January 2004
Shows
Click on
linked books to explore buying them from the wgnradio.com/store
THURSDAY,
JANUARY 1ST
Tonight on Extension 720, Milt is in the studio to play some fascinating
recently recorded interviews and to discuss them with our listeners.
In the first hour, noted art critic and editor of the New
Criterion ROGER KIMBALL discusses his new book 
Art's
Prospect. During the second hour, we will air another
conversation with ROBERT BORK, focusing on his book 
Slouching
Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline.
FRIDAY,
JANUARY 2ND
THE USE AND ABUSE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Once again, Extension 720 gathers its panel of language experts
to dissect the latest innovations—both good and bad—in
the English language. Joining us will be our traditional panel
of language mavens: ELLEN HUNT, CRAIG SIRLES and SUSAN HARRIS.
MONDAY,
JANUARY 5TH
PRODUCT DESIGN
Tonight on Extension 720 we examine the world of designed objects
with three guests who are all experts on the things that we use
every day and how they are made. Joining us will be DON NORMAN,
CRAIG SAMPSON and PATRICK WHITNEY. Norman is professor of computer
science and psychology at Northwestern University and co-founder
of the Nielsen Norman Group. His latest book is 
Emotional
Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. Craig
Sampson is the founder and head of IDEO's Evanston office. Patrick
Whitney is the director of the Insitute of Design at the Illinois
Institute of Technology.
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 6TH
COSMOLOGY
Extension 720 starts the year off with a bang, the Big Bang that
is, as we once again welcome experts in the field of cosmology
and astrophysics to the program. Tonight our guests will be DON
COOKE, vice president for institutional advancement at the Field
Museum and author of 
Life
and Death of Stars, along with our old friend ROCKY KOLB,
professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 7TH
THE FAMILY IN AMERICA
What is a family and how is it defined in America today? Is the
American family in decline? To answer these questions and to discuss
the future of the American family, we welcome DR. ALLAN CARLSON,
president of the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society
in Rockford, Illinois. Dr. Carlson is the author of the new book
American
Way: Family and Community in the Shaping of the American Identity.
Joining him will be CHRISTOPHER SHANNON, a visiting scholar at
Notre Dame University's Maritain Center.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8TH
CHICAGO’S ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper and for many years
was the world capitol of architectural design. Tonight Extension
720 pays tribute to that legacy with two experts: FRANZE SCHULZE
and KEVIN HARRINGTON, co-authors of the book 
Chicago's
Famous Buildings, which has just been published in its
5th edition. Schulze is Hollender Professor of Art Emeritus at
Lake Forest College. Harrington is professor of humanities and
architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH
EVALUATING THE “BUSH DYNASTY”
George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush have the distinction of being
only the second father and son duo to serve as president. The
legacy of the Bushes and whether the Bush family has become an
American dynasty like the Kennedys is under debate. Tonight we
will discuss the Bush family and how it has affected American
politics. Our guests—from both sides of the political spectrum—are
KEVIN PHILLIPS, author of the new book 
American
Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the
House of Bush, and JOE MORRIS, prominent Chicago lawyer,
founder of the Chicago Conservative Conference and former head
of the United Republican Fund of Illinois
MONDAY,
JANUARY 12TH
RESTAURANT REVIEW
It’s a gastronomical feast tonight on Extension 720 as we
take a look at the newest restaurants to open up in Chicago and
the surrounding area in the past year, as well as revisit some
old favorites. Our guides on this journey of taste will be our
old friend and food expert DON ROSE and PENNY POLLACK, dining
editor at Chicago Magazine.
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 13TH
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AFTER IRAQ
Since the capture of Saddam Hussein in early December, the road
to democracy in Iraq seems much smoother. But what should America
do next? RICHARD PERLE, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
and former assistant secretary of defense, advises that America
should take an aggressive approach towards terrorism and seek
to root out other dangers to this country, especially North Korea
and Iran. His argument is laid out in his new book 
An
End to Evil: What's Next in the War on Terrorism, which
he co-authored with David Frum, and he will be on hand tonight
to discuss the future of American foreign policy.
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 14TH
EDUCATION AND CAPITALISM
Are the public schools in decline? And could they be
saved if they took some lessons from the capitalist economy? HERBERT
WALBERG, research professor of psychology and education at the
University of Illinois at Chicago, and JOSEPH L. BAST, president
of the Heartland Institute, join Extension 720 tonight to answer
those questions and to discuss their new book 
Education
and Capitalism: How Overcoming Our Fear of Markets and Economics
Can Improve America's Schools.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15TH
AN EVENING WITH THE PRESIDENTS…AND MORE
Extension 720 tonight welcomes President Bush, Bill Clinton, Arnold
Schwarzenegger and countless other guests as expert mimic BILL
MELLBERG, accompanied by pianist KENT WEHMAN, drop in for another
hilarious visit.
FRIDAY,
JANUARY 16TH
THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM
Tonight on Extension 720, we take a close look at Islam as a religion
in crisis. IRSHAD MANJI, a Canadian Muslim writer and journalist,
has a new book entitled 
The
Trouble with Islam: Why I Quarrel with my Faith that
accuses Muslims of standing silent in the face of terrorism, anti-Semitism,
misogyny and slavery. She attacks the literal interpretations
of the Koran so prevalent in certain Arab countries today and
calls for a return to the openness and tolerance that categorized
the golden age of Islam. She joins us tonight to discuss the problems
that face Muslims today and how they can be addressed, along with
AHMAD SADRI, professor of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest
College.
MONDAY,
JANUARY 19TH
THE P.R. GAME
We are most aware of public relations operators when celebrities
such as Michael Jackson or Kobe Bryant find themselves on the
wrong side of the law and hire “spin doctors” to improve
their image. However, the spectre of public relations haunts almost
every industry, from publishing to politics, and tonight we discuss
the behind-the-scenes stories of the public relations game. Joining
us will be JERRY MURRAY, president of Murray Communications Group,
JONATHAN LEHRER, president of the Publicity Club of Chicago and
head of Jonathan Lehrer Communications, and SUSAN REILLY, head
of Reilly Communications Group.
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 20TH
THE STATE OF THE UNION
After President Bush's speech, tune into Extension 720
for live and immediate analysis of the state of the union with
a panel of political experts, including CHARLES LIPSON, professor
of political science at the University of Chicago, TOM BEVAN of
RealClearPolitics.com, and VICKIE WALTON-JAMES, associate managing
editor of Washington news for the Chicago Tribune.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21ST
NUTRITION TODAY
It's the beginning of 2004 and along with a new year
come new year's resolutions, including the inevitable goals of
eating right and exercising more. Tonight on Extension 720 we
will do our best to help listeners lose weight and stay healthy
with three nutrition experts, including TRACEY CARLYLE, Director
of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at Loyola University Chicago,
DR. ROBERT KUSHNER of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and author
of 
Dr.
Kushner's Personality Type Diet, and PHYLLIS BOWEN, professor
in the human nutrition department at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22ND
OPEN LINE
From the State of the Union to the Iowa caucuses, there
is much to discuss and tonight Milt will open the phones to hear
the opinions of our listeners. Call early and call often!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23RD
COMEDY TROUPES
Tonight on Extension 720, we will examine the best of
ensemble comedy with a panel of comedic experts. From the rotating
casts of Saturday Night Live and Second City to Monty Python and
Beyond the Fringe, we will examine the history and dynamics of
what makes ensemble comedy great. Joining us will be ABE PECK,
chair of the magazine department at Northwestern University's
Medill School of Journalism, and MICHAEL GELLMAN, senior faculty
member at Chicago's Second City Training Facility.
MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH
CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA
Tonight Extension 720 asks: Whatever happened to Russia?
This evening's show will be an exploration of the current political,
social and cultural status of the largest state of the former
Soviet Union. Our guests will be JOHN BUSHNELL, professor of history
at Northwestern University, IRWIN WEIL, professor emeritus of
Slavic languages and literatures at Northwestern University, and
RONALD SUNY, professor of political science at the University
of Chicago.
TUESDAY,
JANUARY 27TH
MAKING THE HUMAN MIND
How is the mind formed? Locke believed that it was a tabula rasa
to be filled with our experiences and organized by reason. David
Hume believed that the mind was nothing but a hodgepodge of sensory
experiences and that reality and rationality were illusions that
help us function in the world. But neither of these philosophers
understood how the mind was physically formed. Tonight we take
on that very topic with GARY MARCUS, professor of psychology at
New York University and author of the new book 
The
Birth of the Mind: How a Tiny Number of Genes Creates the Complexities
of Human Thought. He and ARYEH ROUTTENBERG, professor
of psychology at Northwestern University, guide us down the path
from chromosome to the thinking, speaking and sometimes rational
human being.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH
THE FUTURE OF GLOBALIZATION
Extension 720 tonight discusses the future of the global economy
with PHILIPPE LEGRAIN, former trade and economics correspondent
for the Economist and author of the new book 
Open
World: The Truth about Globalization. Legrain will be
joined by DANIEL SPULBERG, professor at Northwestern University's
Kellogg School of Management, to discuss both the costs and benefits
of globalization and how to best proceed in creating open markets
in a world that has been rocked by terrorism.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29TH
LIFE ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY
Extension 720 welcomes ELLIS BOOKER, editor of Crain's
B2B magazine, to the program to discuss all things virtual. From
spam to online marketing, Booker is on hand to explain the latest
developments in technology.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30TH
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PREVIEW
Just after the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary,
Extension 720 gathers three experts in American politics to discuss
how the presidential race is shaping up. Joining us will be PERI
ARNOLD, professor of political science at the University of Notre
Dame, WAYNE STEGER, associate professor of political science at
De Paul University, and JOHN McINTYRE of RealClearPolitics.com.
Archive
of previous show topics:
