
older than himself.
For cassette copies of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
11-17-C.
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Last modified: Friday November 15, 1996