Fresh Air, Drew Gilpin Faust and Dr. Richard Shannon, January 9, 2008

This edition of Fresh Air features Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard University, discussing her book This Republic of Suffering, which explores how the staggering death toll of the Civil War profoundly impacted the United States' social and national identity. She highlights how the war's unprecedented mortality rate shaped collective memory and ultimately contributed to the reunification of North and South. The episode also includes insights from Dr. Richard Shannon, a leader in patient safety and hospital infection reduction efforts.