Melinda Gates Plays Not My Job
The co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plays a game called "But I meant well, your Majesty." Three questions about gifts given to Queen Elizabeth II.
Arts & Life
Jack London Believed 'Function Of Man Is To Live, Not To Exist'
A new biography of the writer behind Call of the Wild and White Fang explores the life experiences that informed those works. London grew up in poverty, says biographer Earle Labor. "He was a dreamer, and a visionary. And his dreams and visions almost always outran his finances."
Moms Petition Mars To Remove Artificial Dyes From M&M's
The petition to candy-maker Mars is motivated by concerns that artificial colorings can make some kids hyperactive. In Europe, natural dyes have now outstripped their artificial counterparts.
At Home At Sea: Robert Redford, At His Best Alone
The actor is a cast of one in All Is Lost, about a man adrift alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Fresh Air critic David Edelstein says Redford and director J.C. Chandor have pulled off the ultimate fusion of actor and character. (Recommended)
Meet 'The Brothers' Who Shaped U.S. Policy, Inside And Out
In 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed John Foster Dulles as secretary of state, and Allen Dulles as director of the CIA. In his new book, The Brothers, journalist Stephen Kinzer says the Dulles' actions "helped set off some of the world's most profound long-term crises."
Greenspan: 'I Probably Could Have Caught' Economic Crises
Alan Greenspan was often celebrated during his long chairmanship of the Federal Reserve. But Greenspan's policies have been blamed by some for the Great Recession. In an interview with NPR about his new book, The Map and the Territory: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting, Greenspan discusses difficulties in predicting economic calamity.
'12 Years A Slave': 160 Years Later, A Memoir Becomes A Movie
Solomon Northup was born a free man and lived the life of a respected musician until 1841, when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. British director Steve McQueen's new film, starring British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, brings Northup's memoir to life in excruciating detail.
'Dancing On The Edge' Is Fun For Both The Eyes And The Ears
Set in London in the early 1930s, the five-part miniseries is about a black jazz band trying to crack the dance halls and radio playlists. Critic David Bianculli says this music-centered show features full, unpredictable characters and some exceptionally intriguing performances.
Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)
Crystal isn't happy about turning 65, but at least he's finding a way to laugh about it. The actor and comedian's new memoir — Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? — is on the best-seller list and he'll be back on Broadway in November.
Bonham Carter Takes On Taylor, And She Did Her Homework
The actress spoke with NPR's Robert Siegel about playing the icon in BBC America's Burton and Taylor. The movie follows the preposterously famous '60s and '70s couple as they reunited for a 1983 Broadway production of Private Lives.