A Five Part Series from TTBOOK!

Public Radio International

Wisconsin Public Radio

WALKING THE WALK

Program 07-12-30-A

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How far would you go for what you believe? If you're a practicing Jew or Christian, does it matter to you to do EVERYTHING the Bible tells you to? If you follow a guru, how much of your life are you willing to change? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the strange things that happen when people take their beliefs literally. Sometimes it works out; sometimes it's a mistake. But one thing's for certain – walking the walk takes a lot of guts.

SEGMENT 1:

Satish Kumar became a Jain monk at the age of nine. Now he's the editor of Resurgence magazine, founder of Schumacher College in England, and one of the leading voices bringing together spirituality and ecology. Kumar talks with Steve Paulson about how his spiritual values have informed his life.

SEGMENT 2:

A.J. Jacobs is the editor at large of Esquire magazine and the author of "The Year of Living Biblically." He tells Jim Fleming he started by growing a beard, buying a stack of Bibles and before he knew it, he was confronting adulterers in the Park. Also, Geoff Gilpin, author of "The Maharishi Effect," tells Anne Strainchamps how he became interested in the Transcendental Meditation movement, why he stayed in it for several years, why he left and what's happened to TM in the years since. But he still meditates.

SEGMENT 3:

Slam poet Alix Olson is a well known progressive artist-activist. She talks with Steve Paulson about her work and her life, and reads a few excerpts. Her documentary is called "Left Lane: On the Road with Alix Olson." CD's include "Built Like That" and "Independence Meal." Her new anthology is "Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-12-30-A.

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Books:

A.J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically (Simon & Schuster)
Geoff Gilpin, The Maharishi Effect (Tarcher/Penguin)
Alix Olson, ed, Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution (Seal Press)

Websites:

• Alix Olson's website:
  http://www.alixolson.com/

Music:

• “Oceanic part 2”
  “Reprise”
  Anoushka Shankar/Karsh Kale – Breathing Under Water - Manhattan/EMI 2007
  “The Tradition”
• Rick Stanley – Song Of Life – Ganesh Productions 1970
• “Within You, Without You”
  The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Independence Meal
• Alix Olson, Pamela Means, Lyndell Montgomery, Chris Pureka – Independence Meal – Subtle Sister Productions 2003
• Ripper Sole
• Stomp – Tank Girl Soundtrack – MGM 1994

Distribution dates: week of 12/30/2007 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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