Monday December 17

9am

We talk general politics – does being the first lady translate to experience?

Ron Paul raises a ton of money. Obama is gaining momentum again.

10am

College Football Bowl season is upon us. Gary Cavelli handles the Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park, and shares with us the business and politics of who gets into what bowl. And will there ever be a real champion?

11am

Barry Caine and Tim Sika join us for the annual year end film wrap, the best the worst and a preview of the Oscars

Tuesday December 18

9am

New Jersey bans the death penalty. Ronn asks if we really need to be concerned if a convicted killer is a little uncomfortable for the last thirty seconds of their life. The challenge is also put out there to come up with the name of even one person shown to be executed though innocent.

10am

Lynn Jimenez, KGO's business reporter, discusses the current real estate crisis, the economy and more. Her new book is “Se Habla Dinero: The Everyday Guide to Financial Success”

11am

Gavin Newsom proposes a tax on soda, in order to combat obesity in our children? Is this a logical solution?

A school teacher has sold his 15-year-old son’s prized video game on eBay to punish him for smoking marijuana.

Wednesday December 19

9am

Time Magazine names Russian President Putin as Person of the Year. Right choice?

A bank gave it's employee's a thousand dollar bonus. The catch? They had to give it to some sort of charitable cause.

10am

Elizabeth Bumiller, NY Times columnist, had interviewed Condaleeza Rice extensively. Her new book is “Condoleezza Rice: An American Life”

11am

Brent Walters, professor of religion, discusses the roots of Christmas, and other holidays. Email Brent here.

Thursday December 20

9am

We speak to former UN Ambassador John Bolton about topics including Korea, Iran and the Palestinians. His latest book is “Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad”

10am

State Senator Carole Migden discusses issues effecting health care, taxes and more.

If a constituent wants to reach Senator Migden or her staff with a question or concern call the San Francisco office at 415-557-1300, or the Marin office at 415-479-6612.

The Sacto office is 916-651-4003

11am

Elaine Petrocelli from Book Passage recommends books for summer reading.

Her list of suggestions includes:

Marco Polo From Venice to Xanadu

Laurence Bergreen $28.95

This is a page-turner biography of one of the most fascinating figures in world history. We travel with Marco Polo on his incredible journey along the silk road and then back to Venice where the treasures he brought home changed Venice.

La Suma de Los Dias

Isabel Allende $26.95

Yep, I always have an Allende!

Available only in Spanish—this continues where her masterful memoir, Paula left off. It’s already leading the bestseller list in Spain and will be released in English here in April. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who reads Spanish.

The Uncommon Reader

Alan Bennett $15.00

Leave it to the creator of Beyond the Fringe, The Madness of George III and The History Boys, to bring us this delightful yet sly novella. If only it were true. A mobile library is parked near Buckingham Palace and Queen Elizabeth II, chasing after her dear corgis, finds herself inside the van. She decides that the “right thing” is to borrow a book. Thus begins a reading adventure that changes the Queen’s outlook and sets the palace in an uproar.

Away

Amy Bloom

Away is elegant, lusty, sad and funny. She understands the passion that can drive people to do the impossible. I read it once for the unforgettable story and again to enjoy the beauty of the language. Set in the 1920’s in Russia and America, it’s an adventure as well as a story of a mother’s love. We picked this for our First Editions Club.

The Almost Moon

Alice Sebold $24.99

In her courageous, shocking second novel, Alice Sebold explores a day when a woman kills her demented mother. This literary tale of horror and suspense keeps us wondering if Helen, an artists’ model and mother herself, will get away with her horrible crime. Sebold shows us how a seemingly devoted daughter could descend into matricide. As she alternates between calm flashbacks and Helen’s desperate attempts to cover her crime, we are repelled by Helen’s actions and riveted by Sebold’s magnificent prose. Some autographed first editions.

Down River

John Hart

Five years earlier, Adam Chase was arrested for murder, largely on the basis of his stepmother's sworn testimony against him. He was acquitted, but nearly everyone, including his father, still thinks he did it, and Adam's deep bitterness has kept him away from home ever since. Now, at the request of a childhood friend, he's back in Salisbury, N.C., where all the old demons still reside and new troubles await.

Bridge of Sighs

Richard Russo $26.95

The master storyteller takes us to Thomaston, New York where Louis Lynch is the owner of convenience stores. Although he rarely travels, at the urging of his wife, he agrees to a trip to Venice where their childhood friend, an internationally renowned artist, has exiled himself. This is classic Russo: a small town setting with three generations of characters and many unanticipated turns. We come to know them as friends and neighbors. Layer upon layer of stories show us a world of magnificent contradictions.

Gentlemen of the Road

Michael Chabon $21.95

Chabon takes us back 1000 years to the fabled kingdom of Khazaria where wild red-haired Jews live on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Two confidence men—one a gawky, black-clad doctor and the other a quick-witted giant ex-soldier—work their dubious trade along the Silk Road. They find themselves serving a recently deposed king, while dealing with elephants, prostitutes, Vikings, and evil emperors. Chabon has fun with this romp, and so will you.

Shakespeare:

The World as Stage

Bill Bryson $19.95

Bryson delves into the big question—did that guy in Stratford on Avon really write all that stuff? With the same personal style that makes his travel writing such fun, he shows us some of the strange places he went to research this book. He gives us a sometimes hilarious yet factual look at Shakespeare’s time. Bryson’s documentation of the work of scholars of today and over the centuries, combined with his marvelous storytelling, gives us a very human picture of The Bard.

Filthy Shakespeare

Pauline Kiernan $19.95

Professor Kiernan is a Shakespeare scholar. She explains all those puns and the parts we tend to skip, are really quite racy—actually down right smutty.

The Day of Battle:

The War in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944

Rick Atkinson $35.00

This is the second in Atkinson’s WWII trilogy—the first, An Army at Dawn, won the Pulitzer Prize. As generals made one controversial call after another, the men on the ground finally broke the back of the German army—but at a horrible cost. Based on his meticulous research and told with his journalist’s eye for both the large picture and the personal, Atkinson shows how this campaign made it possible for the allies to prevail in Europe. Some autographed first editions.

Nureyev: The Life

Julie Kavanagh $37.50

When Rudolph Nureyev defected from the Soviet Union in 1961, he shocked and mesmerized the West with his charisma, work ethic, and flamboyancy. The press followed his appearances on stage and a social life that included Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, and Mick Jagger. Kavanagh doesn’t stint on the serious dance details, but she doesn’t hold back any of the gossip about his ruthlessness or his hedonistic life.

San Francissco Ballet at Seventy Five

Janice Ross $60.00

A stunningly beautiful retrospective of our own great ballet comp-any. The DVD of some of the companies great performances is more than worth the price of the book.

Musicophilia

Oliver Sachs $26.

The nuerologist/author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat gives us fascinating tales of music and the brains of patients, musicians, composers and everyday people.

Bird Songs from Around the World

Les Beletsky $45

With full color illustrations of each bird, terrific information and a built in digital audio player that gives you a recording of each bird’s song. Last year we had Birds Songs of America, and this is even better.

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Wonders of the World

Banoit Nucci $50.00

Beautiful photographs of breathtaking vistas, from early civilization to the grand constructions of today.

Enclosure

Andy Goldsworth $60.

The guy who makes art from nature which then gradually disappears has done it again—this time (I’m not making this up) he includes a series of paintings made by sheep hoof prints.

Friday December 21

9am

Should cities be permitted to have displays for the holiday's that some perceive as a conflict between the separation of church and state?

We end the hour by selecting the winner of our text message contest. Brooke Stewart was the lucky winner of $5,000.

10-Noon

As a tribute to the late Pete Wilson, and with a big hand from Pete's producer, Sandra Firpo, we do The Best Music You've Never Heard. Music critic joins Ronn, and both agree, there were almost no inferior submissions. The one that received the most votes from listeners was Jennifer Lee and Jaywalkin'.

Here are the others that were heard:

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