Turning Points

Hosted by

Our lives are often defined by turning points. They can happen gradually or in an instant. But how do we reconcile the before and the after -- our former selves with who we've become?

Surgeon and author Sherwin Nuland, known for his bestselling books on the nature of life and death, describes how electroshock therapy gave him a second lease on life. Businessman Ric Elias, who had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York, tells his story for the first time, including how the crash changed his approach to life, love and family. British-born Maajid Nawaz, who once recruited young Muslims to an extreme Islamist group, recounts his ideological transformation to a new life as a democracy advocate. Josh Prager, who at 19 suffered a devastating bus accident that left him paralyzed on his left side, tells his story and probes deep questions of identity, self-deception and destiny.

Learn more or listen again to this week's episode.

Banner image: Hattie Ellis/Getty Images

Credits

Host:

Guy Raz