Sneezes and Shutdowns

It comes as no surprise that the show taped yesterday with Professor Dawkins was an hour well spent, completely irrespective of one's views of faith. He made his case against a singular higher power as unequivocally as his readers have come to expect, despite the persistent but gentle prodding of agnostic-turned-believer Sally Quinn. Though our interview with him will air after he's back in England, his presence in multiple media outlets is pervasive this week (although Dennis Prager is apparently not on his schedule, much to the talk radio host's frustration. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/arti...)

The famed biologist's book tour includes commenting on his own memoir for print outlets in between appearances with the electronic breed. Dawkins has an article on Salon.com today about a particular excerpt of his book that's receiving a fair amount of press: the sneeze that never was that could have changed the 20th century. http://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/richa.... He discusses this at some length in the Quinn interview as well, but as that video is not yet available as a link, here's a quick chat with Dawkins on his memoir from this year's Book Expo America http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/AnApp

As the science-versus-religion debate rages this week, the sideshow that is the federal government looms large in the foreground just a few blocks away. House Speaker John Boehner has now put his finger pointing in print in an effort to shift public opinion on the shutdown, it would seem. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion.... And DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) is certain to have a lot to say about the partisan standoff when making the media rounds later this month for her book "For the Next Generation: A Wake-Up Call to Solving Our Nation's Problems" (release date, 10/15).

This time next fall, the October releases are sure to contain one or two books on the first government shutdown of the 21st century. The only question, of course, is the ending - and how soon it'll be written.