Saturday Morning for Saturday 11 November 2023

8.10  Naomi Klein’s trip into the mirror world

Journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein is co-director of the Centre for Climate Justice at the University of British Columbia. Her best selling books include No Logo and The Shock Doctrine.

For most of her career she has been confused with another left-leaning writer called Naomi, Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth.  

Initially amusing, the conflation of the two became alarming to Klein when Wolf veered right and embraced conspiracy thinking. 

Klein decided to look closer at her doppelganger and to explore doubling in our lives, culture, and politics.

The result is her new book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World.

9.05  Bradley Walsh: Chasing his dreams 

English actor, comedian, singer and TV presenter Bradley Walsh is back on set at ITV filming new episodes of The Chase - the beloved and wildly popular quiz show he helped devise.

Kim catches up with the former professional footballer to talk about family, work, and of course, the beautiful game.

 

9.40 Isaac Heron: from foster care to Oxford University

Isaac Heron was in contact with the foster care system since he was a baby.  He was placed in care at six years old before finding a permanent foster home at the age of 8.

These experiences fuel his work as an advocate pushing for improvements in New Zealand's foster care system, with National Youth Council for the Voice of the Young and Care Experienced Whakarongo Mai.

Isaac is also a talented academic, and has just received a Rhodes Scholarship, which will take him to Oxford University for a Master of Philosophy in Economics.

10.05 Clementine Ford: "I want to prevent marriages"

Why do so many women still believe a successful life involves being chosen by a man?

That's the question being interrogated by high-profile Australian feminist author and podcaster Clementine Ford in her new book I Don't.

In it she argues that marital bliss is a tenacious and dangerous myth that needs to be busted, so women can be truly free. 

Her previous books include Fight Like A Girl, Boys Will Be Boys and How We Love: Notes on a Life.

10.40  The natural hazards in your neighbourhood

GNS principal scientist Graham Leonard looks into why we choose to live where we live, and what the risks are.

Graham has recently taken over at GNS as Natural Hazards and Risk Theme Leader.  

He talks to Kim about resilience and adaptation in areas prone to natural disaster, and how individuals, businesses, infrastructure and decision makers have the power to reduce loss.

 

 

11.05  Mary Beard: ruling the Roman Empire

As a television and radio presenter, prolific and best selling author, classicist Dame Mary Beard has acquired celebrity status.

The author of more than 20 books including Pompeii, SPQR and Women & Power recently retired from her post as Professor of Classics at Cambridge University.

For her latest book Emperor of Rome, Beard leads us through the lives of thirty emperors over nearly three centuries.

From Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus, she probes the emperors' powers and just how debauched Roman palaces really were.

11:50 Once bittern twice shy: backing an under-bird

The announcement of Bird of the Century has been delayed to Wednesday, following a massive influx of votes, thanks in large part to British-American talk show host John Oliver.

Over 300,000 votes have been cast so far, crashing Forest and Bird's voting system at one point.  Voting closes tomorrow at 5pm.

Helen Jamieson is from conservation group Forest Bridge Trust, backing an under-bird, the Australasian bittern Matuku-hūrepo.

 

Books featured on the show

Doppelganger - A Trip Into the Mirror World
by Naomi Klein
Published by Allen Lane
ISBN: 9780241621318

I Don't
by Clementine Ford
Published by Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9781761069666    

Emperor of Rome:Ruling the Ancient Roman World
by Mary Beard
Published by Profile Books
ISBN: 9781846683787