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Connecting With Nature To Reclaim Our Natural 'Birthright'()
January 20, 2013 Modern society has become adversarial in its relationship to nature, Yale scholar Stephen Kellert argues, having greatly undervalued the natural world beyond its narrow utilty. In his new book Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World, he tells stories of the environment's effect on us, and ours on it.
Relationships And Rocket Ships In 'Last Girlfriend'()
January 20, 2013 Everyone has relationship problems, even God — at least, according to humorist Simon Rich. His funny, surreal new collection, The Last Girlfriend on Earth: And Other Love Stories, explores dating and relationships, but also magic talking goats and rocket ships.
Presidents Use Bully Pulpit To Shape American Language In 'Words'()
January 20, 2013 In Words From the White House, linguist Paul Dickson looks at the ways presidents have used the office to create and shape American language. Presidents, Dickson says, must be eloquent and spontaneous, but they also need to communicate in a way that gives listeners something to latch onto.
'All We Know': Three Remarkable But Forgotten Lives()
January 19, 2013 Just nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Lisa Cohen's biography All We Know: Three Lives follows the stories of three women of the early 20th century. "I wanted to write a book that wasn't just about one great person," Cohen says, "but about a kind of collectivity."
Books
'Art Of Betrayal': A History Of MI6 That Reads Like A Spy Novel()
January 19, 2013 MI6 may be the world's most legendary secret service, but fiction and film can't uncover its actual history. For that, you need BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera and his new book, The Art of Betrayal: The Secret History of MI6.
Former Sox Manager Reflects On Turbulent Tenure()
January 19, 2013 Terry Francona led the Boston Red Sox to victory in the 2004 and 2007 World Series, but was let go after the team's late-season tailspin in 2011. Francona talks about the book he co-wrote with Dan Shaughnessy, Francona: The Red Sox Years.
After 30 Years, Neil Jordan Returns To 'The Past'()
January 19, 2013 The Ireland native is best known as a filmmaker — he directed The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire and the Showtime series The Borgias — but he began his career as a writer. His 1980 novel, The Past, has been reissued in the United States.
The Inquisition: A Model For Modern Interrogators()
January 18, 2013 The Inquisition revolutionized record-keeping and surveillance techniques that are still used today, says Cullen Murphy. His book God's Jury draws parallels between some of the interrogation techniques used in previous centuries with the ones used today.
The 'Underlying Logic' Behind The Madness Of The Office()
January 17, 2013 Those of us who work in an office know that there is at least some part of the organization that is utterly frustrating. In The Org, authors Tim Sullivan and Ray Fisman argue that the back-to-back meetings and unending bureaucracy serve an important purpose.
Books
Rereading The Classics: Lessons Learned The Second Time Around()
January 17, 2013 Writer Kevin Smokler spent most of 2012 rereading the books assigned in his high school English classes. Smokler, 39, speaks with NPR's Neal Conan about what he learned after returning to the classics.
Whole Foods CEO Expects Health Care Costs To Rise()
January 17, 2013 Steve Inskeep continues his conversation with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, who in 2009 denounced President Obama's proposed health care law. Mackey's new book is Conscious Capitalism.
The Salt
Whole Foods Founder John Mackey On Fascism And 'Conscious Capitalism'()
January 16, 2013 The outspoken Whole Foods founder tells us why he hates "Obamacare" and why we have trouble cutting the sugar, fat and salt out of our diets. But now he's told CBS he used a poor choice of words when referring to the health law as fascism.
Money Coach
Buy Shoes On Wednesday To Save Money()
January 15, 2013 Spending less and saving more are usually at the top of peoples' New Year's resolutions. For Tell Me More's 'Money Coach' series, host Michel Martin talks with Mark Di Vincenzo, author of 'Buy Shoes On Wednesday and Tweet at Four.' He says the trick to getting a good deal is knowing when to shop.
Books News & Features
Hold On To Your Tighty Whities, Captain Underpants Is Back!()
January 15, 2013 Dav Pilkey has just released his 10th Captain Underpants book. The series, packed with potty humor and goofy illustrations, delights reluctant readers and horrifies many grown-ups. Pilkey says he wanted to create books that would appeal even to readers who struggle, the way he did as a child.
Sotomayor Memoir: Don't Let A Door Stop You()
January 15, 2013 In her new autobiography, Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells the story of how a Puerto Rican girl from a Bronx tenement ended up on the U.S. Supreme Court. In My Beloved World, Sotomayor talks about her family, school life and career. She says you can't let a closed door stop you, you have to find a way around it.
