Does Christmas music help you with holiday shopping? Where China leads, the world will follow? Steve Cooley concedes to Kamala Harris in the race to be California's next attorney general. Is the modern presidency too much for one person? Mark Twain's substantial autobiography - volume 1.
It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas EVERYWHERE you go!
Retailers and shoppers are gearing up for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. There’s even a (slight) chill in the California air to mark the start of the shopping season. Local malls are already blasting holiday soundtracks, everything from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to Silent Night. The familiar songs may set a festive scene, but did you know they can also influence shopping behavior? Studies have shown that shoppers tend to spend more time and money when there’s slower tempo music playing. Conversely, faster music results in a more frenzied shopping experience, but perhaps fewer purchases. The lyrics can also play a role in getting people to break out the credit card. What kind of music makes us buy? What puts us in a more giving mood? And is it possible to inoculate ourselves from manipulative muzak?
Guest:
Lisa Cavanaugh, Assistant Professor of Marketing, the Marshall School of Business at USC
Where China leads, the world will follow?
By any measure China’s growth has been staggering. With an estimated 1.3 billion people, China is the most populous nation on earth, and as their government has moved towards a market economy increasing numbers of their populace are enjoying upward mobility. Think retail therapy en masse. But with rapid expansion and increasing prosperity comes Western-style problems – pollution, obesity, social unrest and class struggles. In his new book, "As China Goes, So Goes the World," author Karl Gerth examines how Chinese consumers are rewriting the rules in the new millennium. What does China’s emerging role on the world stage mean for America? How will China’s surging economy change the world’s economic landscape?
Guest:
Karl Gerth¸author of As China Goes, So Goes the World: How Chinese Consumers are Transforming Everything. He teaches modern Chinese history at Oxford University.
Cooley concedes race for California’s attorney general
Three weeks ago, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley declared victory in the very tight race for state attorney general. Today, he conceded defeat as he trailed by more than 50,000 votes. This means San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will be California’s next top cop. Cooley’s campaign consultant Kevin Spillane said that Cooley lost because down ballot candidates don’t get a lot of attention from the media and that the District Attorney lacked name recognition in Los Angeles County. But AirTalk made numerous attempts to schedule interviews with Cooley and it wasn’t until very late in the game that he agreed to come on the show. If name recognition in LA County was the problem, was it a strategic mistake for Cooley to not be more available to KPCC and other media outlets? Should candidates invest more time talking directly to voters?
Guest:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC political reporter
Is the modern American presidency an impossible job for any one person?
It can be overwhelming to live in modern society—incessant work emails, cell phone calls, twitter—and worse, a constant awareness of the country’s mood at any given moment. Now imagine what it’s like for the man with the most important job in the world. The modern president’s days are filled with never-ending economic crises, international events, meetings, and legislation. It takes 469 employees in the White House alone, with six aides just to handle the incoming mail. Is the job of President of the United States now so demanding, with so many responsibilities, that no single person can really get it done? And if so, is there a way to restructure the American Presidency?
Guests:
Daniel Stone, White House Correspondent for Newsweek and author of Newsweek’s current cover story "God of All Things: why the modern presidency may be too much for one person to handle"
William Mayer, Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University
America’s writer - an autobiography
William Faulkner called Mark Twain “the father of American literature.” And 100 years after Twain’s death, there’s a new wave of nostalgia for the author of the "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn." "The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1," incorporates his thoughts dictated during the early years of the 20th Century. It’s full of critical remarks about religion, his lack of respect for President Theodore Roosevelt, and his condemnation of imperialism and the Philippine War of 1899-1902. The 500,000-word book is now a best-seller, but how well does it reflect the mind of Mark Twain? And how does Twain’s writing compare with modern political humor and criticism?
Guest:
Harriet Elinor Smith, editor of the Autobiography of Mark Twain: the Complete and Authoritative Edition, Volume 1