Program 750: Mini Italian Lesson; Geography of Genius; Timbuktu Haircut

We learn some surprisingly useful Italian phrases from one of Italy's most popular newspaper columnists, then consider why certain places have fostered more than their share of world-changing innovations, and hear about Timbuktu's history as an important center for scholarship. Plus, we find out about the thrill of dropping in on a choir practice in small-town Wales.

• Journalist Beppe Severgnini, author of "Italian Lessons: Fifty Things We Know About Life Now" (Vintage)
• Eric Weiner, author of "The Geography of Genius" (Simon & Schuster)
• Rick Antonson, author of "To Timbuktu for a Haircut" (Skyhorse)
• Cameron Hewitt, senior writer/content manager at Rick Steves' Europe

• Beppe Severgnini is an editor and columnist for Italy's largest-circulation daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera. His latest book is "Italian Lessons: Fifty Things We Know About Life Now."
• Eric Weiner wrote "The Geography of Genius" in 2016. His latest title, "Ben and Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life," is scheduled to be released in June 2024.
• The most recent book Rick Antonson has written is called "Train Beyond the Mountains: Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer." He published "To Timbuktu For a Haircut" in 2013.
• Cameron Hewitt is Rick's senior content producer and writer. He provides tales from his own European travels in his book "The Temporary European," and shares photos and thoughts from his latest travels in his occasional blog entries.
• The director of the community choir in Pwllglas, Wales, assembled a large virtual choir to sing together in Welsh during the pandemic.