Tag Archives: Book Excerpt

Podcast

Thrity Umrigar, THE STORY HOUR & THE WORLD WE FOUND

Thrity Umrigar
Thrity Umrigar

19144598WV spends the hour with Indian-born novelist Thrity Umrigar, talking about her latest work of fiction, THE STORY HOUR (Harper Collins, August 2014) and her 2012 novel, THE WORLD WE FOUND. Also, we air a sneak preview from next week’s show: a conversation with scientist Paul Ehrlich about HOPE ON EARTH.

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Podcast

Nell Bernstein, BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE & Kathy Engel on poetry for peace

Kathy Engel
Nell Bernstein
Kathy Engel
Kathy Engel

Nell Bernstein talks about her book, Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison (New Press.) And we hear from poet Kathy Engel about using poetry to promote peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Podcast

Bob Ivry, THE SEVEN SINS OF WALL STREET & Summer Reading List

Ivryphoto
Bob Ivry

IvrySevenSinscoverBloomberg News financial journalist Bob Ivry talks about his book, The Seven Sins of Wall Street: Big Banks, their Washington Lackeys, and the Next Financial Crisis (PublicAffairs.)We also have our picks for summer reading.

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Podcast

Dr. Sharon Moalem, INHERITANCE & David Shenk, THE GENIUS IN ALL OF US

Dr. Sharon Moalem
Dr. Sharon Moalem
David Shenk
David Shenk

Dr. Sharon Moalem talks about how nature and nurture impact our genes. His book is Inheritance: How Our Genes Change Our Lives and Our Lives Change Our Genes.

And we re-air our 2010 interview with journalist David Shenk about his book The Genius In All Of Us: Why Everything We’ve Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Are Wrong.

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Podcast

Elizabeth Kolbert, THE SIXTH EXTINCTION & Annalee Newitz, SCATTER, ADAPT AND REMEMBER

Annalee Newitz
Annalee Newitz
Elizabeth Kolbert
Elizabeth Kolbert

Science reporter Elizabeth Kolbert talks about her book,The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. And Annalee Newitz discusses the prospects for human survival amid the mass extinction we are causing. Her book is Scatter, Adapt and Remember.

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Podcast

James Romm, DYING EVERY DAY & Robert Knapp, INVISIBLE ROMANS

s200_james.romm
James Romm
Robert Knapp
Robert Knapp

Who was the real Seneca — the moral philosopher or the power broker to the Roman emperor? That’s what historian James Romm explores in his book, DYING EVERY DAY: Seneca at the Court of Nero.

And Nero and Seneca were the elite. But what about the other 99%? Historian Robert Knapp talks about the common people of ancient Rome in his book, INVISIBLE ROMANS.

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Web Extras

Betty Medsger (THE BURGLARY) on the FBI’s Blunder in Camden, NJ

Betty Medsger
Betty Medsger

Betty Medsger talks about a colossal blunder committed by the FBI during its investigation of the burglary — its prosecution of what turned out to be a totally unrelated incident in Camden, NJ that left the FBI with some serious egg on its face.

It was the arrest and prosecution of a large group of antiwar activists who planned a break-in at a draft board office. The FBI was sure the break-in was linked to the burglary of the Media, PA FBI office. But it wasn’t. Find out what happens by listening to this excerpt.

Listen to this Web-only excerpt about the Camden 28 from our longer interview with Betty Medsger about her book, The Burglary.

Podcast

Betty Medsger, THE BURGLARY & Don Mitchell, FLYING BLIND

Betty Medsger
Betty Medsger
Don Mitchell
Don Mitchell

Betty Medsger talks about her book about the 1971 Media, PA theft of files from an FBI office, The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI. And Don Mitchell tells how he got involved in the fight to protect endangered bats in his book, Flying Blind.

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Podcast

David Bollier, THINK LIKE A COMMONER & Michael Shuman, LOCAL DOLLARS, LOCAL SENSE

David Bollier
David Bollier
Michael Shuman
Michael Shuman

David Bollier talks about The Commons economy in his new book, THINK LIKE A COMMONER. But the Commons economy isn’t the only way to help communities — so can the market, if it’s in the form of investing in local and sustainable businesses. Michael Shuman’s new book, LOCAL DOLLARS, LOCAL SENSE, says that’s good for communities and investors.

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Podcast

Leah Vincent, CUT ME LOOSE and Amy Dryansky, GRASS WHISTLE

Leah Vincent
Leah Vincent
Amy Dryansky
Amy Dryansky

Leah Vincent talks about her memoir Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood. And April is poetry month; we talk with poet Amy Dryansky about her new poetry volume, Grass Whistle, and about balancing being a mother and a poet.

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Podcast

Robert Harris, AN OFFICER & A SPY & Francine Prose, LOVERS AT THE CHAMELEON CLUB

Robert Harris
Robert Harris
Francine Prose
Francine Prose

Robert Harris talks about his terrific new novel about the Dreyfus Affair and the whistleblower who blew it wide open: An Officer And A Spy. And Francine Prose talks about her new historical novel about France in the 1930’s: Lovers At The Chameleon Club-Paris, 1932.

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Podcast

John Rennie Short, STRESS TESTING THE USA & John Michael Greer, GREEN WIZARDRY

John Rennie Short
John Rennie Short
John Michael Greer
John Michael Greer

John Rennie Short talks about dealing with disasters; his book is Stress Testing The USA: Public Policy and Reaction to Disaster Events. And could simple, affordable, appropriate technology be the solution to surviving the post industrial future? John Michael Greer says yes! His book is Green Wizardry: Conservation, Solar Power, Organic Gardening, and Other Hands-On Skills From the Appropriate Tech Toolkit.

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Podcast

M.P. Barker, MENDING HORSES & Ellen Bryson THE TRANSFORMATION OF BARTHOLOMEW FORTUNO

M.P. Barker
M.P. Barker
Ellen Bryson
Ellen Bryson

M.P. Barker talks about her new historical novel for middle readers and above, Mending Horses. It’s a sequel to her wonderful first novel, A Difficult Boy. And then Ellen Bryson takes P.T. Barnum’s first circus as the setting to explore the outsider in all of us. Her novel is The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno. Continue reading

Podcast

Rob Okun, VOICE: MALE & Honor Moore, POEMS FROM THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

Rob Okun
Rob Okun
Honor Moore
Honor Moore

Rob Okun talks about the collection of essays he edited, VOICE MALE: The Untold Story of the Pro-feminist Men’s Movement. Then we re-air our 2009 interview with feminist poet Honor Moore about the anthology she edited, Poems From The Women’s Movement. Continue reading

Podcast

Ann Patchett, THIS IS THE STORY OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE & Jeanne Ray, CALLING INVISIBLE WOMEN

Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett
Jeanne Ray
Jeanne Ray

Ann Patchett talks about her collection of essays, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. Then we re-air our 2012 interview with Patchett’s mother Jeanne Ray — also a writer — about her novel, Calling Invisible Women.

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