If you're in a rut, feeling as stale as last week's bread, then we have the radio show for you. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, come meet a few people who find transcendental moments in everyday life. We'll also talk with best-selling writer Frances Mayes at her home in Tuscany — on why life in Italy is so sweet.

Writer Diane Ackerman tells Steve Paulson that like many other animals, human beings love to play. She talks about transcendence, "deep play" and swimming with dolphins. Her latest book is called "Deep Play." Also, David Breashears is a climber who scaled Everest to make an Imax movie. Breashears tells Jim Fleming how he got interested in climbing, that there are different kinds of climbing, and just how strong a successful climber has to be.

Michael Gelb is the author of "The How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci Workbook." He puts Judith Strasser through a series of exercises intended to enhance sensual perception. Their props include a lemon, a lime, three apples, colored pens and music.

Frances Mayes hit the jackpot with her story of restoring an old farmhouse, "Under the Tuscan Sun." Her new book is "Bella Tuscany." Her Italian home has become a site of pilgrimage. While vacationing in Tuscany, Steve Paulson visited Frances Mayes and presents this tour of her house. Also, Peter Mayle tells Jim Fleming how the experience of becoming a reluctant tourist attraction finally drove him out of Provence., contrasts French and American drivers and disses the British press. Mayle's books include "A Year in Provence," "Toujours Provence," and "Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France."

Distribution dates:

• week of 07/29/2001 - hour 2
• week of 08/15/99 - hour 3