BPR Full Show: Fiona Hill, Jelani Cobb, Daniel Leader and more

Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent months.

Dylan Thuras tells stories of strange food from around the world, including psychedelic honey, the anti-masterbatory origins of graham crackers and the great molasses flood in Boston in 1919. Thuras is the co-founder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.” His latest book is “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide.” It was co-authored with Cecily Wong.

Daniel Leader discusses his latest book, "Living Bread." Leader is a pioneer in the American baking world.

Arthur Brooks explains how charitable giving can help a person find happiness, and other tips on the search for fulfillment. He is the William Henry Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Business School, the happiness correspondent at The Atlantic and host of the podcast series "How to Build a Happy Life."

Jelani Cobb explains how he positioned the Kerner Commission Report in today’s political context for his book, “The Essential Kerner Commission Report.” Cobb is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism at the Columbia Journalism School.

Daniel Lieberman talks about his new book on the evolution of human beings and our aversion to exercise, called "Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved To Do Is Healthy And Rewarding.” Lieberman is a professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.

Rosa Brooks discusses her new book, “Tangled Up In Blue: Policing The American City,” and describes her experiences as a reserve police officer in D.C. Brooks is a former Pentagon official in the Obama administration and a professor of law and policy at Georgetown Law. 

Fiona Hill previews her memoir, “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century,” and weighs in on the similarities and differences between former United States President Donald Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin. Hill served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, and was a witness in Trump’s first impeachment hearing. 

Spencer Buell and Erica Walker talks about the rise of noise complaints in Boston, as well as what — and if — residents and politicians should do about it. Buell is a staff writer for Boston Magazine. Walker is a noise researcher who founded Noise and the City, as well as an assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown.