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Mental Health
Inside The Mind Of A Sociopath
The word "sociopath" often brings to mind criminals, killers, and people who are cruel and heartless. But writer and diagnosed sociopath M.E. Thomas wants to challenge that conventional wisdom. She says sociopaths are not inherently evil, and can be incredibly productive to society.
Around the Nation
'The Watchers' Have Had Their Eyes On Us For Years
Shane Harris, an author and journalist who covers intelligence, surveillance and cybersecurity for a number of publications, says that the revelations about the NSA from Edward Snowden are nothing new, and that such programs have a significant recent history in the United States.
The Two-Way
Book News: Kim Jong Un Reportedly Gave 'Mein Kampf' As Gifts
Also: The folly of marathon readings; Tom Wolfe has a new book; VICE apologizes for tasteless photo spread.
Book Reviews
A Family's Secrets And Sorrows Surface In 'Heatwave'
Maggie O'Farrell's new novel, Instructions for a Heatwave, follows a troubled Irish Catholic family in London over the course of four scorching July days in 1976. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says Heatwave is a beautiful book about "the importance of forgiving those you love."
Book Reviews
Reader Advisory: 'Shining Girls' Is Gruesome But Gripping
June 18, 2013 Lauren Beukes' new thriller The Shining Girls traces a time-traveling serial killer as he jumps through the decades, pursued by the only one of his victims to survive. Critic Alan Cheuse calls the book "a frightening journey in time and punishment."
The Two-Way
Book News: VICE Draws Ire By Staging Female Author Suicides
June 18, 2013 The anonymous book sculptor of Edinburgh strikes again; the childhood drawings of E.E. Cummings; Jonathan Franzen on literary sexism.
Critics' Lists: Summer 2013
The Funny (Touching, Fascinating) Pages: 5 Comics For Summer
June 18, 2013 When's the last time you read a comic book? Here are five for summer, covering everything from tiny Finnish critters to Viennese punk rockers and musings on Anna Wintour. Writer Myla Goldberg says they represent a golden age in comic art.
Author Interviews
Spy Reporter Works Her 'Sources' To Write A Thriller
June 18, 2013 Mary Louise Kelly used to cover national security for NPR, but lately she's turned her attention to fiction. Her new novel, Anonymous Sources, draws on Kelly's own reporting experiences, including things she couldn't say when she was a journalist.
All Tech Considered
Digital Scrapbook Collects Rock-Star Authors' Memories
June 17, 2013 If any story screams out for a multimedia e-book treatment, it's the tale of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a small band of best-selling authors — including Amy Tan, Dave Barry and Stephen King — who yowled out rock standards. Hard Listening is a digital scrapbook about their years as musicians.
Book Reviews
A Deceptively Simple Tale Of Magic And Peril In 'Ocean'
June 17, 2013 Neil Gaiman's latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, is the story of an artist who returns to his childhood home and recalls a magical struggle he was involved in as a young boy. Reviewer Annalee Newitz says the book balances "frenetic action with wistful self-knowledge."
Author Interviews
'Cows Save The Planet': Soil's Secrets For Saving The Earth
June 17, 2013 Journalist Judith Schwartz believes that the key to addressing carbon issues and climate change lies beneath our feet. In her book Cows Save The Planet, she argues that proper management of soil could solve a long list of environmental problems.
Book Reviews
In 'TransAtlantic,' The Flight Is Almost Too Smooth
June 17, 2013 Colum McCann won the National Book Award for his 2009 novel, Let the Great World Spin, about a high-wire artist. Critic Maureen Corrigan says McCann's new novel, TransAtlantic, also has its head in the clouds.
Author Interviews
WWII 'Deserters': Stories Of Men Who Left The Front Lines
June 17, 2013 In his new book, journalist Charles Glass explores the little-known history of thousands of American and British soldiers who deserted during World War II. Glass describes how the strain of war can push a soldier to the breaking point — and how the line between courage and cowardice is never simple.
The Two-Way
Book News: 'Tweet,' 'Geekery' Make The Oxford English Dictionary
June 17, 2013 Also: Judy Blume gets her own holiday; Michael Chabon considers the superhero costume; the best books coming out this week.