Friday, December 30
For our last program of 2005, Westwood One Entertainment Critic Chuck Rich joined us for his annual look at the best and worst in movies and DVDs of the year. (You can hear Jim and Chuck discuss movies, DVDs, and specialty music releases every weekend on the program America This Week...but you knew that already, didn't you! [And if you didn't, you can also hear that conversation in a podcast posted right here on this website, usually no later than Tuesday of each week!])

Thursday, December 29
We had Osama bin Laden cornered but the government failed to take the necessary action to seal the deal and either capture or kill him. We got the full story from Gary Berntsen, who until recently was one of the C-I-A’s most decorated officers. He tells the story of how the big one got away in his book “Jawbreaker: The Attack on bin Laden and al-Qaeda” (published by Crown).

Wednesday, December 28
Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi has always been a straight talker. He told us some of the stories of his life and career, which he has collected into his memoir “Herding Cats: A Life in Politics” (published by Regan Books).

It’s been just over a year since one of the worst natural disasters the world has seen in decades: the South Asia tsunami that left tens of thousands dead. The nations of the world and private relief groups all rushed to help and made a significant impact in the days and weeks following the disaster. But as the months passed, and other disasters--such as Hurricane Katrina--claimed our attention, how has the recovery been going in places like Sri Lanka and Thailand? We spoke with Steve Matthews, the Communications Manager for the Global Rapid Response Team of the relief group World Vision, live from Sri Lanka, where he recently returned to assess how the continuing recovery effort is going.

Tuesday, December 27
We got a female soldier’s view of the Iraq war from Sergeant Kayla Williams, who has written the fascinating memoir “Love My Rifle More Than You” (published by W.W. Norton).

A true homeland security expert, retired Air Force Colonel Randy Larsen, is speaking out in his book “Our Own Worst Enemy: Why Our Misguided Reactions to 9-11 Might Be America’s Greatest Threat” (available from www.nlcpi.org).

The world’s oil producing nations are strangling the world economy and helping to fund terrorism. So says Raymond Learsy, author of "Over a Barrel: Breaking the Middle East Oil Cartel" (published by Nelson Current).

Monday, December 26
With family all around you for the holidays, it may have been the best time to plan for the future. As our guest, financial consultant Terry Savage reminded us, don’t expect to retire happily unless you’re willing to plan for it now. She discusses it in her book “The Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Need to Retire?” (published by Wiley). She had expert advice for us, including on how to make the financial markets work for you.

Friday, December 23
Remember the C-B craze of the Seventies? Remember the song “Convoy”? We kicked off Christmas Weekend with a replay one of our most remarkable shows of 2004: three hours with the inimitable C.W. McCall. We talked about his life and career, including his “American Spirit” project, the inspiring and patriotic collection of songs he performed with Chip Davis’ Mannheim Steamroller.

Thursday, December 22
Integration is the law of the land, yet segregation still exists. We discussed that with Georgetown Law professor Sheryll Cashin, author of “The Failures of Integration” (published by PublicAffairs).

Your home is being invaded every day by “cultural terrorists.” We found out about it from Rebecca Hagelin, author of “Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad” (published by Nelson Current).

Plus, we visited with a man who co-created some of the most memorable television for children ever developed: Sid Krofft, whose shows H.R. Pufnstuf and Lidsville are now out on DVD.

Wednesday, December 21
With Steven Spielberg's movie "Munich" recalling the 1972 'Olympic Massacre,' we talked about that terror incident with author Aaron Klein, who's written the book "Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response" (published by Random House).

Did it seem to you that 2005 wasn't a very good year for the movie industry? We got a perspective on why the B.O. reeked of b.o. from a return guest, Hollywood insider Stephen Schochet.

Tuesday, December 20
A major court decision has been handed down in Pennsylvania regarding the teaching of 'intelligent design.' We talked about it with Stephen Meyer, Director of the Center for Science & Culture at The Discovery Institute (who thinks the judge's ruling was misguided), and Baptist minister J. Brent Walker, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (who believes the judge’s ruling was correct and consistent with the U.S.Constitution).

Christmas means toys, so if you were stumped on what to get for kids--and especially teens--who are heard to shop for, we had some help for you. We talked to one of the country's leading toy experts: Marianne Szymanski, of Toy Tips, Inc. and the website ToyTips.com.

Monday, December 19
It was a double dose of bad news for the Bush admininstration recently: revelations of increased spying on Americans by the National Security Agency, approved by Presidential Order; and the Senate's rejection of the renewal of the Patriot Act. We delved into both topics with Jeff Stein, National Security Editor for Congressional Quarterly.

Friday, December 16
It's one of our very favorite programs, but it can only happen once every 365 days or so: our Year in Review show, where Jim kicks around the top stories of the year coming to an end with a panel of distinguished journalists. This year we had with us Karen Feld, a freelance journalist whose work can be seen in the Washington Examiner; Paul Rodriguez, the former Managing Editor of Insight magazine; and Tony Blankley, Editorial Page Editor of the Washington Times and author of the book “The West’s Last Chance” (published by Regnery).

Thursday, December 15
We discussed the Iraqi parliamentary elections with three guests: Jon Soltz of the group Operation Truth, a nonprofit, non-partisan advocacy organization for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; Republican Congressman Mike Conaway of Texas' 11th District, a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, and, live from Jordan, journalist David Enders of MotherJones.com, who has been interviewing expatriot Iraqis who voted in the election.

We also had another quick chat with John Rennie of Scientific American, to find out why one of the "Scientific American 50" got stripped of his award!

Wednesday, December 14
We talked trade policy and globalization with Alan Tonelson, author of "The Race to the Bottom: Why a Worldwide Worker Surplus and Uncontrolled Free Trade are Sinking American Living Standards" (in paperback from Westview Press). Could current U.S. trade policy really just be a form of foreign aid at the expense of American workers?

Hey, you desperate housewives--what have you got to complain about? You've been called out--by Darla Shine, author of the book "Happy Housewives" (published by Regan Books). She chucked her high-powered media career to become a stay-at-home mom, giving up what she calls the unreasonable expectation of 'having it all.'

Tuesday, December 13
It’s been a very big year in the fields of science and technology, and the folks at Scientific American magazine think so too. Their December issue spotlighted 50 people who have made wide-ranging contributions to those fields in 2005. We talked about the “Scientific American 50” and what they’ve done this year with the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief John Rennie.

Monday, December 12
The face of America is changing, and some say not for the better. We talked with Juan Enriquez, author of "The Untied States of America" (published by Crown, and yes--that's spelled correctly!). He says our country will look vastly different in under two generations.

Friday, December 9
Where do Islamic terrorists get the money to operate, and what can be done to turn off the spigot? We discussed that with Dr. Rachael Ehrenfeld, author of the book “Funding Evil” (in paperback from Bonus Books).

People like Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil say they want to help you. Author Steve Salerno called it all a bunch of hooey, and explained it for us, as demonstrated in his book “SHAM” (published by Crown).

Michael Flatley, the 'Lord of the Dance,' joined us to talk about his life and career, from “Riverdance” all the way to today’s “Celtic Tiger,” his latest show wowing audiences around the globe.

Thursday, December 8
The Federal Nine-Eleven Commission is officially disbanded, but the Commission certainly didn’t go away quietly. They issued a report card on how they feel the government has followed through on the recommendations the Commission made to make our nation safer, and on the whole the grades were abysmal. We discussed the Commission’s parting shot with terrorism expert and security consultant Dr. Harvey Kushner, author of the book “Holy War on the Home Front: The Secret Islamic Terror Network in the U.S.” (written with Bart Davis and published by Sentinel Books, with a paperback edition coming in February, 2006).

With holiday gift buying now well underway, how serious is the threat that someone might steal your identity from credit card slips, debit transactions, or online purchases? We discussed that with Steve Weisman, author of "50 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit: Everything You Need to Know About Identity Theft, Credit Cards, Credit Repair, and Credit Reports" (in paperback from Prentice Hall).

Wednesday, December 7
Officials say it wasn’t terrorism, but it sure could have been. An American Airlines flight out of Medellin, Colombia, made a stop at Miami International Airport on its way to Orlando. A passenger—a U.S. citizen--who claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag was shot and killed by a Federal air marshal on a jetway. Is this a security success story, or something different? We talked with David Forbes, President and Chief Operating Officer of aviation security firm BoydForbes, Inc., about the true state of airline security in this country.

Automobiles were also on the agenda as Jim chatted with Gerry Durnell, editor and publisher of Automobile Quarterly magazine, about America's continuing love affair with the automobile. Mr. Durnell and the AQ staff are also responsible for the book "A Celebration of Automotive Art" (from Automobile Quarterly Publications).

Tuesday, December 6
What do the terrorists have planned for the U.S., and how soon might they be able to act? We discussed that with terrorism analyst Dr. Walid Phares, senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who has written the book ”Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America” (published by Palgrave Macmillan).

With the great Johnny Cash being remembered through the new film “Walk the Line,” we talked to a gentleman who was very close to the Man in Black, his former publicist and personal aide Hugh Waddell, author of the book “I Still Miss Someone” (published by Cumberland House).

Monday, December 5
We’re not looking to alarm anyone, but you do realize your Federal income taxes are due in under four months! As those dreaded forms start showing up in your mailbox, the time to start tax planning is now. We talked about that with return guest Dick Jones of Wood-Jones and Associates of Rolla, MO, and www.WoodJones.com.

Barri L. Bumgarner, last on with us to talk about her hit novel “8 Days,” is back with another taught thriller that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can read them: “Slipping” (now in paperback from Tigress Press).

It’s holiday season again, which means more unusual and exotic foods. But, how safe are those foods—and even regular, everyday foods—for your kids? We talked about food allergies with Marianne McGinniss of Prevention magazine.

Friday, December 2
Many—if not most—Americans have not yet come to terms with how to plan for the end of their lives. We talked about those issues with senior law specialist Steve Weisman, author of “A Guide to Elder Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Yourself Legally and Financially” (published by Prentice Hall).

They’re everywhere, and usually finding a way to annoy you—going off in the theatre, playing cheesy music, and allowing people to disrupt your dinner out with loud conversations and arguments. That’s right, we’re talking cell phones, and we let you air your pet peeves about them (and, boy, did you)!

Thursday, December 1
We relived, sort of, the 2004 election campaign and looked forward--if that's the right word--to 2008 with Mark Crispin Miller, author of "Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them)" (published by Basic Books).

We took a look at a time when the manly art of professional fisticuffs meant something in this nation with Wayne Rozen, author of "America on the Ropes: A Pictorial History of the Johnson-Jeffries Fight" (published by Casey Press).

Wednesday, November 30
In the wake of President Bush's recent speeches on Iraq, we'll talk to a man with intimate knowledge of what's really going on in that country: TIME magazine correspondent Brian Bennett, TIME's former Baghdad bureau chief.

December 1st was World AIDS Day; we discussed HIV/AIDS with representatives of two groups working to fight it: Jodie Fonseca of Save The Children, and Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.

Tuesday, November 29
Could it be that the U.S. government likes the idea of taking our country to war whenever a foreign policy ‘crisis’ arises? That’s the opinion of Norman Solomon, author of the book “War Made Easy” (published by John Wiley & Sons).

One of the Senate’s more vocal conservatives, Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum, joined us to talk about his first book “It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good” (published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute).

Have we been tricked into turning away from the values that made this country great? That’s what author Jack Cashill says in his book “Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters Have Hijacked American Culture" (published by Nelson Current).

Monday, November 28
You've seen him on TV's "M*A*S*H," "The West Wing," and "Scientific American Frontiers." He's Alan Alda, who graced our microphones to talk about his memoir, published by Random House, "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned."

President Bush has taken a bold stand on immigration policy, talking tough about illegal immigration and a need for tight U.S. borders to deter terrorist attacks, while trying to ease the concerns of those who are wary of his guest-worker plan for foreigners. We discussed it with Leslie Sanchez, president and CEO of the Impacto Group, who worked on high-profile immigration and border security legislation before the House Appropriations Committee as a legislative aide, and was Republican Staff Director of the bi-partisan Congressional Border Caucus.

Friday, November 25
Could China beat us at our own game of capitalism, just like Japan has done? Clyde Prestowitz examines that in his book “Three Billion New Capitalists” (published by Basic Books).

Are large corporations cheating taxpayers like you and me by promising to create new jobs in return for tax subsidies, and then not delivering? That’s the premise of Greg LeRoy’s book from Berrett-Koehler Publishers entitled “The Great American Jobs Scam.”

We talked about CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, with Jodi Schneider, Congressional Quarterly’s Economics and Finance Editor.

Thursday, November 24
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now a battleground says author John Bradley, who has written the first-person account “Saudi Arabia Exposed” (published by Palgrave Macmillan).

Why would anyone want to execute a suicide bombing? University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape tries to explain in his book “Dying to Win” (published by Random House).

As American soldiers continue to serve in the Muslim world, do they have the proper appreciation of faith, both their own and that of others? Stephen Mansfield answers that in his book "The Faith of the American Soldier" (published by Tarcher).

Wednesday, November 23
We talked to author Kenneth Timmerman, who says in his book “Countdown to Crisis” (published by Crown Forum) that Iran is now filling the role the Soviet Union used to play as the lead nuclear enemy to the United States.

Politics isn’t the red versus the blue, it’s a battle between the tax-payers and the tax-eaters. So said Steven Malanga, author of "The New New Left" (from Ivan R. Dee Publisher).

Despite decades’ worth of evidence, the idea of vaccination seems to be under attack. We discussed it with Dr. Robert Baratz of the National Council Against Health Fraud and microbiologist Dr. John Stone.

Tuesday, November 22
Jim was still at WORD in Greenville, SC, tackling the following:

Did Saddam Hussein have weapons of mass destruction? Our guest said there’s proof that he did, and he’s just written an article talking about it. We got the full story from Carl Limbacher, editor and writer for the website NewsMax.com.

The ‘baby boom’ generation has always had a huge impact on American society, and it’s about to do it again, as the first of that generation is about to hit retirement age. We found out what that will mean for all of us when we chatted with Bob Carlson, editor and writer of the newsletter and website Retirement Watch, and author of the book “The New Rules of Retirement” (published by John Wiley & Sons).

Monday, November 21
Jim enjoyed some Southern hospitality, originating the show from the studios of WORD in Greenville, SC! First up: It was like nothing anyone had ever experienced before: the ‘shock & awe’ attack made by American forces to begin the liberation of Iraq. We talked to a man with a vantage point few get to enjoy, when historian Richard Miller joined us to talk about his book “A Carrier At War: On Board the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in the Iraq War” (published by Potomac Books).

Then, as sports’ place in American society continues to grow, so does society’s influence on sports, as evidenced by such things as the National Basketball Association imposing a dress code on its players and Congress strong-arming Major League Baseball to enact a stronger drug policy, which finally was done last week. We talked about those topics with former Major League Baseball star Jim Bouton, whose book “Foul Ball: My Life and Hard Times Trying to Save an Old Ballpark” is now out in paperback from Lyons Press.

Friday, November 18
With the issue of the proper use of torture--if there is any--in the news, we chatted with Jennifer Harbury, author of "Truth, Torture, and the American Way" (published by Beacon Press), about the history and consequences of U.S. involvement in the practice.

Thursday, November 17
It's just barely become effective, but it's already confusing people from coast-to-coast. It's the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. We spoke to a man who says the savings aren’t going to be as large as they’ve been advertised to become: Marty Bean, co-founder of the Canadian drug website Global Rx Store.

The 25th anniversary of the death of John Lennon comes on December 8, 2005; John's death was an event that marked the end of an era for many of us. We got a return visit from a man who knew him, and the rest of the Beatles, very well: broadcast journalist Larry Kane, who’s written the book “Lennon Revealed” (from Running Press Book Publishers).

Wednesday, November 16
The U.S. economy is growing, but it can hardly be considered robust. What can be done to get it fully back on track? We found out when we talked to former Clinton administration economic adviser Gene Sperling, who's written the book "The Pro-Growth Progressive: An Economic Strategy for Shared Prosperity" (published by Simon & Schuster).

Tuesday, November 15
Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist Art Buchwald joined us to talk about his latest book—his 32nd!--“Beating Around the Bush” (published by Seven Stories Press), a collection of past columns that slings satirical darts at such targets as politicians, corporations, and the media without discrimination.

The Senate has passed a measure demanding regular reports from the White House on the course of the Iraq War and on the progress that Iraqi forces are making in securing their own country, defeating a competing amendment from the Democrats that would have defined a timetable for the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. With polls showing diminishing support for the President’s Iraq policies, is it time to start the withdrawal process in motion? We discussed that with Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy and author of the forthcoming book “War Footing: Ten Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World” (available from the U.S. Naval Institute), who says it would be huge mistake to set up a timetable for withdrawal; and Lawrence Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration and current Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, who believes we need to start pulling troops out of Iraq now, as detailed in a new study he co-authored entitled “Strategic Redeployment.”

Monday, November 14
Before the recent suicide bombings in Amman, most Americans hadn’t given much thought to the country of Jordan, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East. We discussed our relationship with that country, its importance in the War on Terror, and its young King Abdullah, with Bryan Daves, professor of Middle East Studies at Yeshiva University in New York.

Friday, November 11
New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd made a return visit to talk about her new book, which has a title sure to turn some heads: "Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide" (published by Putnam), a look at where the battle between the genders stands early in the 21st Century.

Plus, on this Veterans Day, we got a return visit from Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He was the man who came up with the idea of building a memorial dedicated to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Vietnam.

Thursday, November 10
Loretta Napoleoni, author of the book "Insurgent Iraq: Al-Zarqawi and the New Generation" (published by Seven Stories Press) says any link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's Iraq is a complete fabrication. She explained how men like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi gained influence after the fall of Saddam.

On this day before Veterans Day, we talked to Tom Wiener, author of “Forever A Soldier” (published by National Geographic) about some of the inspiring and unforgettable stories he’s collected of wartime service to this country.

Wednesday, November 9
When the story broke about the abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, the question many had was how far up the chain of command would responsibility for the abuse go. The buck stopped with the prison's commanding officer, Brigadier General Janice Karpinski. We talked to now-U.S. Army Reserve Colonel Karpinski about what really went on at Abu Ghraib and what role higher officers might have played in the scandal. She's written the book "One Woman's Army" (published by Miramax Books).

Executives from the five major multi-national oil companies—Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, ChevronTexaco, and ConocoPhillips—were called in front of a rare joint hearing by the Senate Energy and Commerce Committees to justify the windfall profits made by those companies during this year’s rapid run-up of oil and gas prices. We got a perspective on oil and profits—excessive and otherwise—from Dr. Jerome Corsi, co-author of “Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil” (co-written by Craig R. Smith and published by WND Books).

Tuesday, November 8
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has had a remarkable life and career, straddling two cultures: his Mexican heritage and his American upbringing. He shared some stories with us out of his newly-published memoir “Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life” (published by Putnam).

Plus, we got Election Night updates from Westwood One/Metro News reporters Don Andrews in Sacramento, CA--tracking the ballot propositions Governor Arnold Schwarenegger pinned his political hopes to--and Deirdre Blake in Richmond, VA, where President Bush tried, and failed, to boost the prospects for Republicans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Monday, November 7
It’s your family’s largest investment, and for some time now it’s been one of the best: your own home. As home values skyrocketed and interest rates fell, that investment became even better, creating what the experts call the housing bubble. But is that bubble about to burst? We talked to June Fletcher, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the book "House Poor: Pumped Up Prices, Rising Rates, and Mortgages on Steroids: How to Survive the Coming Housing Crisis” (published by Collins).

Friday, November 4
Hillary Clinton may be the most polarizing figure in politics. Edward Kline took a look at the woman who could be our next Chief Executive in his book “The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President" (published by Sentinel).

There have been disagreements about the separation of church and state ever since our nation was founded. We discussed it with Marci Hamilton, author of the Cambridge University Press book "God versus The Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law."

Have Republicans turned into tax ‘n’ spenders? The budget numbers say yes. We examined it with the Cato Institute’s Director of Budget Studies, Stephen Slivinski.

Thursday, November 3
Both the Left and the Right are feeding misinformation to the American people with the cooperation of the media. That's the premise of the book "Disinformation: 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War of Terror," written by guest Richard Miniter (published by Regnery).

The U.S. Government is running a massive deficit, we have a war on terror to pay for, and the cost of rebuilding the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina is going to run in the billions. Why then are we spending money on a bridge that may—may—be used by as many as 50 people in Alaska? The answer is pork. Parade magazine examined the excesses of pork spending and what can be done about it. We talked with Parade contributing editor David Wallechinsky, the writer of the cover story entitled ‘Are Your Tax Dollars Being Wasted?’

Wednesday. November 2
Liberals talk a good game, but when it comes to following their own precepts, well.... Author Peter Schweizer explained, based on his book "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy" (published by Doubleday).

Tuesday, November 1
The battle lines have been drawn over President Bush’s new nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Samuel Alito. What kind of a political battle is ahead for this nomination, and will the words ‘filibuster’ and ‘nuclear option’ again figure prominently in the discussion? We found out when we spoke to gentlemen on both sides of the debate--on the left: Elliot Mincberg, Senior Vice-President, General Counsel, and Legal Director of the People For the American Way Foundation, and on the right: New York attorney, author, and conservative commentator Joseph Kline.

How's this for a book title: "The Naked Roommate"? That's the new Sourcebooks softcover from author Harlan Cohen, subtititled 'And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College.' (Sorry to get your hopes up too high, but it's a college survival guide for current and prospective students!)

Monday, October 31
NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell joined us to talk about her book "Talking Back...To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels" (published by Viking). We even got her to dish a (tiny) bit on her powerful husband, outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan!

Trying to put the Harriet Miers debacle behind him, President Bush quickly made a new choice to fill the Supreme Court seat of the retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and the howling from the Left has already begun. Pennsylvania Appeals Court Judge Samuel Alito was the President’s choice; we discussed Judge Alito and his prospects for confirmation with return guest Kenneth Jost, writer for Congressional Quarterly’s CQ Press and editor of the book “The Supreme Court from A to Z.”

Halloween is the traditional night for witches to be abroad in the world. Yet, modern witchcraft and paganism are becoming ever more popular the other 364 days of the year. What is the appeal, and what is driving its increasing popularity? We discussed it with journalist Catherine Edwards Sanders, author of “Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality” (in paperback from Shaw Books).

Friday, October 28
We talked about the legacy of Bill Clinton with the Washington Post’s John Harris, who’s written the book “The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House” (published by Random House).

Chris Swecker, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigation Division, discussed the agency's role in fighting crime, both at home and against American citizens abroad.

What has Al Jardine, one of the founding members of the Beach Boys, been up to lately? How about writing a children’s book? It’s called “Sloop John B.: A Pirate’s Tale” (published by Milk & Cookies Press).

Thursday, October 27
Congressional Quarterly columnist and MSNBC political analyst Craig Crawford made a return visit to talk about his eagerly-awaited new book "Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media" (published by Rowman & Littlefield).

The Right got its way as the President’s Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers, withdrew her name from consideration after a withering battle. How damaging will this be for the President, and whom will he now choose for the position, particularly to get back in the good graces of his political base? We discussed that with David Johnson, CEO and co-founder of the public relations firm Strategic Vision, and Jennifer Palmieri, Vice President of Communications for the Center for American Progress.

Wednesday, October 26
A report was recently released entitled Trial Lawyers, Inc.: Health Care, The Lawsuit Industry's Effect on American Health 2005. It looks at how litigation affects all aspects of health care in the United States: drugs, medical devices, doctors, hospitals, and insurers. We spoke with the author of that report, James Copland, Director of the Center for Legal Policy at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

We just couldn't wait for this night: America's favorite cuchi-cuchi girl, Charo, joined us to talk about her new CD "Charo and Guitar" (released by Universal Wave--c'mon...you knew she was a classically-trained guitarist, didn't you?).

Tuesday, October 25
The former counter-terrorism czar in the Clinton and Bush administrations, Richard Clarke, joined us to talk about his new novel, “The Scorpion’s Gate” (published by Putnam), a thriller dealing with warring nations, terrorism, political treachery--in other words, a scenario that sounds like it could have been ripped right out of the front pages.

President Bush has made his pick for the man who will next fill the job of Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. That man is Ben Bernanke, a former Fed board member and current head of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. For a better look at the man who will replace the powerful and successful Alan Greenspan, we talked with Phillip Swagel, a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Monday, October 24
Nine-Eleven was a turning point for America, but there are many who believe we have gone about things the wrong way, changing long-standing American values and policies in the name of the War on Terror. Stephen Eric Bronner, the a well-known peace activist, explains in his new book “Blood in the Sand: Imperial Fantasies, Right-Wing Ambitions, and the Erosion of American Democracy” (published by the University Press of Kentucky).

For a different look at American foreign policy we turned to Defense Department advisor Thomas Barnett, who has written the book “Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating” (published by Putnam). His previous work, “The Pentagon's New Map,” was a reasoned examination of war and peace in the post-Nine-Eleven world; “Blueprint For Action” explains how U.S. foreign policy can help us reach a shining future.

Friday, October 21
We looked into the fascinating and funny world of the voiceover artist with three of the very best: Joe Cipriano, Don LaFontaine, and Joan Baker, who’s written the book “Secrets of Voice-Over Success” (from Sentient Publications).

TIME magazine’s long-time film critic Richard Schickel joined us to talk about TIME’s recently published list of the “All-Time 100 Movies.”

Dr. Drew Pinsky, the relationship expert from Westwood One’s Loveline program, discussed why a fulfilling sex life is an important part of living for women aged 45 to 65.

Thursday, October 20
Al Cors, Director of Government Affairs for the website Retiresafe.org, told us the American public isn’t being given all the facts about the danger of importing prescription drugs into the United States.

We chatted about the incredible growth and influence of talk radio with the founder, editor, and publisher of Talkers magazine, Michael Harrison.

Why have most Democrats lost the confidence of the American people? We found out from Herman Cain, author of "They Think You're Stupid: Why Democrats Lost Your Vote and What Republicans Must Do To Keep It" (published by Stroud & Hall).

Wednesday, October 19
Timothy Naftali says the domestic threat of terrorism is the largest unplugged hole in United States national security. He’s written the book “Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism” (published by Basic Books).

Brian Anderson says today’s new breed of conservatives are turning bias in media on its ear. He explains it in his new book “South Park Conservatives” (published by Regnery).

You've seen him on the big screen--and we do mean BIG: Morgan Spurlock, director and subject of the documentary "Super Size Me," visited to talk about his written work "Don't Eat This Book" (published by Putnam).

Tuesday, October 18
If you wanted some expert legal advice without paying an arm and a leg, you got your chance when we talked to Mark Barondess, author of "What Were You Thinking?: $600 Per Hour Legal Advice on Relationships, Love, Marriage, And Divorce" (published by Phoenix Books).

We again delved into the ugly world of domestic violence and what can be done to put a stop to it with Anne Crews and Gloria Mayfield Banks of the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, plus a survivor of domestic violence, Victor Rivers, who now serves as the National Spokesman for the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Monday, October 17
Can health care costs be brought under control? We discussed that with the President and Vice President of the National Coalition on Health Care, Dr. Henry Simmons and Mr. Mark Goldberg.

Why would someone in the adult entertainment industry write an exposé about it? We found out from Gil Reavill, author of the book “Smut: A Sex-Industry Insider (and Concerned Father) Says Enough is Enough” (published by Sentinel).

We talked about a place where church and state frequently come together—the White House—with John McCollister, author of "God and the Oval Office: The Religious Faith of Our 43 Presidents" (from the W Publishing Group).

Friday, October 14
It was another turning point for the people of Iraq, voting in the referendum for their new constitution up or down. We discussed how the vote would come out with return guest Phil Kiver, Army journalist and author of the book "182 Days in Iraq" (in paperback from Word Association Press).

Remember such songs as "One," "Joy to the World," and "Black & White"? If you do, you know the voice of Chuck Negron, lead singer of Three Dog Night. He joined us to talk about his just-released DVD "The Chuck Negron Story."

Thursday, October 13
Why was the Battle for Fallujah so difficult? We examined that with the author of "No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah" (published by Bantam), former Assistant Secretary of Defense Bing West.

She’s not the kind of person you would think of when you need home improvement advice. A former model and personal trainer doling out fix-it tips? But as it turns out, she’s exactly the person you would want! We spoke, of course, to the one and only “Toolbelt Diva” herself, Norma Vally!

Wednesday, October 12
With better than half of gulf coast oil refining still reeling from Hurricane Katrina, we know what’s happened to gasoline prices. But what will happen to home heating prices as the weather turns colder? We discussed that, and other energy issues, with Daniel Simmons, Natural Resources Task Force Director for The American Legislative Exchange Council.

Tuesday, October 11
Former Bill Clinton political advisor Dick Morris made a return visit to talk about his new book “Condi vs. Hillary” (published by Regan Books), an insightful look into what just might turn out to be the match-up in the 2008 Presidential election.

He’s a singer, a long-time friend of such diverse personalities as Willie Nelson and Don Imus, a best-selling novelist, and there’s no one else quite like him. And now, he’s running for Governor of Texas! He's Kinky Friedman, and we spoke to him live from his ranch deep in the heart of the Lone Star State.

Monday, October 10
We've heard a lot about it lately, but exactly how worried should we be about avian influenza? We got a course in "Bird Flu 101" from Dr. Marc Lipsitch, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He contends that when it comes to pandemic flu, we are not prepared.

We also had some fun when we spent time with one of the very best in his line of work: the famed ventriloquist Willie Tyler! (And his pal Lester, of course!)

Friday, October 7
Are the 'Girls Gone Wild' you see parading their assets in those late night informercials really just "Female Chauvinist Pigs"? We talked to Ariel Levy, the author of the book of that title (subtitled 'Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture' and published by Free Press), to find out.

Thursday, October 6
The editorial page editor of The Washington Times, Tony Blankley, dropped by to talk about his new book on the threat of Islam to the Western world: "The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?" (published by Regnery).

Wednesday, October 5
Iraq war veteran John Crawford joined us to discuss his experiences on the battlefield and his new book "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq" (published by Riverhead).

Illegal immigration remains a serious, unaddressed problem in this country. We spoke to a man who believes the best way to keep the unwanted out is to put up a physical barrier to keep them out. He’s Colin Hanna, founder of the advocacy group We-Need-A-Fence. We also spent a few minutes with Jim Gilchrist, the man behind The Minuteman Project, who is running for a vacant House seat in California's 48th District.

Tuesday, October 4
Is the era of the Star Trek phaser upon us? We talked to Dr. Doug Beason, author of "The E-Bomb: How America's New Directed Energy Weapons Will Change the Way Future Wars Will Be Fought" (published by Da Capo Press) about the new generation of arms that will soon change the face of warfare.

We also got a chance to chat about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers with someone who knows her and has worked with her in the past: Court TV's Catherine Crier.

Monday, October 3
We spoke with Cynthia Lennon, first wife of the late John Lennon, about her book "John" (published by Crown), her life with John during the early years of the Beatles and their break-up with the advent of John's relationship with Yoko Ono.

Plus, we talked about President Bush's choice of White House counsel Harriet Miers to fill the Sandra Day O'Connor vacancy on the Supreme Court with return guest Kenneth Jost, the editor of "The Supreme Court from A to Z" (now available online at www.CQPress.com), and Sean Rushton, Executive Director of the Committee For Justice.

Friday, September 30
We hope you were with us for our live broadcast from the campus of George Washington University in Washington, DC. Among our guests was the Capitol Hill correspondent for CNN, Ed Henry.

Thursday, September 29
The lady the liberals love to loathe--Ann Coulter--joined us to celebrate the paperback release (from Three Rivers Press) of her best-seller "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)."

We spent an hour with Christopher Andrew, co-author (with former KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin) of the book "The World Was Going Our Way" (published by Basic Books), to find out how the Soviet Union tried to spread its Communist message to the Middle East, Central America, and elsewhere around the world.

Wednesday, September 28
We discussed the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay with Bob Benenson, the editor of the Congressional Quarterly electronic publication CQ Politics Weekly.

“Mankind,” “Cactus Jack,” and “Dude Love”--all three are one man: W-W-E wrestling superstar—and children’s book author!—Mick Foley. We talked about his wrestling career and his latest book, “Scooter” (published by Knopf), a story about a young boy’s effort to bond with his father through baseball.

Tuesday, September 27
Retired Air Force Colonel Walter Boyne joined us to talk about, amongst other things, his book "Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right and Why, What Went Wrong and Why" (published by Forge Books).

Monday, September 26
Hurricane Katrina tested our nation’s first response system and found it wanting. President Bush later said the military is the only organization that can provide a large-scale response, with the right capability and in a short time-frame, when a disaster hits. This past weekend, he said the military should take the lead in responding to damage from a terrorist attack, and raised the question of whether that should also be true when a particularly large natural disaster strikes. We took on that question tonight with Gene Healy, Senior Editor at the Cato Institute, who feels that the military should not have too large of a presence on the ground in areas affected by natural disasters like Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, saying it could violate the Posse Comitatus Act, the federal statute that limits the government's ability to use the military for domestic police work. We also talked to Robert Kaplan, author of the book “Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground” (published by Random House). Kaplan is back from being embedded with U.S. Special Forces during their relief efforts in New Orleans, and he thinks the war on terror and the training U.S. forces undergo in preparing for the war in Iraq would ideally serve the new mission of bringing relief to the disaster-stricken within our own borders.

We know how the Iraq war is affecting our troops and all of us at home, but most of us don't have a good idea of how it's affecting the average Iraqi citizen. We spoke about that with Anthony Shadid, author of "Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War" (published by Henry Holt & Co.).

Friday, September 23
Jim had the night off, so guest-host Dom Giordano stepped in to talk about the impact of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. His first guest, Sterling Burnett, Senior Fellow for the National Center for Policy Analysis, discussed the impact of the storms on oil and gas production and prices. Burnett believes the effects of Rita on the oil markets could dwarf what happened with Katrina. Dom's second guest took a look at the insurance implications. Insurance expert and attorney Ray Bourhis is author of “Insult to Injury: Insurance, Fraud, and the Big Business of Bad Faith” (from Berrett-Koehler Publishers). As you can tell from the title of that book, Mr. Bourhis isn't optimistic about how the insurance industry is responding to these devastating storms.

Thursday, September 22
Has America lost its way? We examined that question with maverick Democrat Zell Miller, who’s written the book “A Deficit of Decency” (from Stroud & Hall Publishers).

Retired Colonel David Hunt says the country’s security is being threatened by its own leadership. He explains in his book “They Just Don't Get It: How Washington Is Still Compromising Your Safety—and What You Can Do About It” (published by Crown Forum).

Author Les Standiford delved into corporate history with his book “Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America” (published by Crown).

Wednesday, September 21
If popular culture is destroying the American way of life, why do we all like it so much? We discussed it with Steven Johnson, the author of “Everything Bad is Good For You" (from Riverhead Books).

New York Times correspondent Steven Roberts told us the story of his upbringing in a household of immigrants, contained in his book "My Fathers’ Houses: Memoir of a Family" (published by William Morrow).

Columnist Ian O’Connor joined us to talk about high school athletes making the leap to the pros, described in his book “The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High-Stakes Business of High School Ball” (published by Rodale Books).

Tuesday, September 20
Does the United Nations remain one of the world’s best hopes, or is it an outdated institution riddled with corruption and incompetence, ready for the scrapheap of history? We tackled that issue with Pedro Sanjuan, a former White House staffer who also filled a U.S. post at the United Nations. His new book is “The U.N. Gang” (published by Doubleday).

Monday, September 19
We visited with Mark LeVine, historian and analyst of the modern Middle East and Islam, to discuss the roots of the differences between the U.S. and the Muslim world. His new book is “Why They Don’t Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil” (available from Oneworld Publishing).

A recent issue of CQ Weekly took up a topic many Americans choose to ignore: poverty within our own borders. Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have put a face on some of the poorest in America—people who were too poor to evacuate and potentially save their own lives. CQ Weekly’s David Nather joined us to talk about the issue of poverty in America, and how Katrina has forced both political parties to take a harder look at how to combat it.

Friday, September 16
We were joined by Brigadier General Michael Flowers, USA Commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, and his Senior Advisor, Johnie Webb. JPAC's mission: achieve the fullest possible accounting of America's missing in action from all of our nation's past conflicts.

Is public education taking a step back for today's minority group students, and is the 'No Child Left Behind' law part of the problem? We found out when we talked to the author of "The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America" (published by Crown), Jonathan Kozol.

Thursday, September 15
The President gave his big speech from New Orleans on this night, and we got some instant analysis of it from former Clinton administration Press Secretary Jennifer Palmieri and Republican National Committee strategist Pete Jeffries.

One of the highlights of the old "Dick Cavett" television shows was the wide array of famous musicians--especially rock 'n' rollers--who would perform on them. The best of those performances have been gathered onto a pair of new DVD boxed sets, and we had Mr. Cavett with us to talk about them.

Wednesday, September 14
Are you ready for a flat tax--one so easy to understand that it would allow you to file your tax return on a postcard? We talked with one of the flat tax's most ardent proponents: former Presidential candidate Steve Forbes, who's written the book "Flat Tax Revolution" (published by Regnery).

We also talked about the history of the U.S. Constitution and how it affects us today, and how it affects confirmation hearings like those just concluded for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Our guest was Akhil Reed Amar, author of "America's Constitution: A Biography" (published by Random House).

We also got quick visit from the great comedian and political satirist Will Durst!

Tuesday, September 13
Is the political Right damaging the American justice system? Court TV anchor and former elected judge Catherine Crier thinks so. She makes her case in the new book “Contempt: How the Right is Wronging American Justice” (published by Rugged Land Press).

What we think we know about public education isn’t the real story, despite what the education establishment wants you to believe. So says Jay Greene, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of “Education Myths: What Special Interest Groups Want You To Believe About Our Schools—And Why It Isn’t So” (from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.).

Monday, September 12
It's been four years since the deadly events of September 11, 2001, and we spoke to a man who was intimately involved on that fateful day, though neither he nor anyone else could have known it at the time: Michael Tuohey, a former US Airways ticket agent in Portland, ME, who let two of the hijackers, Mohammed Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari, onto one of the flights.

The United Nations observed its sixtieth anniversary with a World Summit in New York City, with over 170 heads of state and governments in attendance. What is the future role of the U.N., and what can new U.S. Ambassador John Bolton do to help reform it? We discussed the U.N.’s place in the world with Charles Brown, the President and CEO of the firm Citizens for Global Solutions, who believes the nomination of Bolton was a mistake.

Friday, September 9
John Avlon, author of “Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics” (available in paperback from Three Rivers Press), explained to us why it’s time for the Center to flex its political muscles.

Former Senator and Presidential candidate Bob Dole joined us to talk about his life as a soldier, his career in politics, and his recently-published book "One Soldier's Story: A Memoir" (published by HarperCollins).

Sports journalist Frank Deford talked about his book “The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball" (published by Atlantic Monthly Press),” which chronicles the changes in the game and in America at large at the start of the last Century.

Thursday, September 8
You loved him a guest, so with Jim still away we gave him a shot as a guest-host: Jonathan Turley, professor at the George Washington University School of Law. The professor spoke to two legal experts for a look at how the John Roberts confirmation battle will be joined: Elliot Mincberg, Vice President and Legal Director for the People For the American Way Foundation, and Ron Cass, President of the legal consulting firm Cass & Associates. He also spoke about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with Hugh Kaufman, Senior Policy Analyst for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Wedneday, September 7
Jim had another day off, so off the bench stepped one of our favorite pinch-hitters: Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano. Among his guests was Representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania, recently back from a visit to the hurricane-damaged areas, and Dr. Boyce Watkins, author of the book "What if George Bush Were A Black Man" (in paperback from Blue Boy Publishing Co.), who discussed whether the response to Katrina would have been different had the President been a member of the race most affected by the disaster.

Tuesday, September 6
With Jim taking a few days off, we were treated to a guest-hosting performance by a rising star in the world of conservative punditry, Debbie Schlussel! One of Debbie's special guests was James Johnson, a New Mexico rancher on the front lines in the fight against illegal immigration. (Plus, did you hear what Debbie had to say about Oprah?!)

Monday, September 5
We’ll talk with Jasper Becker, the Beijing-based correspondent of the British publication The Independent, about the most unstable leader of a country on Earth, the subject of the book "Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea" (published by Oxford University Press).

Is the American spirit is breaking down, thanks to an over-reliance on things like talk therapy and medication? We’ll discuss it with Christina Hoff Sommers, co-author of “One Nation Under Therapy: How the Helping Culture is Eroding Self-Reliance” (published by St. Martin's Press).

***A tip of the ol' Bohannon Show microphone and our great thanks to correspondent Tom Foty, who provided us a live, in-studio report on the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina each night of the week of August 29. Thanks, Tom! ***

Friday, September 2
We focused exclusively on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina this evening as we spoke with T. J . MacGregor, who has been researching hurricanes and their effects for her forthcoming novel “Category Five” (to be published by Pinnacle in October), financial analyst Don McAlvany, editor of the “McAlvany Intelligence Advisor,” who put a price tag on the disaster in terms of inflation, especially in the cost of gasoline, and Dr. Dan Lashof, Science Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council Climate Center, which advocates oil savings legislation as a way of keeping gas prices under control and reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil, especially in the wake of the disabling of the Port of New Orleans.

Thursday, September 1
National Geographic magazine has devoted a special issue entirely devoted to the topic of Africa, a part of the world we often ignore. We talked about the issue and the problems facing Africa with National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Chris Johns and Michael Fay, Conservation Fellow with the National Geographic Society and ecologist at New York's Wildlife Conservation Society.

The Rolling Stones are back on tour, making their old albums worth more than ever. We hope you were with us when ‘the Record Guy,’ “Mighty John” Marshall of the website moneymusic.com, was with us, running down the Top Ten Stones items and what they're all worth!

Wednesday, August 31
Chris Mooney joined us to explore the rift between the Republican leadership and the scientific community over such issues as stem cell research and global warming. His book, not surprisingly, is entitled "The Republican War on Science" (published by Basic Books).

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina is staggering, but have hurricanes been getting progressively worse over the years, or are storms with the power of Katrina just unfortunate random events? We discussed that with two experts: Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, who believes hurricane seasons have gotten worse, thanks in large measure to global warming; and Patrick Michaels, Cato Institute Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies and author of “Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media” (published by the Cato Institute), who argued there's no significant relationship between what happens over the entire hurricane season and what may have happened early in that season.

Tuesday, August 30
On the eve of the start of the Senate confirmation hearings for John Roberts to become the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, information about some of his past activities is slowly leaking out. We discussed Roberts’ prospects, and the future of the Court in general, with Jonathan Turley, the distinguished professor from the George Washington University School of Law.

Hurricane Katrina has turned out to be one of the most devastating storms in U.S. history, with the full extent of the damage nearly incalculable. The economic impact of Katrina will be with all of us—both in the directly affected areas and elsewhere—for months and possibly years to come. We discussed what we can expect, and what we can expect to pay, thanks (or no thanks) to Katrina with Congressional Quarterly’s economics editor, Jodi Schneider.

Monday, August 29
Not that many Americans have great knowledge about the Muslim religion. What would you say if we told you that what you do know is wrong? That’s what our guest, Robert Spencer said, after he researched and wrote the book “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And The Crusades)” (published by Regnery) in the hopes of setting the record straight.

The Iraq War is different from earlier conflicts, thanks to the number of women serving near the front lines. We spoke to one of those women: Sergeant Kayla Williams, who has returned from Iraq and written a fascinating memoir of her time in the field. It’s entitled “Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army” (written with Michael E. Staub and published by W. W. Norton).

Friday, August 26
We spent an hour with Republican Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi to talk about his bumpy road in public life, which he's turned into the book "Herding Cats: A Life in Politics" (published by Regan Books).

Thursday, August 25
Is it possible that we are missing the point when it comes to the War on Terror? Our guest said the real goal of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda is to destabilize the U.S. economy so our country will collapse from within. We talked about it with retired Colonel Randy Larsen, Founding Director of the Institute for Homeland Security and author of the “Our Own Worst Enemy” (published by the National Legal Center for the Public Interest).

Wednesday, August 24
Corruption and deceit by the Middle Eastern oil producing nations is strangling the world economy and helping to fund terrorism. So said Raymond Learsy, author of the book "Over a Barrel: Breaking the Middle East Oil Cartel" (published by Nelson Current).

Tuesday, August 23
Is segregation really still a problem in this country? In many important ways, it is, said Georgetown University law professor Sheryll Cashin, author of the book "The Failures of Integration: How Race and Class are Still Undermining the American Dream" (now in paperback from Public Affairs).

Some people think American society is changing at a breakneck pace, while others feel like nothing ever seems to change. We examined how America might look demographically, economically, and politically in the year 2050 with John Rennie, Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American magazine.

Monday, August 22
The task of crafting an Iraqi constitution has turned out to be as arduous as anyone could have imagined, hampered by problems from all sides--even Mother Nature, who slowed the process with a sandstorm. The first deadline for getting a completed constitution was missed and the revised deadline was met--sort of. We talked about the future of the constitution and the future of Iraq itself with Charles V. Peña, Director of the Defense Policy Studies for the Cato Institute.

A Texas jury has ruled that pharmaceutical giant Merck was negligent in the death of a man who took its painkiller Vioxx—just the first of an estimated 40 thousand such law suits surrounding the painkiller, which was withdrawn from the market one year ago this month. We discussed the Vioxx ruling with two members of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, considering the legal ramifications with Jim Copland, Manhattan’s Director of the Center for Legal Policy, and the medical implications with Robert Goldberg, Director of the Institute’s Center for Medical Progress.

Friday, August 19
We talked about the Mob with Jerry Capeci, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia” (published by Alpha).

Jon Ronson, the author of “The Men Who Stare at Goats” (published by Simon & Schuster), helped us look at the U.S. military’s seeming obsession over the years with the paranormal.

Jim's fellow Westwood One talk host Tom Leykis dropped by to chat about his newest program, The Tasting Room, the first network radio show to feature lifestyle talk and advice aimed directly at guys.

Thursday, August 18
Could the Palestinian-Israeli conflict blossom into a Third World War? That was the chilling possibility put forth by Haim Harari, author of the book “A View From the Eye of the Storm” (published by Regan Books).

We debated immigration with Jeanne Butterfield of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which believes illegals now in the U.S. should stay, and Jack Martin of the Federation for American Immigration, who thinks they should be kicked out.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman talked about globalization, as explained in his book "The World is Flat" (published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Wednesday, August 17
We talked about Zionism and how it may affect the prospects for Middle East peace with Jacqueline Rose, the author of the book "The Question of Zion" (published by Princeton University Press)

Are Islam and the West inevitably on a collision course? We talked about it with Reza Aslan, author of "No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam" (published by Random House).

L.A. Times National Correspondent Terry McDermott provided us with a close look at Nine-Eleven and the 19 men who actually committed the worst terrorist act in American history, through his book “Perfect Soldiers” (published by HarperCollins).

Tuesday, August 16
Barry C. Lynn, author of "End of the Line" (published by Doubleday), joined us to talk about what he sees as the coming fall of the global corporation. Thanks to our economically interconected world, he says what happens in other parts of the globe now has a dramatic effect on America's economy and the jobs it produces, holds, and loses.

Today's Hollywood seems like equal parts glamour and squalor, but has it always been that way? In particular, how does the Hollywood of the World War II era differ from that of the Iraq War period? We explored the issue with a return guest, Hollywood insider Stephen Schochet.

Monday, August 15
Where's Osama bin Laden, and why haven't we managed to catch him yet? And what was his true role in the Nine-Eleven attacks? Those are the questions behind the four-hour two-day National Geographic Channel documentary called "Inside 9/11." We talked to former CIA intelligence analyst Michael Scheuer, who is featured in the documentary.

We had a debate on Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip with Morton Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, which believes Israel’s withdrawal will hurt the peace process and reward Palestinian terror organizations; and Irwin Khula, President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, which takes a more moderate view of the pullout, believing that the status quo in Gaza could not continue and that the Israeli government’s decision should be supported.

Friday, August 12
Your home is being invaded, even if you don’t know it. Not by armed criminals, but by “cultural terrorists.” From TV to music to videogames, you and especially your children are being exposed to seamier side of life every single day. What to do? We found out from author Rebecca Hagelin, whose new book tackles the problem head-on: “Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad” (published by Nelson Current).

You’ve heard a new phrase being bandied about by politicians lately: “intelligent design.” That’s the term being used to describe the theory that says life on earth is too complex to have developed through evolution, implying that a higher power must have had a hand in creation. Recently, President Bush said he believed schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life. We talked about it with Steven Waldman, the co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Editor-in-Chief of the website Beliefnet.

Thursday, August 11
We took a rare, full-three-hours to get the skinny on an important question: just how much money do you really need to comfortably retire? We discussed it with the author of the book "The Savage Number" (published by Wiley), financial advisor Terry Savage.

Wednesday, August 10
We talked about the ethnic cleansing going on in Sudan with Charles J. Brown, the President and CEO of Citizens for Global Solutions, which is working to end the devastation.

Harvard University president Lawrence Summers’ comments about women caused a furor that will not go away. We discussed it with Richard Bradley, the author of the book “Harvard Rules” (published by HarperCollins).

Has your Governor kept their campaign promises on fiscal issues? We checked the report card with Stephen Slivinski, the Cato Institute’s Director of Budget Studies.

Tuesday, August 9
Where do Islamic terrorists get the money to operate, and what can be done to turn off the spigot? Plus, how much is Saudi Arabia, the home of Wahabbiism, involved? We discussed it all with Dr. Rachael Ehrenfeld, author of the book “Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed--and How to Stop It” (now available in an expanded softcover edition from Bonus Books).

It’s almost time again for the sometimes tearful parting of parents and college students, but do you have any idea what’s really happening on America’s college campuses? We spoke with someone who does: former TIME magazine correspondent Barrett Seaman, author of “Binge: What Your College Student Won’t Tell You” (published by John Wiley & Sons).

Monday, August 8
What do people like Tony Robbins and Dr. Phil have in common? They say they want to help you. The self-help industry is big business, but our guest, author Steve Salerno, said it’s all a bunch of hooey, designed to separate you from your money without really helping you at all. He lays it out for us in his new book “SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless” (published by Crown).

The suspension for steroid use by Baltimore Orioles first baseman Raphael Palmeiro has certainly shaken up the baseball world, but what about the larger societal question? No matter how much some professional athletes protest, they are and remain role models for our kids. So, how does Palmeiro’s getting caught, especially after his finger-wagging performance before a Congressional committee, affect America’s children? And what can parents say to kids about the use of steroids? We took a swing at those questions with Best Life magazine editor Rob Gerth.

Friday, August 5
We discussed the events leading up to the day the world changed forever--that day now 60 years ago when the crew of the 'Enola Gay' dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan--with the Emmy Award-winning documentarian Stephen Walker, who has written a book on the topic entitled "Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima" (published by HarperCollins).

Thursday, August 4
To this date, and despite some anxious moments, the mission of Space Shuttle Discovery was a success; but, questions remain. Recent polls show support for America’s space program is waning. How does the current reality mesh with President’s Bush’s announced desire to put men back on the Moon and then send them to Mars? We discussed that with Steve Squyres, the principal investigator behind the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and author of the book “Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet” (published by Hyperion).

Did you hear that tapping coming from your radio speaker? That wasn't the F-B-I listening in, it was Jim talking to our guest Michael Flatley, the "Lord of the Dance," about his new show "Celtic Tiger," and its upcoming North American tour. Find out more at www.CelticTigerLive.com or www.MichaelFlatley.com.

Wednesday, August 3
Jim was back in his home state of Missouri for his annual live broadcast from the Ozark Empire Fair in beautiful Springfield, MO. Our special guest was Country superstar Trace Adkins, but the whole shebang was a night of fun and food (including the delicacy "Alligator on a Stick." According to Jim [and you probably could have guessed this], it "tastes like chicken!"). {And a tip of the ol' Bohannon Show microphone to affiliate KWTO, who made it all possible. Thanks, folks!}

Tuesday, August 2
Guest Paul Sperry says the world’s most sinister terrorists won’t be sneaking through our borders, they’re already here! His alarming book is entitled “Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives have Penetrated Washington” (published by Nelson Current).

Asra Nomani, the former Wall Street Journal correspondent, free-lance journalist, and author of “Standing Alone in Mecca” (published by HarperSanFrancisco) joined us to talk about the role of women in Islam.

The Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia, Mal Kline, visited to discuss the shameful elimination of ROTC programs at colleges and universities across the country.

Monday, August 1
President Bush was adamant that John Bolton was the right man to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and he finally got his way by making an ‘end run’ around Senators opposed to the nomination by making a recess appointment. We discussed the implications of the President’s action with a pair of return guests: Susan Turnbull, Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, which believes