Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was raised Catholic, but in her 50s she learned her parents were Jewish and that many of her relatives died in the Holocaust. Her family fled to England and narrowly escaped Nazi tanks when she was a toddler. In her new memoir, "Prague Winter," Albright explores her family history and the story of the birth of Czechoslovakia.

Garry Wills says he has nothing against priests. He respects priests, and he once tried to be one. But in his new book, he questions whether there is any precedent for the priesthood based in the early church and the New Testament. Wills argues that a church system that exalts priests runs counter to Jesus' teachings on community, and that the it can lead to corruption and sin. Author and historian Garry Wills joins us to talk about his book, "Why Priests? A Failed Tradition."

Movie critics were surprised when Ben Affleck wasn't nominated for a Best Director Oscar. Will his film "Argo" be vindicated with other awards on Sunday? Will the story of the killing of bin Laden or the tale of the president who saved the U.S. from being split in two take home Best Picture? We talk with a panel of film critics in advance of this weekend's Academy Awards about their favorite (and least favorite) of the nominees.

Andrew Guzman realizes that his warnings about the human costs of climate change might come across as alarmist. "But that's because we should be alarmed," he writes in his new book "Overheated." The UC Berkeley law professor believes that there has been too much discussion about the science of climate change, and not enough about the likely consequences -- things like famine, war and mass migration. Guzman joins us in the studio.

Have you ever cruised through the palm-fringed canals of Kerala? Or taken a sunrise balloon safari over Masai Mara? Those are just some of the 1,000 places that travel writer Patricia Schultz thinks you should see before you die. We talk with Schultz about some of her top travel picks, and we'll hear from our listeners. What is your must-see destination?

An American cyber-security firm released a report yesterday that sent shockwaves through tech and national security circles. According to the company Mandiant, government-backed Chinese hackers have stolen data and intellectual property from 115 U.S. targets since 2006. Some of the companies targeted are involved in infrastructure that's critical to the U.S., like the power grid and water works. We'll examine the report's findings, the possible threat to U.S. national security and what companies can do to protect themselves.

Are we witnessing a bragging epidemic, or does it only sometimes feel that way? Facebook gives us a constant stream of parents boasting about their kids' academics, musical talent and sports prowess while others flaunt their exotic travels and exploits. And there is the so-called "humblebrag," where the braggart decries some small difficulty while really reminding everyone of why his or her life is so good. Why do we boast? Does it benefit us, and when, if ever, is it OK?

A new study finds that even moderate alcohol consumption can increase the risk of cancer-related death. We'll hear from one of the study's authors, who says alcohol is responsible for 20,000 cancer deaths every year. But the study is not without controversy. Some researchers say alcohol may have certain health benefits, and that it's risky to advocate total abstinence. We'll look at the mechanism by which alcohol may increase cancer death. Should you give up booze altogether?

Last year, Kevin Weston was riding high. He had just won a journalism fellowship at Stanford, and was raising two daughters with his partner Lateefah Simon, a civil rights activist and MacArthur Genius fellow. Then doctors told him he had leukemia, and needed to find a bone marrow donor by the end of the month. But Kevin is African-American -- and African-Americans comprise only 7 percent of registered donors. Kevin and Lateefah join us to share their story. We'll also discuss the low rate of minority donor participation and the long road to a successful transplant.

Silicon Valley donated over $14 million to President Obama's re-election campaign, and the president made quite a few promises on his many visits to the region, including steps toward immigration reform. We'll discuss what Silicon Valley leaders want from Congress and Obama's second term administration when it comes to upgrading visa laws, tax shelters and online privacy.