How traffic works, and why we drive the way do: TOM VANDERBILT has been studying the most democratic place in America, where people of every race, class, religion, and age work together closely and successfully: in traffic. Tom answers questions like “Why does the other lane always move faster?” and “How much of bad traffic is caused by people looking for parking spaces?” Tom’s new book is TRAFFIC: Why We Drive the Way We Do. He also writes the blog “How We Drive.”

Plus: Randy Newman has “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country” on his new CD, “Harps and Angels.”

Also: Myth and Mysogyny after 9-11 – that’s the subject of SUSAN FALUDI’s book “The Terror Dream”—out now in paperback. It’s a story about flight-suit superheroes, cowering “security moms,” Jessica-Lynchesque helpless “girls,” and Daniel Boone–wannabe politicians. Susan Faludi is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and author of the best seller “Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women.” (Originally broadcast 10-31-07)

-- Wed. 8/13 on The Four O'Clock Report with Jon Wiener.