Reams of books have been written about the Great Depression and The Sixties — but what would a history of the 1980's look like? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the legacy of the Eighties — from Ronald Reagan to the rise of hip-hop. Also, the quintessential ‘80's writer Bret Easton Ellis.

Music critic Nelson George talks with Steve Paulson about the history of Hip Hop music. George is the author of "Hip Hop America." Also, playwright and activist Larry Kramer tells Steve Paulson about the impact of AIDS. Kramer is the founder of Act Up and his play "The Normal Heart" has been performed in over 600 theaters. He's working on a novel about the AIDS plague to be called "The American People."

Edmund Morris is the author of "Dutch," the controversial Ronald Reagan biography that uses semi-fictionalized narration. Morris tells Jim Fleming why he thinks Reagan was a great president. He says Reagan's election changed the mood of the country overnight.

Deborah Bilder puts Jim Fleming through a quiz on 80's pop culture from Madonna to The Brat Pack and Magnum PI. Also, author Bret Easton Ellis may never live down his reputation as an Eighties whiz kid. The author of "Less Than Zero," "American Psycho," and "Glamorama" tells Steve Paulson how it feels to still be thought of as an eighties writer.

Distribution dates:

• week of 11/26/2000 - hour 2
• week of 10/17/99 - hour 1