Books

Books
Arts

'The Quiet Americans' Examines Tragic Miscalculations In The CIA's Formative Years

2:44pm September 01, 2020

by Dave Davies

In a new book, author Scott Anderson chronicles the formative years of America's spy agency by focusing on four soldiers who became intelligence agents after World War II.

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Blood and Oil: Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power, by Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck

'Blood And Oil' Traces Mohammed Bin Salman's Rise As A Ruthless Saudi Leader

12:46pm September 01, 2020

by Jackie Northam

The Wall Street Journal's Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck chart MBS' evolution from an unfocused, overweight kid with a taste for McDonald's to an increasingly brutish man with an eye on the throne.

Books

Writers Worldwide Contribute To Anthology About The Pandemic

8:22am September 01, 2020

NPR's Noel King talks to Ilan Stavans, the editor of the new anthology: And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again:Writers from Around the World on the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Summer Reader Poll 2020: 100 Favorite Kids' Books

Books
Arts

Welcome To Story Hour: 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers

8:32am August 31, 2020

by Petra Mayer

This year we had kids and caregivers in mind when we chose the genre for our summer poll. So here are 100 favorite kids' books, picked by readers and expert judges, to while away the hours at home.

'NYT' Reporter Discusses Economic Influence In 2020 Election

5:33pm August 30, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with New York Times economics reporter Jim Tankersley about the role the economy is playing in the 2020 election and his new book, The Riches of This Land.

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In his new book, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., outlines the history of the Second Amendment and why gun violence is as bad as it is today. Above, Murphy listens during during a Senate hearing on June 30, 2020.

Chris Murphy Says He Still Sees Hope For Progress Around Gun Laws And Racial Justice

12:11pm August 30, 2020

by Suzanne Nuyen

In his new book, the Connecticut Democrat outlines the history of the Second Amendment and gun violence. While solutions are big and comprehensive, Murphy says the U.S. is poised to turn a corner.

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Books

Chef Alvin Cailan On Comfort Food, His Heritage And His New Book, 'Amboy'

7:57am August 30, 2020

NPR's Debbie Elliot speaks with Eggslut restaurant franchise founder Alvin Cailan about his new cookbook-cum-memoir Amboy, which features his favorite Filipino comfort food.

The Man Who Took the Indoors Out, by Arnold Lobel

Books
Arts

Frog And Toad Are Great, But Have You Met 'The Man Who Took The Indoors Out'?

7:00am August 30, 2020

by Alethea Kontis

When you think of author and illustrator Arnold Lobel, you probably think of Frog and Toad, his amphibian forever friends — but this story of loving things and letting them go deserves a fresh look.

Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Books
Arts

'Punching The Air' Tells A Story Of Hope Behind Bars

7:57am August 29, 2020

by Scott Simon

Author Ibi Zoboi and activist Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five, turn his childhood pain into poetry in this new novel in verse, about a Black teenager convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

Books
Arts

A Scientist Feels The Pull Of Faith In 'Transcendent Kingdom'

7:57am August 29, 2020

by Scott Simon

Yaa Gyasi's new novel follows a young woman working on a neuroscience PhD who hopes that figuring out the pathways of addiction and depression in mice will help her work through her own feelings.