Books

We Have Been Harmonized by Kai Strittmatter

Facial Recognition And Beyond: Journalist Ventures Inside China's 'Surveillance State'

2:42pm January 05, 2021

by Dave Davies

Kai Strittmatter says the Chinese state has amassed an astonishing amount of data about its citizens, which it uses to punish people for even minor offenses. His new book is We Have Been Harmonized.

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Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding, by Daniel E. Lieberman

'Exercised' Explains Why It Can Be Hard To Commit To Working Out — And Why We Should

10:29am January 05, 2021

by Barbara J. King

Harvard University's Daniel Lieberman looks at exercise from an evolutionary point of view, concluding that we evolved to limit our physical activity where possible, saving it for survival activities.

Books
Arts

Gatsby's Great Narrator 'Nick' Finally Gets His Own Backstory

5:50am January 05, 2021

by Steve Inskeep

Michael Farris Smith followed F. Scott Fitzgerald's "breadcrumbs" to write Nick, a prequel to The Great Gatsby. Revising the book, Smith was struck by the parallels between the 1920s and the 2020s.

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To 'Keep Sharp' This Year, Keep Learning, Advises Neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta

1:50pm January 04, 2021

by Terry Gross

CNN's chief medical correspondent says it's never too late to develop new brain pathways. Even small changes, like switching up the hand you use to hold your fork, can help optimize brain health.

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Books

How Children's Books Grapple With The Native American Experience

5:11pm January 03, 2021

Host Michel Martin speaks with Aaron Carapella of Tribal Nations Maps about children's books that address the history and experiences of Native Americans.

Christmas tree put out for garbage after the holiday season

Books

Conifer Cuisine: Don't Toss Your Christmas Tree Yet! Here's How You Can Cook With It

10:42am January 03, 2021

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

If you haven't taken down your Christmas tree yet, no worries. We don't judge. Baker and cook Julia Georgallis has suggestions for how to eat your holiday tree.

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Books

'One Of The Good Ones' Tackles Police Violence, Young Adulthood and Sisterhood

7:47am January 03, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Maika and Maritza Moulite about their young adult novel, One of the Good Ones. It's about a teenager and the death of her sister in police custody.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925, it didn't sell many copies. Now it's sold nearly 30 million.

Books

Opinion: 'The Great Gatsby' Enters Public Domain But It Already Entered Our Hearts

2:09pm January 02, 2021

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the legacy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The literary classic's copyright expired on the first day of 2021.

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Books

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Discusses His New Book On President Harry Truman

7:53am January 02, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon talks with MSNBC host Joe Scarborough about his book, Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for Western Civilization.

Books

Mateo Askaripour On His Darkly Comic Debut Novel

7:53am January 02, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Mateo Askaripour about his satirical debut novel, Black Buck.