Terry Gross

Jazz bassist Ron Carter has more than two thousand recordings to his credit. From 1963-1968 he was part of the Miles Davis Quintet with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. Over the years he's played with Randy Weston, Herbie Mann, Betty Carter, Eric Dolphy, Sony Rollins, McCoy Tyner and others. Carter's new CD is The Golden Striker, from Blue Note Records. The interview originally aired Oct. 15, 2002.

Dean Kamen invented the Segway Human Transporter, a high-tech scooter. The scooter relies on sensors, sold-state gyroscopes, and softwear to produce a balanced ride even over rough terrain. $5,000. Kamen's other inventions include a portable drug-infusion pump, a compact dialysis machine and a wheelchair that can climb stairs. Kamen heads DEKA Research & Development Corporation in New Hampshire. The interview originally aired Feb. 10, 2003.

Ken Kaiser's new book, co-written with David Fisher, is called Planet of the Umps: A Baseball Life from Behind the Plate. A 1986 Sporting News poll called Kaiser the most colorful umpire in the American League. He left the major leagues in 2001, after calling balls, strikes and outs for more than 3,000 games.

Helen Stickler's new documentary, Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator, tells the story of former skateboarding star Mark "Gator" Rogowski. Rogowski is now serving 31 years in prison for the rape and murder of a former girlfriend. Ken Park, a former skateboarder and friend of Rogowski, is interviewed in the film. Park is now the president and CEO of John Galt Media. Stickler is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer and director of documentary films and commercials.

Writer Eric Dezenhall, a damage control expert, is president of the PR firm Nicholas-Dezenhall Communications Management Group based in Washington, D.C. He has in the past described his business as a response to "the culture of the attack." He appears regularly on Hardball and The O'Reilly Factor. Dezenhall worked for the Reagan administration.

Writer Daniel Glick's new book is Monkey Dancing: A Father, Two Kids, and a Journey to the Ends of The Earth. After Glick's wife left him for another woman, and his older brother died, he took his two children, ages 9 and 13, on a trip around the world, seeking out endangered places. Glick was a Newsweek correspondent for 12 years, and has written for many other publications including Rolling Stone and The New York Times.

Dr. Sheri Fink's new book is War Hospital: A True Story of Surgery and Survival. It's about a group of doctors who treated patients in Srebrenica, Bosnia, under the most extreme conditions. They treated thousands of patients, often without electricity, water or proper medicine. Fink, a physician and writer based in New York, works with the humanitarian organization International Medical Corps. She just returned from Iraq and has also worked in the Balkans, southern Africa and Central Asia.

Doug Spreen is one of the official trainers for the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and has worked with the world's top tennis players, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick. He is responsible for the health of the players, deals with their injuries before and after competition, and tends to them while they are competing. Spreen often has to run onto the court and check on athletes who are injured during play.

Writer Carlo Rotella takes a look inside the world of boxing in his new book, Cut Time: An Education at the Fights. Rotella is also the author of Good With Their Hands: Boxers, Bluesmen, and Other Characters from the Rust Belt. Rotella is a professor at Boston College, where he teaches American literature, American studies, urban literatures and cultures, and creative and nonfiction writing. His essays have appeared in Harper's, Washington Post Magazine and Best American Essays 2001.

Journalist Mike Stanton heads the investigative reporting team at The Providence Journal in Rhode Island. In 1994 he shared the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting that exposed widespread corruption at the Rhode Island Supreme Court. His new book is The Prince of Providence: The True Story of America's Most Notorious Mayor, Some Wiseguys, and the Feds. Vincent Cianci was a visionary mayor who presided over the city's renaissance, but he was also ruthless, corrupt and a rogue.