War Memorials: Who Controls the Past? (December 3-9) 
Who decides how to commemorate sites of wars and other horrific events? David Hardin (LU) says that the way we choose to erect monuments to the past often tells us a lot about ourselves in the present.
Also featured: George Michael (UVA-Wise) discusses the possible convergence between extremist groups in this country and militant Islamic terrorists.
The Pleasures of Reading (December 10-16)
Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them all.” With that in mind, best-selling author Sheri Reynolds (ODU) and Patrick Tompkins (JohnTylerCommunity College) discuss some of their favorite books and writers. These eclectic choices range from Joseph Skibell’s A Blessing on the Moon to I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe.
Also featured: Excerpts from the Library of Virginia’s 8 th Annual Literary Awards, including a tribute to Mary Lee Settle.
A list of the books discussed by Sheri and Patrick is available here.
For more good reading, visit the VFH Center for the Book website!
Monticello ’s Jewish Hero (December 17-23)
Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy, the first Jewish American to reach that rank in the United States Navy, is an unsung hero of American history. According to Melvin Urofsky (VCU), not only was Levy instrumental in the repeal of flogging in the Navy, he also rescued Monticello, the Thomas Jefferson estate, from ruin.
Also featured: David Metzger (ODU) discusses the "Golem", a fictional creature of Jewish legend that was the inspiration for the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.
Why We Do Good (December 24-December 30)
What makes ordinary people do “good deeds” without expecting anything in return?
Why do people give money to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts but far less to earthquake victims in Pakistan? Psychologist
E. Scott Geller (VT) talks about altruism or “active caring” and our sense of moral responsibility.
Also: Robert Vaughan (VFH) offers a compelling personal story of one week that changed his life. Vaughan says, “Volunteering in Mexico was the hardest week of my life and it was the best week of my life.”
It’s Not ALL Online (Decmber 31-January 6)
World history professor Mills Kelly (GMU) won the 2005 statewide Outstanding Faculty Award for creative “teaching with technology.” He uses the internet extensively in homework assignments but chastises fellow professors for their bland in-class PowerPoint presentations.
And music scholar Lisa Edward Burrs (VSU) discusses the often unrecognized contributions of African-American composers in the world of classical music. She also shares a few songs with us.
