Fresh Air with Terry Gross, November 14, 2006: Interview with Michael Gordon; Interview with Richard Sloan; Review of three new new television shows.

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
(1.) MICHAEL GORDON is Chief Military Correspondent for The New York Times. He was recently in Iraq. We'll talk with him about efforts to stem the violence in Baghdad, and the prospects for change in American policy. His recent book is "Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq.' (2.) Author Richard Sloan, Ph.D. His new book is called Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine (St. Martin's Press). In it, he examines the claim that prayer and religion can heal the sick. Using the scientific method, he shows that there is no compelling evidence that religion can actually cure medical ailments. He finds this reliance on religion and the rejection of well-established medical treatments to be a disturbing trend. Sloan is professor of behavioral Medicine at Columbia University. (3.) TV critic DAVID BIANCULLI. He will review 3 new shows premiering this week on the 3 major networks. We are currently in the middle of November sweeps month.