Books

Rear view of a young guy walking down a city street.

Books
Arts

'Love Affairs' Of A Hip, Young Literary Hound Dog

12:18pm August 06, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. is a debut novel about a sharp and assured young man living among young, aspiring literary types in Brooklyn. Book critic Maureen Corrigan says never before has a novel made her feel so grateful to be middle-aged.

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According to author David Epstein, hitters like the Los Angeles Angels' Albert Pujols look at the movement of the pitcher's shoulder, torso or hand to help them hit the ball.

Talent Or Skill?: Homing In On The Elusive 'Sports Gene'

11:59pm August 05, 2013

Do big league hitters have naturally faster reflexes? Are African-Americans predisposed to be better athletes? In his new book, Sports Illustrated's David Epstein says science now has answers — or at least insights — to all these questions.

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Books
Arts

Charles Manson: Master Manipulator, Even As A Child

6:38pm August 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

More than four decades after the cult leader planned nine vicious murders, he is still part of American culture. Jeff Guinn's new biography digs through details of Manson's troubled childhood, with access to family members and photos never reported on before.

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British rockers Led Zeppelin pose in front of their private plane, dubbed "The Starship," in 1973.

On The Road To Rock Excess: Why The '60s Really Ended In 1973

9:58am August 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

In the new book What You Want Is in the Limo, author Michael Walker argues that a peak year in the careers of Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper and The Who also marked a cultural shift — from the peace, love and understanding of 1960-era music to '70s rock decadence.

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'Looking For Palestine': A Once-Split Identity Becomes Whole

8:46am August 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

Najla Said's father, Edward Said, was an outspoken professor and prominent voice for Palestinian independence. Yet Najla's life felt less grounded. Growing up as a Palestinian-Lebanese-American in New York City, she balanced competing cultures and multiple lives, searching for a place to fit in.

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Jack Bishop of America's Test Kitchen says the trick to grilling peaches is using fruit that's ripe but firm.

Books
Arts

'America's Test Kitchen' On Grilling Peaches, Tofu And Burgers

1:26pm August 01, 2013

Bridget Lancaster and Jack Bishop advise using ripe fruit, extra-firm tofu and poking your hamburgers so they don't puff up like tennis balls.

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Pioneering 'Masters Of Sex' Brought Science To The Bedroom

4:40pm July 30, 2013

William Masters and Virginia Johnson became famous in the 1960s for their research into the physiology of human sexuality. In Masters of Sex, biographer Thomas Maier explores the duo's research methods, which for years remained shrouded in secrecy.

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Books
Arts

With 'Arrangements' And 'The Rest,' Two Debut Novelists Arrive

3:41pm July 30, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

Maggie Shipstead mocks the pretensions of New England WASPs, while Jessica Lott executes unexpected riffs on the student-professor relationship plot. Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews two stellar fiction newcomers.

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Michael Paterniti is also the author of Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain.

Books
Arts

A Touching, 'Telling' Book About Cheese

6:24pm July 28, 2013

by Rosecrans Baldwin

Colonel Mustard, in the ballroom, with the ... Gouda? You may not expect a wheel of cheese to be at the center of a devious plot, but Michael Paterniti's The Telling Room manages to do just that.

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Books
Arts

In 'The Panopticon,' They're Always Watching

5:25pm July 27, 2013

by NPR Staff

Jenni Fagan's debut novel, The Panopticon, is a creepy and troubled portrait of a girl lost in the system. The plot is loosely based on Fagan's experience growing up in foster care.

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