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After Fight For Life And Media Firestorm, 'Distressed Baby' Is Happy Toddler

2:11pm July 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

When a CEO blamed "distressed babies" for cuts to benefits last year, Deanna Fei discovered her infant was national news. She reflects on how she coped with a baby on life support — and in headlines.

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When Weed Is The Cure: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana

11:25am July 15, 2015

Dr. David Casarett used to think of medical marijuana as "a joke." But after taking a deeper look, he's changed his mind. Casarett's new book is Stoned: A Doctor's Case for Medical Marijuana.

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'Armada' Sinks In A Sea Of Pop-Culture References

11:06am July 15, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Ernest Cline's new novel follows a teen boy who discovers his favorite video game is real. But critic Tasha Robinson says Armada is light on plot and character.

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'ZeroZeroZero' Argues Cocaine Is Everywhere ... But Is It Really?

11:06am July 15, 2015

by Tomas Hachard

Roberto Saviano reports on the worldwide cocaine trade, from small-scale users to organized crime. Critic Tomas Hachard says that while the book is illuminating, it doesn't quite hit its mark.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Looks At The Physical Toll Of Being Black In America

10:02am July 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

Coates writes about race and social issues for The Atlantic. His new book, Between the World and Me, brings to bear his fear that his life and the lives of his loved ones might end unnaturally.

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Residents Of Harper Lee's Hometown Celebrate 'Go Set A Watchman'

7:18pm July 14, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Spencer Madrie, the owner of the Ol' Curiosities and Book Shoppe in downtown Monroeville, Ala., for the reaction to Harper Lee's latest book, Go Set a Watchman.

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Ta-Nehisi Coates is national correspondent for The Atlantic. He is also the author of The Beautiful Struggle.

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Arts

Ta-Nehisi Coates On Police Brutality, The Confederate Flag And Forgiveness

4:52pm July 14, 2015

Growing up in Baltimore, the writer faced threats from both the streets and the police. His book, Between the World and Me, is an open letter to his teenage son.

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Equal Parts Sarcasm, Silliness And Smarts In 'Let's Be Less Stupid'

4:43pm July 14, 2015

by Heller McAlpin

Patricia Marx's comic memoir chronicles her four-month attempt to boost her brainpower. Critic Heller McAlpin says anyone clever enough to have written this book shouldn't worry about her brain.

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Arts

'Cold Iron' Asks: What If Tolkien Had Been American?

2:44pm July 14, 2015

by Amal El-Mohtar

Stina Leicht's novel melds Tolkienesque fantasy with muskets and gunpowder in a tale of elves at war with humans. Critic Amal El-Mohtar calls it "an impressively character-driven doorstop."

John A. Williams, a renowned poet and novelist, died July 3. He was 89.

A Tribute To John Williams, The Man Who Wrote 'I Am'

10:14pm July 13, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The prolific author tackled difficult issues of race in novels and poetry. He used his writing to challenge assumptions about African-Americans, including civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.