NPR Special Coverage: NPR Book Notes

NPR Special Coverage: NPR Book Notes http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100876926&ft=1&f=100876926 Get NPR book reviews and stories sent to you each week. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/thumbnail/npr_generic_image_75.jpg NPR Book Notes http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100876926&ft=1&f=100876926 yes McCann, Stiles Win National Book Awards The 60th annual National Book Awards were handed out Wednesday night in New York. Colum McCann's <em>Let the Great World Spin,</em> a novel about daring, luck and mortality in 1970s New York, won the fiction prize. T.J. Stiles' biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, <em>The First Tycoon,</em> was the nonfiction winner, and Keith Waldrop's <em>Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy</em> won for poetry. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120562910&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120562910&ft=1&f=100876926 The 60th annual National Book Awards were handed out Wednesday night in New York. Colum McCann's <em>Let the Great World Spin,</em> a novel about daring, luck and mortality in 1970s New York, won the fiction prize. T.J. Stiles' biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, <em>The First Tycoon,</em> was the nonfiction winner, and Keith Waldrop's <em>Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy</em> won for poetry. 255 no The 60th annual National Book Awards were handed out Wednesday night in New York. Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin, a novel about daring, luck and mortality in 1970s New York, won the fiction prize. T.J. Stiles' biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, The First Tycoon, was the nonfiction winner, and Keith Waldrop's Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy won for poetry.

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]]> A Conservative Read On Palin's 'Going Rogue' Sarah Palin may be the Republican party's next big hope, but commentator Rod Dreher says her new book, <em>Going Rogue</em>, does little to bolster her image. She may be the perkiest small-town American in the spotlight, but Palin is selling her personality, not a platform. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:24:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120508053&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120508053&ft=1&f=100876926 Sarah Palin may be the Republican party's next big hope, but commentator Rod Dreher says her new book, <em>Going Rogue</em>, does little to bolster her image. She may be the perkiest small-town American in the spotlight, but Palin is selling her personality, not a platform. 215 no Sarah Palin may be the Republican party's next big hope, but commentator Rod Dreher says her new book, Going Rogue, does little to bolster her image. She may be the perkiest small-town American in the spotlight, but Palin is selling her personality, not a platform.

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]]> What We're Reading, Nov. 17 - 23, 2009 This week's staff picks: Biographies from bad-boy Andre Agassi and 'Rogue' politician Sarah Palin. Stephen King returns to form in a new novel, Zadie Smith fascinates in collected essays, and science writer Nicholas Wade argues that God is just an evolutionary adaptation. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120442194&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120442194&ft=1&f=100876926 This week's staff picks: Biographies from bad-boy Andre Agassi and 'Rogue' politician Sarah Palin. Stephen King returns to form in a new novel, Zadie Smith fascinates in collected essays, and science writer Nicholas Wade argues that God is just an evolutionary adaptation. no This week's staff picks: Biographies from bad-boy Andre Agassi and 'Rogue' politician Sarah Palin. Stephen King returns to form in a new novel, Zadie Smith fascinates in collected essays, and science writer Nicholas Wade argues that God is just an evolutionary adaptation.

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]]> A Haunting American Dream Set In 'Luna Park' Writer Kevin Baker says he never thought he'd be "hip enough" to venture into graphic novels. But with illustrator Danijel Zezelj, he has created <em>Luna Park</em> — a ghostly graphic novel set in the decaying amusement parks of Coney Island. It profiles a Russian immigrant plagued by nightmares of the Chechen War. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120463992&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120463992&ft=1&f=100876926 Writer Kevin Baker says he never thought he'd be "hip enough" to venture into graphic novels. But with illustrator Danijel Zezelj, he has created <em>Luna Park</em> — a ghostly graphic novel set in the decaying amusement parks of Coney Island. It profiles a Russian immigrant plagued by nightmares of the Chechen War. 1032 no Writer Kevin Baker says he never thought he'd be "hip enough" to venture into graphic novels. But with illustrator Danijel Zezelj, he has created Luna Park — a ghostly graphic novel set in the decaying amusement parks of Coney Island. It profiles a Russian immigrant plagued by nightmares of the Chechen War.

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]]> 'Mad Scientists,' Building The Future For 50 Years If you've used a GPS system — or if you happen to be using the Internet to read this — you can thank DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. For 50 years, the smallish, somewhat secretive division of the Pentagon has been mostly off-limits to reporters. Now author Michael Belfiore has profiled the agency in a new book. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:52:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120400853&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120400853&ft=1&f=100876926 If you've used a GPS system — or if you happen to be using the Internet to read this — you can thank DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. For 50 years, the smallish, somewhat secretive division of the Pentagon has been mostly off-limits to reporters. Now author Michael Belfiore has profiled the agency in a new book. 361 no If you've used a GPS system — or if you happen to be using the Internet to read this — you can thank DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. For 50 years, the smallish, somewhat secretive division of the Pentagon has been mostly off-limits to reporters. Now author Michael Belfiore has profiled the agency in a new book.

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]]> In Essays, Author Zadie Smith Reveals Her Process In the new collection <em>Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays</em>, author Zadie Smith explores her writing process and the people who have influenced her. Smith tells NPR she doesn't write every day, though she wishes she did — and that she used writing as a way to mourn her father. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:38:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120320510&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120320510&ft=1&f=100876926 In the new collection <em>Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays</em>, author Zadie Smith explores her writing process and the people who have influenced her. Smith tells NPR she doesn't write every day, though she wishes she did — and that she used writing as a way to mourn her father. 499 no In the new collection Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays, author Zadie Smith explores her writing process and the people who have influenced her. Smith tells NPR she doesn't write every day, though she wishes she did — and that she used writing as a way to mourn her father.

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]]> 'The Red Book': A Window Into Jung's Dreams The journal — 16 years in the making — in which psychoanalyst Carl Jung documented his inner life was long hidden. Now, after a painstaking process of translation and reproduction, Jung's journal is finally available to the public. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:59:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120129676&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120129676&ft=1&f=100876926 The journal — 16 years in the making — in which psychoanalyst Carl Jung documented his inner life was long hidden. Now, after a painstaking process of translation and reproduction, Jung's journal is finally available to the public. 348 no The journal — 16 years in the making — in which psychoanalyst Carl Jung documented his inner life was long hidden. Now, after a painstaking process of translation and reproduction, Jung's journal is finally available to the public.

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]]> What We're Reading: Nov. 10 - 16, 2009 More staff picks of standout books. This week, new nonfiction: Newspaperman Harold Evans traces his rise, while poet Mary Karr details her fall — and redemption. Nina Totenberg reads the Scalia biography. And great detective writers reveal the origins of their famous sleuths. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120250378&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120250378&ft=1&f=100876926 More staff picks of standout books. This week, new nonfiction: Newspaperman Harold Evans traces his rise, while poet Mary Karr details her fall — and redemption. Nina Totenberg reads the Scalia biography. And great detective writers reveal the origins of their famous sleuths. no More staff picks of standout books. This week, new nonfiction: Newspaperman Harold Evans traces his rise, while poet Mary Karr details her fall — and redemption. Nina Totenberg reads the Scalia biography. And great detective writers reveal the origins of their famous sleuths.

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]]> From Kingsolver, The Fiction Of A Split Psyche Writer Barbara Kingsolver is fascinated by the tension inherent in living on the border between two cultures. Her latest novel, <em>The Lacuna</em>, tells the story of a young man born of a Mexican mother and an American father. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:18:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120182303&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120182303&ft=1&f=100876926 Writer Barbara Kingsolver is fascinated by the tension inherent in living on the border between two cultures. Her latest novel, <em>The Lacuna</em>, tells the story of a young man born of a Mexican mother and an American father. 440 no Writer Barbara Kingsolver is fascinated by the tension inherent in living on the border between two cultures. Her latest novel, The Lacuna, tells the story of a young man born of a Mexican mother and an American father.

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]]> Mixed Race Americans Picture A 'Blended Nation' The 2000 U.S. census was the first to give Americans the option to check more than one box for race. Nearly 7 million people declared themselves to be multiracial, a number that's expected to shoot up in the 2010 count. As more of the nation's population identifies itself as being of mixed race, the authors of a new book say Americans' ideas of racial identity are in for a challenge. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120209980&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120209980&ft=1&f=100876926 The 2000 U.S. census was the first to give Americans the option to check more than one box for race. Nearly 7 million people declared themselves to be multiracial, a number that's expected to shoot up in the 2010 count. As more of the nation's population identifies itself as being of mixed race, the authors of a new book say Americans' ideas of racial identity are in for a challenge. 646 no The 2000 U.S. census was the first to give Americans the option to check more than one box for race. Nearly 7 million people declared themselves to be multiracial, a number that's expected to shoot up in the 2010 count. As more of the nation's population identifies itself as being of mixed race, the authors of a new book say Americans' ideas of racial identity are in for a challenge.

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]]> Harold Evans: A Long Career Of Chasing Stories The British journalist talks with Steve Inskeep about his tenure as editor of the <em>Sunday Times</em> in London and his crusade to maintain journalism's commitment to public good. Evans has a new memoir called <em>My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times</em>. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120091024&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120091024&ft=1&f=100876926 The British journalist talks with Steve Inskeep about his tenure as editor of the <em>Sunday Times</em> in London and his crusade to maintain journalism's commitment to public good. Evans has a new memoir called <em>My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times</em>. 466 no The British journalist talks with Steve Inskeep about his tenure as editor of the Sunday Times in London and his crusade to maintain journalism's commitment to public good. Evans has a new memoir called My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times.

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]]> Mary Karr, Remembering The Years She Spent 'Lit' <em>The Liar's Club,</em> Mary Karr's memoir about her hardscrabble childhood in Texas, was named one of the best books of 1995. In her new book, <em>Lit,</em> Karr details her early adult years and her struggles with alcohol, depression and motherhood. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:06:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120020266&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120020266&ft=1&f=100876926 <em>The Liar's Club,</em> Mary Karr's memoir about her hardscrabble childhood in Texas, was named one of the best books of 1995. In her new book, <em>Lit,</em> Karr details her early adult years and her struggles with alcohol, depression and motherhood. 1881 no The Liar's Club, Mary Karr's memoir about her hardscrabble childhood in Texas, was named one of the best books of 1995. In her new book, Lit, Karr details her early adult years and her struggles with alcohol, depression and motherhood.

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]]> What We're Reading: Nov. 3 - 9, 2009 A new weekly feature spotlights staff picks of standout books. This week, new novels from Barbara Kingsolver, Philip Roth and Paul Auster. Jonathan Safran Foer makes the case against <em>Eating Animals,</em> and Ken Auletta's <em>Googled</em> profiles one of the world's most significant companies. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120011677&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120011677&ft=1&f=100876926 A new weekly feature spotlights staff picks of standout books. This week, new novels from Barbara Kingsolver, Philip Roth and Paul Auster. Jonathan Safran Foer makes the case against <em>Eating Animals,</em> and Ken Auletta's <em>Googled</em> profiles one of the world's most significant companies. no A new weekly feature spotlights staff picks of standout books. This week, new novels from Barbara Kingsolver, Philip Roth and Paul Auster. Jonathan Safran Foer makes the case against Eating Animals, and Ken Auletta's Googled profiles one of the world's most significant companies.

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]]> For Foer, Meat Is Murder ... And Worse Author Jonathan Safran Foer grapples with the morality of meat and the brutality of the factory farm system in his new book, <em>Eating Animals.</em> The book is part memoir and part investigative report. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:04:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114298495&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114298495&ft=1&f=100876926 Author Jonathan Safran Foer grapples with the morality of meat and the brutality of the factory farm system in his new book, <em>Eating Animals.</em> The book is part memoir and part investigative report. 394 no Author Jonathan Safran Foer grapples with the morality of meat and the brutality of the factory farm system in his new book, Eating Animals. The book is part memoir and part investigative report.

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]]> Ayn Rand's Conservative Call Echoes Today In Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal policies, Ayn Rand saw the makings of a fascist nation. The author of a new biography of the conservative icon says Rand would have seen Obama's stimulus plan, bank bailout program and health care initiative as "a gigantic power grab." Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:58:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114373264&ft=1&f=100876926 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114373264&ft=1&f=100876926 In Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal policies, Ayn Rand saw the makings of a fascist nation. The author of a new biography of the conservative icon says Rand would have seen Obama's stimulus plan, bank bailout program and health care initiative as "a gigantic power grab." 427 no In Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal policies, Ayn Rand saw the makings of a fascist nation. The author of a new biography of the conservative icon says Rand would have seen Obama's stimulus plan, bank bailout program and health care initiative as "a gigantic power grab."

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