Books

The Titan II intercontinental-range missile, pictured in 1965, sits ready for launch on its 150-feet-deep underground launchpad. "The one warhead on a Titan II had three times the explosive force of all the bombs used by all the armies in the second world

Books
Arts

Nuclear 'Command And Control': A History Of False Alarms And Near Catastrophes

11:39am August 13, 2014

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, spent six years researching America's nuclear weapons. In Command and Control, he details explosions, false attack alerts and accidentally dropped bombs.

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Brothers and aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright walk together in 1910.

Books
Arts

When It Comes To Creativity, Are Two Heads Better Than One?

8:14am August 11, 2014

by NPR Staff

Joshua Wolf Shenk says it's time to debunk the myth of the lone genius. His new book explores creative partnerships — and explains how Emily Dickinson wasn't actually as much of a loner as we think.

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Visitors look at an exhibit at the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass.

Effort To Preserve Yiddish Works Not 'Bupkes'

11:40am August 09, 2014

by Jon Kalish

The preservation of Yiddish as a spoken language gets more attention, but Yiddish once had a vibrant written tradition as well, filled with plays, poetry, novels and political tracts.

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Books
Arts

For Novelist Jonathan Lethem, Radicalism Runs In The Family

2:44pm August 08, 2014

His new book, Dissident Gardens, follows three generations of an activist family. The book is fiction, but its characters were inspired by Lethem's own story. Originally broadcast Sept. 9, 2013.

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Books
Arts

With Magic And Fables, 'Angel Of Losses' Breathes Life Into History

9:47am August 06, 2014

by Ellah Allfrey

Stephanie Feldman's debut novel is about Jewish folk tales and family history. It's also an exploration of the inheritance of loss and the guilt of survival as it is passed down through generations.

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Author Rick Perlstein also wrote the well-regarded books Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus and Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America.

How Ronald Reagan Used An 'Invisible Bridge' To Win Over Americans

4:50pm August 05, 2014

Rick Perlstein's new book describes how Reagan emerged as the leader of a potent political movement during the turbulent mid-'70s. He says the soul of Reagan's appeal was how he made people feel good.

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A student works on a laptop on a college quad.

Books
Arts

Amid Rising College Costs, A Defense Of The Liberal Arts

9:18am August 04, 2014

by NPR Staff

Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, author of the new book Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters, says that the debate over the value of a college education is hardly new.

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Sounds Intriguing: The World's Most Interesting Noises

8:53am August 01, 2014

by NPR Staff

As an acoustic engineer, Trevor Cox has spent most of his career getting rid of bizarre, unwanted sounds. But in The Sound Book, Cox turns up the volume on those sonic oddities. The book explores weird echoes and unexpected noises from around the globe — including "whisper galleries" and a chirping pyramid.

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Books
Arts

Fiction Explores The Push And Pull Of Arab-Israeli Identity

12:27pm July 30, 2014

by Molly Antopol

Sayed Kashua is an Arab who writes novels in Hebrew and a sitcom in Arabic. A contradiction? Maybe. But his newest book is a good look at an often-overlooked segment of the Israeli population.

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Economy

Brian Lampkin and Scuppernong Books: Making More than a Bookstore

9:48am July 30, 2014

Brian Lampkin is the owner of Scuppernong Books in Greensboro. His store sells books, wine, beer, snacks, and does many community events. WFDD Radio Camper Dylan Naessig asks him questions about his bookstore.

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