David speaks with Stephanie Blank, the founding chair of the governing board of GEEARS, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students. Stephanie talks about the importance of early childhood education, beginning as early as ages two and three, and what Georgia can do to better prepare children for a lifetime of education.

David speaks with Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Doris Downs. Judge Downs has made a name for herself in the state by using what she calls accountability courts to help rehabilitate non-violent offenders. As a method of rehabilitation that does not crowd already overcrowded jails, the system of accountability courts treats offenders outside of prison by helping drug and non-violent offenders spend their time curing their habits rather than simply doing their time and returning to the same neighborhood, life and problems that led to their criminal activity.

David speaks with former FBI agent Ali Soufan about his new book The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda. As one of the few Arab speaking members of the FBI, this Lebanese-American was handed the task of interviewing key members of al-Qaeda in the days after 9/11. During his time on the front lines, Soufan helped thwart plots around the world and elicited some of the most important confessions from terrorists in the war against al-Qaeda—without laying so much as a hand on them.

David speaks with renown mystery novelist Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Millhone Mysteries. Dubbed the Alphabet Series, these detective stories feature titles starting with each letter of the alphabet. Grafton’s is now at the letter “V” with her most recent book, “V” Is For Vengeance.

David speaks with author Anne Kreamer about her new book It’s Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace. This books examines the role of emotion in a professional setting. Common knowledge tells us that getting emotional at work is wrong. Crying or showing any type of negative emotion makes a worker seem weak and unable to handle the stresses of a professional setting. However, this book debunks all these myths and provides some eye-opening realities like the fact that men cry more in the workplace, saleswomen actually make MORE money when ovulating, and that emotions often lead to better health and productivity.

David speaks with singer Syl Johnson who for decades had one of the most prolific but still unheralded careers in Soul and R&B. Though never a household name in the 1960s and 70s, his music captured new audience in the 90s and early 2000s with the help of hip-hop artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and the Geto Boys. In fact, his 1967 song “Different Strokes” has become one of the most sampled pieces in hip-hop’s history. A new box set was recently released to honor him and hopefully elevate his profile, it is called, “Syl Johnson: The Complete Mythology.”