Christian writer's new book reminds kids what makes them different makes them special
Christian writer Jonathan Merritt's new book My Guncle and Me tells the story of a gay uncle who helps his nephew embrace being different.
Books
Stuck in a rut? How to appreciate your life again, according to science
After a while, even the most exciting relationships, jobs and environments lose their spark. But cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot says it's possible to fall back in love with life's small joys.
The truth and lies behind one of the most banned books in America
Author Mike Curato wrote Flamer as a way to help young queer kids, like he once was, better understand and accept themselves. It was met with immediate praise and accolades — until it wasn't. When the book got caught up in a wave of Texas-based book bans, suddenly the narrative changed. And like so many books that address queer identity, Flamer quickly became a flashpoint in a long, messy culture war that tried to distort the nature of the book.
The human brain is hardwired to recognize faces. But what if you can't?
Humans are hardwired to see faces — even in inanimate objects. We have a lima bean-shaped part of our brains dedicated to facial recognition. But this process isn't always straightforward. Science journalist Sadie Dingfelder is one of 10 million Americans who are face blind, or struggle to recognize the faces of people they know. In her new book, Do I Know You? she dives into this, as well as the science of memory and imagination.
Want more episodes on the wonder of the human brain? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Want more episodes on the wonder of the human brain? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Journalist explores the history of communist China through his family’s heritage
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with New York TimesAt the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning with China."
4 crime and suspense novels make for hot summer reading
There’s something about the shadowy moral recesses of crime and suspense fiction that makes those genres especially appealing as temperatures soar. Here are four novels that turn the heat up.
'Cue the Sun!' is a riveting history of reality TV
Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum's book is a near-definitive history of the genre that forever changed American entertainment.
Author Juli Min tells the story of a family in reverse in her book 'Shanghailanders'
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with author Juli Min about her new book Shanghailanders, which unspools the story of a family in reverse.
How a quest for greater profits upended the global supply chain during the pandemic
Everything from disinfectant wipes to computer chips were in short supply during the pandemic. New York Times journalist Peter Goodman explains the disruptions in How the World Ran Out of Everything.
Earth is more than a planet with life on it. It's a "living planet"
About ten years ago, science writer Ferris Jabr started contemplating Earth as a living planet rather than a planet with life on it. It began when he learned that the Amazon rainforest doesn't simply receive the rain that defines it; rather, it helps generate that rain. The Amazon does that by launching bits of biological confetti into the atmosphere that, in turn, seed clouds. After learning this, he began looking for other ways life changes its environment. That led to his new book Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life. He talks to host Regina G. Barber about examples of life transforming the planet — from changing the color of the sky to altering the weather.
Have a story about the environment you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Have a story about the environment you'd like us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.