An Economy Unaccountable

America's accounting system doesn't balance out and the red is threatening to drown out the black. David M. Walker would know: he used to look over the books.

Walker was comptroller general of the United States and CEO of the Government Accountability Office from 1998 to 2008. In that time he reported on the growing fiscal imbalance the country was facing, but saw little action from our leaders to address the issue. Walker was prominently featured in the acclaimed documentary "I.O.U.S.A."

Now, as president of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Walker is taking an active role pushing for the change of what he says is a broken system that is "headed for a cliff."

LISTEN: DAVID M. WALKER

The Science of Children: Rethinking Development

Professional childcare "experts" from Dr. Spock to Dr. Phil have offered plenty of strategies for raising kids. However, with such a glut of advice, how much of it is really grounded on solid, objective data?

Is there such as thing as too much self esteem? Do kids segregate themselves when they have been desegregated in schools?

Ashley Merryman, co-author of NURTURESHOCK, says that new research into the physical, psychological and social development of children is revealing some surprising (and controversial) results.

LISTEN: ASHLEY MERRYMAN - NURTURESHOCK

From Fashion to Film with Tom Ford

Tom Ford is best known for his work in fashion. He revived both Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci with influential collections before leaving to start his own fashion label.

His latest venture is not designing a line or a label, but instead an entire world. Ford wrote, produced and directed the film adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel A SINGLE MAN.

Ford talks about his move into the world of film and the story that moved him take this turn in his career...

LISTEN: TOM FORD - A SINGLE MAN

The Gun Show

There seems to be little common ground between Second Amendment stalwarts and advocates of gun control. Is it simply a difference in ideology? A culture clash? Or something even more complicated?

Alexander Rose, who was raised in Australia and Britain, has written a "biography" of the American rifle. Rose examines the specific role of the rifle in U.S. history and theorizes that the American psyche is melded to the frontier spirit of independence that the firearm can represent. Rose talks about the rifle and the roots of the NRA, which may be surprising to some.

LISTEN: ALEXANDER ROSE - THE AMERICAN RIFLE & THE NRA

Rose says the approach to guns differs from East to West. The historian suggests that it's no mistake Americans developed the "marksman's" M-16 while the easy-to-use AK-47 has spread to be a symbol of insurgent armies.

LISTEN: ALEXANDER ROSE - AMERICA, THE RIFLE & HISTORY

Photographer Kyle Cassidy searches for compelling subjects for his portrait work. For his project ARMED AMERICA, Cassidy sought out gun owners to pose with their guns. Cassidy says he learned a great deal the differences between how people who proudly own firearms think...and how others might think about them.

LISTEN: KYLE CASSIDY - ARMED AMERICA

Indulging Morbid Curiosity

Loren Rhoads spent ten years indulging in the tales of the taboo.

As publisher of MORBID CURIOSITY magazine, Rhoads solicited stories many would never tell. Quite often essayists submitted tales of shame, dark curiosity and trauma. Some submissions were compelling and others were upsetting. But Rhoads says that once word got out, there was no shortage of them.

She's recently collected stories from the now-defunct publication for a book called MORBID CURIOSITY CURES THE BLUES.

LISTEN: LOREN RHOADS - MORBID CURIOSITY