English | Français This week on Talk Politics, Ken Rockburn speaks with Dr. Gabor Maté, the author of "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction". Dr. Gabor Maté is a physician who has worked with the drug addicts of Vancouver's Lower Eastside for over a decade and his latest book is a ambitious thesis that looks at the prevalence of addiction in contemporary society. Maté's book doesn't dwell only on drugs, but at alcohol, tobacco, gambling, food and sex.

Also on the program Ken speaks with McGill University psychologist Susan Pinker about her first book, "The Sexual Paradox: Extreme Men, Gifted Women and the Real Gender Gap". A provocative and ambitious effort, the book is about how gender differences play out in the workforce and Pinker's conclusions will startle many. For instance, Pinker questions the commonly held belief that men and women have the same goals and ambitions, and that western women are more successful in traditional male professions than women in eastern societies.