What a great series. This particular piece, which I dub "To Work or Not to Work Outside the Home, That is the Question," is well produced, thoughtful, and balanced. The participants have the commonality of loving their children and wanting what is best for them. Many interesting scenarios and questions are presented. No answers or solutions are given because, while not blatantly stated in the piece, the listener will draw the conclusion that to work or not to work outside the home is a very personal decision for each family. This piece would work well around a segment about business or family.

This is a thoughtful, sensitive interview piece with a woman who fell, got up, fell again, and . . . got up again. For this reviewer, the most touching part about the piece was when Maureen said, "I want to cry because I was acknowledged. I was present." This piece would work well on a weekend show -- Saturday or Sunday "All Things Considered?" -- when things slow down a bit and listeners can take the time to listen and reflect on what a gem of a piece they just heard on public radio.

This is a smart sexy piece about one of the most stimulating places on earth: the library. Surrounded by all those brains on shelves, how could the place not be an aphrodiasiac? Apparently Andre Picher picked up on this fact at an early age. The intimacy of Picher's voice draws in the listener. Having worked in a library for several years, it was interesting to hear the thoughts of one student who had been sent there for punishment. It always bothered me that the library was used as a place for punishment in public schools. My only complaint about the piece -- and it's a tiny one -- is the background music. Too dreamy, almost wet. I imagined jellyfish floating around with that music. But, other than that, this is a great piece with appropriate library background sounds. As Picher points out, the library is a noble place.

Location, location, location. In what part of the world are your listeners sitting when they hear a piece on public radio? I'm sitting in southwestern Oklahoma. While I've never personally met a catfish noodler, I'm familiar with the sport; and while it does take a daredevil spirit, (perhaps aided by some alcohol), to thrust one's hand into the mouth of a catfish, I have never viewed the people who participated in the sport as part of an "oddball subculture" as alluded to by another reviewer. Granted noodling is not golf or tennis, but it's certainly a colorful sport. Scott Gurion's report takes the brilliantly colored radio spectrum and blasts it all over the air waves like a many hued paint gun. Audio is very clear. I felt like I was there with Thomas and Scott, bending over into the reddish brown waters of the North Canadian River, grubbing my fingers down into the sides of the riverbank, holding my breath, waiting for that first brush of a catfish's whiskers. Great piece for the summertime. Well done.

This is a review of the series. Where we once were and where we are today - these moments are public radio at its best - sparkling gold dust in the form of snippets of voices from the past. Enough is said in each moment, though, to give listeners food for thought. These moments are why I love public radio.

"The moment when Henry (Beston) died, all the lights in the house went out." Handel and Hayden Society Chorus's rendition of O Magnum Mysterium was playing in the background as I listened to this wonderful, well written piece about Chimney Farm and its owners, authors Henry Beston and Elizabeth Coatsworth, and their daughter, poet Kate Barnes; and booksellers and Chimney Farm's caretakers, Gary Lawless and Beth Leonard. The combination gave me chills. The house at Chimney Farm is full of books; when there was no more room in the house, the books spilled over into the barn. The sounds of the barn are particularly good. I love this barn: a great creaking door and the rustling of straw, plus oodles and oodles of books. Perhaps Elizabeth Coatsworth was referring to Chimney Farm when she wrote, "The sunset caught me, turned the brush to copper, set the clouds to one great roof of flame about the earth." Public radio is a favorite of book lovers and lovers of books will enjoy this piece. Give it a listen. This piece is poetry.

What a provocative word is wish. This collage of people's wishes, hopes and dreams is perfect for a starry summer's night when one is sitting outside watching the moon rise and waiting for that first falling star. Listeners will enjoy hearing what other people wish for. Put the piece in a quiet time.

The human spirit is amazing. What one person finds irresistible, another will ignore. Lu Olkowski has created a piece that showcases Linda Stanley and her passion for sea glass. It is always wonderful to hear a person speak about something he or she loves to do - the voice rises, the intensity increases, details pour forth - the listener will hear all this in this quiet piece about searching for sea glass. Linda is so passionate about sea glass that she cautions that some sea glass is pulled from the ocean too soon. If it is too rough, it should be thrown back to be polished some more. This piece is polished and would fit in anywhere. I wish I lived by an ocean.

So wintergreen does more than freshen breath and make sparks in the dark? (Wintergreen Lifesavers) The casual tone of these conversational pieces about various areas of science are always enjoyable. However, the toxicity of wintergreen, while discussed, should have been emphasized a little bit more. Herbs are not regulated like pharmaceutical medication; as such, caveat emptor really does apply here. Having said that, this is a good drop in piece as are all of the pieces in the Natural Selection series.

Clever drop-in piece that is perfect for the 4th of July weekend . . . or any time for that matter. I enjoyed hearing the differences in dialect and common expressions as people from Oxford UK and Oxford GA USA answered the same questions put to them by Mr. Barasoain.

Listeners will learn how to hit the high notes while singing the Star Spangled Banner, perhaps the most mangled national anthem in the world. This piece is refreshing, light and entertaining. While certainly appropriate for the 4th of July weekend, this is a great drop in for any time of the year. The giggles are great. (The description of the piece is almost as good as the piece itself - very tongue in cheek.)

Step into the unknown and give this piece a listen. Susan Jeffers possesses a calm maternal voice; her advice, while not groundbreaking or earthshaking, is helpful and well thought out.

Bobby's Birds would work well as an intro to The First Pigeon Race, also by Megan Hall. It sets up Bobby's interest in pigeons and also how he got involved with them in the first place. I liked the listing of the pigeons' names at the first of the piece.

I listened to all six of these pieces and they are well done. The intro's low train whistle and the first few notes of Aaron Copeland's "Our Town," along with Roznowski's low key voice beckons the listener back in time. Programmers, if you have a small bit of time just before the 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. hour, try airing this. It is interesting to listen to, yet very relaxing. It would also fit just before Keillor's PHC or perhaps around a big band hour, but it can also stand alone. The world can be too much with us and these pieces illustrate just how remote we are from that world of 1926. Perfect for summertime.

I always wondered what life was like in the time of the sundial - was it more vague, less precise perhaps? It must have been a convention of metrologists that brought that vague time to an end. This is a very interesting piece on the science of measuring and measurements; while it sounds like an incredibly dry topic, it isn't. The piece is full of anecdotes well suited for the layperson. Find out what daphnias are and why they are important to measurements. How many daphnias can one fit on the head of a pin? Well done.