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0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8ba20001The 2012 Summer Olympics, the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will take place in London, England, United Kingdom from July 27 - August 12.Athletes from over 200 countries are expected to compete in 36 different events.For full schedule and results, plus more information, visit the official London 2012 website.

8.8.16: Where the Olympics Should Be Hosted, the Classism of Minimalism, & Overlooked Books

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https://flic.kr/p/9MsoA9

The games have begun - the disastrous lead-up to the Rio Olympics has been overtaken by the spectacle of competition. Still, economists agree: hosting the games is a costly and complicated affair.  Today, we'll hear a thought experiment turned innovative solution: why not host the games in multiple cities at once?

Also today, the dog days of summer are suddenly getting shorter. As we near mid-August, perhaps you're nearing the end of your summer reading list. If you're looking for new titles to bring to the beach...we've got you covered.

Listen to the full show. 

Should the Olympics Be Hosted in Multiple Cities?

Just a few days into the games, attention has already turned away from the contaminated water and civil unrest and focused on the athletics themselves. But regardless of how many records Katie Ledecky breaks, or how many medals the US takes home, economists agree: hosting the Olympics is a costly affair, and more often than not leaves cities in the lurch.  Megan Greenwellhas a potential solution though: why not host the games in multiple cities at once? Megan is features editor at New York Magazine's “The Cut” - she wrote about her immodest proposal forWired.

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Should the Olympics Be Hosted in Multiple Cities?

The Life of an Urban Alley

In most places, alleys are forgotten places - by citizens architects and planners. The word alone conjures images of garbage, darkness, or dead ends in chase scenes on movies and TV ...certainly not communal spaces. But in cites around the world, where space is tight and expensive, alleys are becoming paths to a more pedestrian lifestyle. Eillie Anzilotti joins us from The Atlantic'sCityLab to talk with us about how these narrow blighted spaces are being transformed.

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The Life of an Urban Alley

The Classism of Minimalism

Fans of Marie Kondo’s mega-bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up take a rigorous approach to organization: keep only the things that "spark joy". The movement proposes that letting go of material clutter makes room for a healthier, more fulfilled life. In a New York Times op-ed, Stephanie Landsays the popular self-help program is for those who canaffordexcess

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The Classism of Minimalism

Overlooked Books: Summer 2016 Edition

The dog days of summer have arrived, and as we near mid-August, perhaps you're nearing the end of your summer reading list. For those looking for new titles to bring to the beach...we've got you covered. Here with a list of the best overlooked books to add to your summer reading list are MicheleFilgate, contributing editor at Literary Hub and board member of the National Book Critics Circle and Isaac Fitzgerald - books editor for Buzzfeed.

You can read about all of Michele and Isaac's suggestions here: Overlooked Books: Summer 2016 Edition

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Overlooked Books: Summer 2016 Edition

The Penny Poet of Portsmouth

Robert Dunnwas Portsmouth's Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2001. He was both a fixture and an enigma, often seen walking the streets of the rough-edged town....long before Starbucks and the gift shops took up residence, or the New York Times praised its "absurd selection of restaurants [and] cafes".

The writer Katherine Towler moved to Portsmouth at the onset of that boom and was intrigued by Dunn, then living in a single room without an electrical outlet and selling his hand-bound poetry collections for a penny. Her new book The Penny Poet of Portsmouthrecounts their unfolding friendship as her life, and the seaside town transformed.

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The Penny Poet of Portsmouth

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