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What Kerri's Reading | Upcoming Conversations | Talking Volumes | Past Conversations
Kerri Miller's Book Club
One of the reasons you appreciate Minnesota Public Radio, is that we introduce you to the greatest minds writing today. When you contribute $50/month to Minnesota Public Radio today, you can join Kerri Miller's new book club. We'll send you six books, selected by Kerri, that are moving, inspiring, and changing the world we live in. The next book Kerri is featuring, "Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics," by Reinhold Niebuhr To find out more details, click here. |
Past Conversations
"31 Hours," by Masha Hamilton
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, November 13, 10 a.m. CST
"31 Hours" is Masha Hamilton s fourth novel, following the acclaimed The Camel Bookmobile. She is also a journalist who has reported most recently from Afghanistan, and from the Middle East, Russia and Africa. She lives in Brooklyn.
"Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" by Michael Sandel
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, November 12, 10 a.m. CST
Michael J. Sandel’s “Justice” course is one of the most popular and influential at Harvard. Up to a thousand students pack the campus theater to hear Sandel relate the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of the day, and this fall, public television will air a series based on the course. Justice offers readers the same exhilarating journey that captivates Harvard students.
"LIT," by Mary Karr
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, November 11, 10 a.m. CST
Lit is about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; learning to write by learning to live. Written with Karr's relentless honesty, unflinching self-scrutiny, and irreverent, lacerating humor, it is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up—as only Mary Karr can tell it.
"Last Night in Twisted River," by John Irving
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, November 9, 10 a.m. CST
In a story spanning five decades, Last Night in Twisted River -- John Irving's twelfth novel -- depicts the recent half-century in the United States as "a living replica of Coos County, where lethal hatreds were generally permitted to run their course."
"Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World," by John Hope Bryant
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, November 5, 9 a.m. CST
John Hope Bryant is a philanthropic entrepreneur and leader in the business of empowerment. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, America's first nonprofit social investment banking organization.
"Health Care Will Not Reform Itself," by George C. Halvorson
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, November 5, 10 a.m. CST
Halvorson draws from respected studies, including his own, and the examples of successful systems across the world to show that while good health care is expensive, it is nowhere near as costly as bad health care.
"The Man Who Loved Books Too Much," by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, November 3, 10 a.m. CST
At once a book about passion, collection, and theft through the ages, as well as an intimate portrait of one of the most successful book thieves in history, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much takes readers inside a world of literary obsession.
"Wicked Plants," by Amy Stewart
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, October 27, 10 a.m. CST
In Wicked Plants, Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations. It's an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.
"The Bizarre Truth," by Andrew Zimmern
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, October 26, 9 a.m. CST
Andrew Zimmern is a food writer, dining critic, chef, and co-creator, host, and co-producer of Travel Channel series Bizarre Foods and Bizarre Worlds with Andrew Zimmern.
"Travel as a Political Act," by Rick Steves
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, October 23, 10 a.m. CST
One of the world’s most famous travel writer shows how international travel can foster cultural understanding, peace and help individuals tackle their own insecurities and fears.
"War Dances," by Sherman Alexie
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, October 20, 10 a.m. CST
Fresh off his National Book Award win, Alexie delivers a heartbreaking, hilarious collection of stories that explores the precarious balance between self-preservation and external responsibility in art, family, and the world at large. A National Book Award-winning author, poet, and filmmaker, Sherman has been named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists and has been lauded by The Boston Globe as "an important voice in American literature."
"The Greatest Show on Earth," by Richard Dawkins
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, October 20, 9 a.m. CST
In a follow-up to his blockbuster "The God Delusion," Dawkins lays out the evidence for evolution. Richard Dawkins taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995.
"Dawn Light," by Diane Ackerman
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, October 16, 10 a.m. CST
A celebrated storyteller-poet-naturalist explores a year of dawns in her most personal book to date. Ackerman is the best-selling author of "A Natural History of the Senses" and many other books, most recently the best-selling "The Zookeeper’s Wife."
"The Case for God," by Karen Armstrong
Broadcase, MidmorningTuesday, October 13, 10 a.m. CST
Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Karen Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao.
"The Anthologist," by Nicholson Baker
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, October 9, 10 a.m. CST
The undisputed Master of Minutia, Nicholson Baker is known for elegantly written, virtually plotless novels, filled with meticulously detailed descriptions, and for nonfiction that is unconventional, passionate, and often controversial.
"A Gate at the Stairs," by Lorrie Moore
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, October 8, 10 a.m. CST
Lorrie Moore is the author of the story collections "Like Life and Self-Help," and the novels "Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?" and "Anagrams." In her new novel Moore turns her eye on the anxiety and disconnection of post-9/11 America, on the insidiousness of racism, the blind-sidedness of war, and the recklessness thrust on others in the name of love.
"Strength in What Remains," by Tracy Kidder
Broadcast, MidmorningWedneday, October 7, 10 a.m. CST
Tracy Kidder has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Robert F. Kennedy Award, among other literary prizes. "Strength in What Remains" is the account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances.
"Dear Undercover Economist," by Tim Harford
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, October 5, 9 a.m. CST
In Dear Undercover Economist, the first collection of his wildly popular Financial Times columns, Tim Harford offers witty, charming, and at times caustic answers to our most pressing concerns–all through the lens of economics.
"Like You'd Understand, Anyway," by Jim Shepard
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, September 22, 10 a.m. CST
Jim Shepard is the author of six novels and two previous collections of stories. He teaches at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. "Like You’d Understand, Anyway" features 11 stories that reach from Chernobyl to Bridgeport, with a host of narrators only Shepard could bring to pitch-perfect life.
"Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis," by Bill George
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, September 17, 9 a.m. CST
One of the country's most trusted leaders offers time-tested and real world advice for leading in economic hard times. Bill George is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.
"When Skateboards Will Be Free: A Memoir of a Political Childhood," by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, September 17, 10 a.m. CST
Poised perfectly between tragedy and farce, here is a story by a brilliant young writer struggling to break away from the powerful mythologies of his upbringing and create a life—and a voice—of his own.
"Eternal Life: A New Vision: Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell," by John Shelby Spong
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, September 16, 9 a.m. CST
Always compelling and controversial, spong, the leading Christian liberal and pioneer for human rights, wrestles with the question that all of us will ultimately face.
"Why Does E=mc2?: (And Why Should We Care?)," by Brian Cox
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, September 7, 10 a.m. CST
An accessible, entertaining, and enlightening explanation of the best-known physics equation in the world, as rendered by two of today’s leading scientists.
"Hope for Animals and Their World," by Jane Goodall
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, September 4, 10 a.m. CST
Interweaving her own first-hand experiences in the field with the compelling research of premier scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the truly critical need to protect the habitats of these beloved species.
"In FED We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic," by David Wessel
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, August 25, 9 a.m. CST
Explaining both what happened and why it happened during the great panic of 2008, David Wessel provides new insight into how the Fed really works—and the fears Bernanke and other key players dealt with as the economic car was about to go off the cliff.
"Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France," by Michael Steinberger
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, August 20, 10 a.m. CST
A rich, lively book about the upheaval in French gastronomy, set against the backdrop of France’s diminishing fortunes as a nation. Michael Steinberger is Slate's longtime wine columnist and a contributing writer for the Financial Times.
"Surviving Uncertainty: Taking a Hero’s Journey," by Lane Wallace
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, August 17, 10 a.m. CST
In Surviving Uncertainty: Taking a Hero’s Journey, Lane Wallace applies what she’s learned in the school of adventure to the broader school of life.
"The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood," by Helene Cooper
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, August 7, 10 a.m. CST
Helene Cooper is the diplomatic correspondent for the New York Times. Prior to that assignment, she was the assistant editorial page editor of the New York Times, after twelve years as a reporter and foreign correspondent at the Wall Street Journal.
"The Defector," by Daniel Silva
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, August 5, 10 a.m. CST
Filled with breathtaking turns of plot and sophisticated prose, and populated by a remarkable cast of characters, The Defector is more than the most explosive thriller of the year.
Written in Bone: Bone Biographer's Casebook," by Doug Owsley
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, July 29, 10 a.m. CST
Written In Bone: Bone Biographer’s Casebook features over 150 archival photographs newly released from the forensic files of the Department of Physical Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. The book presents the work of Smithsonian scientists Dr. Doug Owsley, division head for Physical Anthropology, and colleague Karin Bruwelheide.
"Perfection," by Julie Metz
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, July 28, 10 a.m. CST
A breathtakingly honest, gloriously written memoir about the complexities of forgiveness when a young widow discovers her husband's secret life after his death. Julie Metz is a graphic designer and freelance writer whose essays have appeared in publications including Glamour and Hemispheres magazines.
"Six Months in Sudan," by James Maskalyk
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, July 22, 10 a.m. CST
An emergency physician drawn to the ravaged parts of the world, Maskalyk spent six months treating malnourished children, coping with a measles epidemic, watching for war, and struggling to meet overwhelming needs with few resources.
"The Blue Notebook," by James A. Levine
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, July 21, 10 a.m. CST
The Blue Notebook brings us into the life of a young woman for whom stories are not just entertainment but a means of survival. James A. Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, is a world-renowned scientist, doctor, and researcher. He lives in Oronoco, Minnesota.
"Ecological Intelligence," by Daniel Goleman
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, July 7, 10 a.m. CST
The bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership now brings us Ecological Intelligence—revealing the hidden environmental consequences of what we make and buy, and how with that knowledge we can drive the essential changes we all must make to save our planet and ourselves.
"Driftless," by David Rhodes
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, July 6, 10 a.m. CST
In his first novel in 30 years, David Rhodes offers a vivid and unforgettable look at life in small-town America. Rhodes is back with a novel featuring July Montgomery, the hero of his 1975 novel, Rock Island Line, which movingly involves him with the fates of several characters who live in the small town of Words, Wis.
"Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions," by Dan Ariely
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, July 2, 10 a.m. CST
Dan Ariely is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University, with appointments at the Fuqua School of Business, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Department of Economics. "Predictably Irrational" examines how the world often works according to principles of irrationality in the places where we least expect it.
"Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown," by Edmund L. Andrews
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, June 30, 10 a.m. CST
The fiasco that sank millions of Americans, including one journalist, who thought he knew better. Edmund L. Andrews has been a reporter for the New York Times for the past sixteen years. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
"The Spies of Warsaw," by Alan Furst
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, June 25, 10 a.m. CST
Alan Furst’s 14th novel opens in late 1937, in a Warsaw menaced by approaching war and teeming with spies of every stripe.
"Renegade: The Making of a President," by Richard Wolffe
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, June 19, 9 a.m. CST
The previously untold and epic story of how a political newcomer with no money and an alien name grew into the world’s most powerful leader. But it is also a uniquely intimate portrait of the person behind the iconic posters and the Secret Service code name Renegade.
"Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic: Professional Views and Personal Insights," by Sarah A. Benton
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, June 18, 10 a.m. CST
Who is the typical alcoholic among the 12.5 million living in the United States now? Many, if not most of us when asked that question, would envision a skid row bum or someone at least out of work or with little education locked into a low-skill, low-paying job. But that is not accurate, according to the results of a national study released in June, 2007 by the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
"More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City," by William Julius Wilson
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, June 15, 10 a.m. CST
A preeminent sociologist of race explains a groundbreaking new framework for understanding racial inequality, challenging both conservative and liberal dogma. William Julius Wilson is a University Professor at Harvard University, president emeritus of the American Sociological Association, and the author of numerous books, including the award-winning The Declining Significance of Race.
"Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives," by David Eagleman
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, June 12, 9 a.m. CST
SUM is a dazzling exploration of funny and unexpected afterlives that have never been consideredeach presented as a vignette that offers us a stunning lens through which to see ourselves here and now.
"Class War?: What Americans Really Think about Economic Inequality," by Lawrence R. Jacobs and Benjamin Page
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, June 10, a.m. CST
In this surprising and heartening assessment, Lawrence Jacobs and co-author Benjamin Page provide our new administration with a popular mandate to combat the economic inequity that plagues our nation. Jacobs is the Walter F. and Joan Mondale Chair and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Hubert Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota.
"Laura Rider's Masterpiece," by Jane Hamilton
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, June 8, 10 a.m. CST
Jane Hamilton is the author of The Book of Ruth, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction, A Map of the World, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and named one of the top ten books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, the Miami Herald, and People magazine. In her new novel she serves up an entirely different kind of novel: Le Divorce meets The Love Letter.
"War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars," by Richard N. Haass
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, June 4, 10 a.m. CST
War of Necessity, War of Choice part history, part memoir provides invaluable insight into some of the most important recent events in the world. It also provides a much-needed compass for how the United States can apply the lessons learned from the two Iraq wars so that it is better positioned to put into practice what worked and to avoid repeating what so clearly did not. Author Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations.
"The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It," by Joshua Cooper Ramo
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, June 3, 10 a.m. CST
The traditional physics of power has been replaced by something radically different. In The Age of the Unthinkable, Joshua Cooper Ramo puts forth a revelatory new model for understanding our dangerously unpredictable world.
The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism," by Andrew Bacevich
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, May 27, 9 a.m. CST
An immediate New York Times bestseller, The Limits of Power offers an unparalleled examination of the profound triple crisis facing America: an economy in disarray that can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; a government transformed by an imperial presidency into a democracy in name only; and an engagement in endless wars that has severely undermined the body politic.
"The Song Is You," by Arthur Phillips
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, May 21, 10 a.m. CST
Called "one of the best writers in America" by The Washington Post, the bestselling author of Prague delivers his finest work yet in The Song Is You. It is a closely observed tale of love in the digital age that blurs the line between the longing for intimacy and thelonging for oblivion.
"Essential Pleasures: A New Anthology of Poems to Read Aloud," edited by Robert Pinsky
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, May 13, 10 a.m. CST
A vibrant anthology and accompanying CD that revive a great American tradition: the joy of reciting poetry aloud. Editor Robert Pinsky was U.S. Poet Laureate from 1997 to 2000.
"The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them," by Amy Dickinson
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, May 8, 10 a.m. CST
In The Mighty Queens of Freeville, Amy Dickinson takes those mistakes and spins them into a remarkable story. This is the tale of Amy and her daughter and the women in her family who helped raise them after Amy's husband abruptly left.
"Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel," by Michio Kaku
Thursday, April 17, 10 a.m. CST
A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible—from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks—revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future.
"Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran," by Azadeh Moaveni
Wednesday, April 15, 10 a.m. CST
Both a love story and a reporter's first draft of history, Honeymoon in Tehran is a stirring, trenchant, and deeply personal chronicle of two years in the maelstrom of Iranian life.
"The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon," by David Grann
After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed New Yorker writer David Grann set out to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century": What happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z?
"Devil in a Blue Dress," by Walter Mosley
Thursday, April 9, 10 a.m. CST
Devil in a Blue Dress honors the tradition of the classic American detective novel by bestowing on it a vivid social canvas and the freshest new voice in crime writing in years, mixing the hard-boiled poetry of Raymond Chandler with the racial realism of Richard Wright to explosive effect.
"Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself," by Hannah Holmes
Wednesday, April 8, 10 a.m. CST
Deftly mixing personal stories and observations with the latest scientific theories and research results, Hannah Holmes has fashioned an engaging and informative field guide to that oddest and yet most fascinating of primates: ourselves.
"The Women," by T.C. Boyle
Having brought to life eccentric cereal king John Harvey Kellogg in The Road to Wellville and sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in The Inner Circle, T.C. Boyle now turns his fictional sights on an even more colorful and outlandish character: Frank Lloyd Wright.
"Appetite for Self-Destruction," by Steve Knopper
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, April 3, 10 a.m. CST
In a comprehensive, fast-paced account full of larger-than-life personalities, Rolling Stone contributing editor Steve Knopper shows that, after the incredible wealth and excess of the '80s and '90s, Sony, Warner, and the other big players brought about their own downfall through years of denial and bad decisions in the face of dramatic advances in technology.
"Jane Brody's Guide to the Great Beyond," by Jane Brody
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, March 20, 9 a.m. CST
From the beloved New York Times columnist, trusted authority on health, and bestselling author comes this complete guide to everything you need to know–emotionally, spiritually, and practically–to prepare for the end of life.
"Lucy's Legacy," by Donald Johnson
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, March 19, 10 a.m. CST
In Lucy's Legacy, Johanson takes readers on a fascinating tour of the last three decades of study–the most exciting period of paleoanthropologic investigation thus far.
"Spiral Bound," by Dessa
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, March 13, 10 a.m. CST
A collection of short prose and poetry by MC and vocalist for the local hip-hop collective Doomtree.
"Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life," by Dacher Keltner
Broadcast, Midmorning,
Thursday, March 12, 10 a.m. CST
A new examination of the surprising origins of human goodness.
"Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals," by Temple Grandin.
Broadcast, Midmidmorning
Monday, March 9, 10 a.m. CST
Can a dog be happy if you have to leave him alone for most of the day? Is the lion that paces all day in the zoo miserable or just exercising? Should you train your cat? Temple Grandin answers these and countless other questions by focusing on the emotional needs all animals share.
"The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008," by Thomas E. Ricks
Broadcast, Midmorning,
Tuesday, March 3, 10 a.m. CST
Thomas E. Ricks uses hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with top officers in Iraq and extraordinary on-the-ground reportage to document the inside story of the Iraq War since late 2005 as only he can, examining the events that took place as the military was forced to reckon with itself, the surge was launched, and a very different war began.
"Team of Rivals," by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Broadcast, Midmorning,
Thursday, February 26, 9 a.m. CST
On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. That Lincoln succeeded was the result of a character that had been forged by life experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals.
"Deciding the Next Decider: The 2008 Presidential Race in Rhyme," by Calvin Trillin
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, February 20, 10 a.m. CST
Displaying the form that made bestsellers of Obliviously On He Sails and A Heckuva Job, tales of the Bush Administration in rhyme, Calvin Trillin trains his verse on the 2008 race for the presidency.
"Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasures," by Margo Hammond, Ellen Heltzel
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, February 19, 9 a.m. CST
Two veteran critics—The Book Babes—offer a reading guide with attitude, tailored to every mood and stage of a woman's life.
"Things I've Been Silent About: Memories," by Azar Nafisi
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, February 18, 10 a.m. CST
Azar Nafisi, author of the beloved international bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran, now gives us a stunning personal story of growing up in Iran, memories of her life lived in thrall to a powerful and complex mother, against the background of a country's political revolution.
"Light Within: The Extraordinary Friendship of a Doctor and Patient Brought Together by Cancer," by Lois M. Ramondetta
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, February 17, 10 a.m. CST
The luminous true story of a friendship that shed the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship and became less a confrontation with death than a celebration of the joys of life.
"Legend of a Suicide," by David Vann
Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, February 16, 10 a.m. CST
Set mostly in the wilds of Alaska, these stories take on the shifting legend of a lost father.
"Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon," by Philip Kunhardt
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, February 12, 9 a.m. CST
In honor of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, an extensively researched, lavishly illustrated consideration of the myths, memories, and questions that gathered around our most beloved—and our most enigmatic—president in the years between his assassination and the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.
"Fanon," by John Edgar Wideman
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, February 6, 10 a.m. CST
Wideman's first novel in a decade conjures the author of The Wretched of the Earth and his urgent relevance today. Wideman's fascinating new novel weaves together fiction, biography, and memoir to evoke the life and message of Frantz Fanon, the influential author of The Wretched of the Earth.
"How We Decide," by Jonah Lehrer
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, February 5, 10 a.m. CST
Joseph Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?
"The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet," by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, January 30, 9 a.m. CST
The New York Times best-selling author chronicles America's irrational love affair with Pluto, man's best celestial friend.
"Heart of Darkness," by Joseph Conrad
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, January, 30, 10 a.m. CST
Kerri will be discussing author Joseph Conrad's dark allegory of a journey up the Congo River and the narrator's encounter with the mysterious Mr. Kurtz. Masterly blend of adventure, character study, psychological penetration.
"Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling," by David Wolman
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Friday, January 23, 10 a.m. CST
Righting the Mother Tongue tells the cockamamie story of English spelling. When did ghost acquire its silent 'h'? Will cyberspace kill the one in rhubarb? And was it really rocket scientists who invented spell-check?
"King's Dream," by Eric J. Sundquist, Mark Crispin Miller
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, January 19, 10 a.m. CST
This book is the first to set King's speech within the cultural and rhetorical traditions on which the civil rights leader drew in crafting his oratory, as well as its essential historical contexts, from the early days of the republic through present-day Supreme Court rulings.
"Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life," by John C. Bogle
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, January 14, 10 a.m. CST
John C. Bogle is founder of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group and President of its Bogle Financial Markets Research Center. He created Vanguard in 1974 and served as chairman and chief executive officer until 1996 and senior chairman until 2000.
"America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life," by Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, January 12, 10 a.m. CST
Are Americans more addicted than people in other countries, or does it just seem that way? Can food or sex be as addictive as alcohol and drugs? And will we ever be able to treat addiction with a pill? These are just a few of the questions Denizet-Lewis explores during his remarkable journey inside the lives of men and women struggling to become, or stay, sober.
"Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It," by Tilar Mazzeo
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, December 29, 10 a.m. CST
The story of the visionary young widow who built a champagne empire, showed the world how to live with style, and emerged a legend.
"OBD: Obsessive Branding Disorder: The Illusion of Business and the Business of Illusion," by Lucas Conley
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, December 30, 10 a.m. CST
A witty, trenchant investigation of a phenomenon that is shaping culture and business in unexpected, disturbing ways .
"The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature," by Daniel J. Levitin
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, December 3, 10 a.m. CST
Blending cutting-edge scientific findings with his own sometimes hilarious experiences as a musician and music-industry professional, author and research scientist Daniel Levitin shows how music and dance enabled the social bonding and friendship necessary for human culture and society to evolve.
"Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee," by Bee Wilson
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Thursday, December 4, 10 a.m. CST
Bad food has a history. Swindled tells it. Through a fascinating mixture of cultural and scientific history, food politics, and culinary detective work, Bee Wilson uncovers the many ways swindlers have cheapened, falsified, and even poisoned our food throughout history.
"American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House," by Jon Meacham
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, December 9, 10 a.m. CST
Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency.
"Make It Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out," by Vernon Jordan, Jr.
Broadcast, Midmorning,
Tuedsday, December 2, 10 a.m. CST
The New York Times bestselling author reflects on critical points in his life and times through the lens of the speeches he gave—and the leaders and preachers who inspired him.
"My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq," by Ariel Sabar
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, November 18, 10 a.m. CST
Populated by Kurdish chieftains, trailblazing linguists, Arab nomads, and devout believers, this intimate yet powerful book is an improbable story of tolerance and hope set in what today is the very center of the world's attention. In retelling his father's story, Ariel Sabar has found his own.
"Black Box," by Julie Schumacher
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, November 25, 10 a.m. CST
St. Paul author Julie Schumacher's first young adult novel is the story of a girl attempting to help her older sister, who's been confined to a mental hospital for depression.
"The Altitude Experience: Successful Trekking and Climbing Above 8,000 Feet," by Mike Farris
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, November 17, 10 a.m. CST
Author Mike Farris is a college professor who teaches upper-level seminars on high-altitude human biology at Hamline University in Minnesota. He's written a comprehensive, practical resource for travelers, trekkers, and climbers who are going to be living at high elevation for any period of time.
"The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World," by Steven Kazlowski
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, November 12, 10 a.m. CST
An intimate photographic expose on the fragile existence of the polar bear, paired with essays revealing our critical connection to life in the Arctic.
"Away," by Amy Bloom
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, November 11, 10 a.m. CST
Panoramic in scope, Away is the epic and intimate story of young Lillian Leyb, a dangerous innocent, an accidental heroine.
"Baghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's War in Iraq," by Peter R. Mansoor
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, October 27, 10 a.m. CST
An analysis of the day-to-day performance of a U.S. brigade in Baghdad during 2004-2005. Colonel Peter Mansoor is a former commander of the First Brigade of the First Armored Division in Iraq from July 2003 to June 2005.
"The New Annotated Dracula," edited by Leslie Klinger
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Tuesday, October 28, 10 a.m. CST
Leslis Klinger, who revolutionized the world of Sherlock Holmes with his acclaimed The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, now returns with The New Annotated Dracula, which promises—given its revelatory content—to be the Dracula work of this generation.
"The Forever War," by Dexter Filkins
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Friday, October 31, 9 a.m. CST
From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgetable book that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Filkins is a former prize-winning New York Times correspondent.
"Wordy Shipmates," by Sarah Vowell
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, October 22, 10 a.m. CST
From the New York Times-bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and The Partly Cloudy Patriot, an examination of the Puritans, their covenant communities, their deep-rooted idealism, their political and cultural relevance in today's world, and their myriad oddities.
"Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief," by James McPherson
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Monday, October 13, 10 a.m. CST
James McPherson, a bestselling historian of the Civil War, illuminates how Lincoln worked with—and often against— his senior commanders to defeat the Confederacy and create the role of commander in chief as we know it.
"The Year of Living Biblically," by A.J. Jacobs
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, October 15, 10 a.m. CST
Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith in our modern world, A.J. Jacobs decides to dive in headfirst and attempt to obey the Bible as literally as possible for one full year.
"Downtown Owl," by Chuck Klosterman
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Thursday, October 2, 10 a.m. CST
After releasing four non-fiction books, New York Times best-selling author and magazine writer Chuck Klosterman, is releasing his first full-length novel. Klosterman reaches back to his experience as a music critic and his Midwestern roots to pen his first novel.
"Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life," by Kathleen Norris
Broadcast: Midmorning,
Wednesday, September 24, 10 a.m. CST
Like Norris's bestselling The Cloister Walk, Acedia & Me is part memoir and part meditation. As in her bestselling Amazing Grace, here Norris explicates and demystifies a spiritual concept, exploring acedia through the geography of her life as a writer; her marriage and the challenges of commitment in the midst of grave illness; and her keen interest in the monastic tradition.
"Ladies of Liberty," by Cokie Roberts
Broadcast: Talking Volumes,
Thursday, September 25, 10 a.m. CST
Recounted with the insight and humor of an expert storyteller and drawing on personal correspondence, private journals, and other primary sources — many of them previously unpublished — Roberts brings to life the extraordinary accomplishments of women who laid the groundwork for a better society.
"Anticancer: A New Way of Life," by David Servan-Schreiber
Broadcast: Midmorning,
09/26/2008
"A Path Out of the Desert," by Ken Pollack
Broadcast: Midmorning,
09/18/2008
"Bob Scheiffer's America," by Bob Scheiffer
Broadcast: Midmorning,
09/16/2008
"The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics & Endgame in Iraq," by Bing West
Broadcast: Midmorning,
09/10/2008
"The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism," by Ron Suskind
Broadcast: Midmorning,
09/03/2008
"What the Nose Knows," by Avery Gilbert
Broadcast: Midmorning,
08/21/2008
"Traffic," by Tom Vanderbilt
Broadcast: Midmorning,
08/05/2008
"The Darkside," by Jane Mayer
Broadcast: Midmorning,
08/04/2008
"The Big Sort," by Bill Bishop
Broadcast: Midmorning,
7/31/2008
"America, America," by Ethan Canin
Broadcast: Midmorning,
7/30/2008
"Healthcare, Guaranteed," by Ezekial Emanuel
Broadcast: Midmorning,
7/23/2008
"Life in the Valley of Death," by Alan Rabinowitz
Broadcast: Midmorning,
07/21/2008
"Distracted," by Maggie Jackson
Broadcast: Midmorning,
07/16/2008
Talking Volumes with Judy Blume
Broadcast: Midmorning,
07/04/2008
"Stroke of Insight," by Jill Bolte Taylor
Broadcast: Midmorning,
07/03/2008
"Body of Work," by Christine Montross
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/30/2008
"A Prayer for Owen Meany," by John Irving
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/27/2008
"Madness: A Bipolar Life," Marya Horbacher
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/25/2008
"Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice for All Creation," Olivia Judson
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/20/2008
"Time and Materials," Robert Haas
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/13/2008
"New Ideas from Dead CEOs," by Todd Bucholz
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/11/2008
"What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," by Scott McClellan
Broadcast: Midmorning,
06/09/2008
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