Author Interviews

Food writer Bee Wilson says that babies are most open to trying new flavors between the ages of 4 and 7 months.

In Baby's 'First Bite,' A Chance To Shape A Child's Taste

3:01pm February 04, 2016

Bee Wilson's new book, First Bite, examines how genetics, culture, memory and early feeding patterns influence the palate. She says babies are most open to new flavors between ages 4 and 7 months.

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'The High Mountains of Portugal' By Yann Martel

Books
Arts

Author Yann Martel On 'That Deeply Unreasonable Phenomenon' Of Faith

5:32pm February 02, 2016

by NPR Staff

Martel's new book, The High Mountains of Portugal, shares some themes with his 2001 novel, Life of Pi: Both feature animals (in this case, a chimpanzee) and both struggle with questions of faith.

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Who Are America's 'Homegrown Terrorists'?

1:27pm February 02, 2016

CNN's Peter Bergen describes how the Internet and social media have been used to radicalize and recruit Americans to jihad — and how some new jihadists then use those same tools to draw in others.

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Cover detail from One Child, by Mei Fong.

How China's One-Child Policy Led To Forced Abortions, 30 Million Bachelors

5:16pm February 01, 2016

Journalist Mei Fong tells Fresh Air that China's one-child policy drastically reshaped the country's demographic make-up. "China has 30 million more men than women," she says. Her book is One Child.

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To Rebuild 'The Collapse Of Parenting,' It's Going To Be A Challenge

2:30pm January 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Parents struggle with the balance of being a friend versus being a taskmaster. Their job, says Dr. Leonard Sax, is to "keep your child safe" and "give kids choices in some domains but not in others."

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Book Diagnoses Darwin With Anxiety And Warhol As A Hoarder

8:55am January 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Journalist Claudia Kalb uses biographical material and modern-day mental health to get inside the heads of history's great personalities. Her new book is called Andy Warhol Was A Hoarder.

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Books
Arts

Diane Rehm Finds New Life In The Profound Challenge Of Being Alone

10:50am January 30, 2016

by NPR Staff

For decades, she's hosted her own talk show — but one of her toughest struggles came with the pain of her husband's death. She tells NPR's Scott Simon how it inspired her fight for assisted suicide.

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Books
Arts

Alexander Chee's Voice Shines Through In 'Queen Of The Night'

8:30am January 30, 2016

by NPR Staff

The long-awaited novel follows a famous opera singer on her journey of constant reinvention. Despite the 19th century France setting, Chee admits there are autobiographical elements.

Llapingacho is one of Marcella Kriebel's favorite recipes from her travels. It is an Ecuadorian cheese-stuffed potato pancake. Juxtaposed is causa, a Peruvian dish of layered potato, shrimp and avocado.

Books
Arts

'Mi Comida Latina': A Hand-Drawn Guide To Latin Cuisines

1:39pm January 28, 2016

by Morgan McCloy

With its vibrant watercolor illustrations and delicate hand-lettered recipes, artist Marcella Kriebel's cookbook is as much an art project as a manual for making tasty meals from Latin America.

Science writer Jo Marchant investigated the healing power of the mind for her new book, Cure.

How Meditation, Placebos And Virtual Reality Help Power 'Mind Over Body'

4:37pm January 26, 2016

Science writer Jo Marchant says that the mind can play an important role in dealing with a variety of health concerns, including pain, heart disease and depression. Marchant's new book is Cure.

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