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Kerri Miller's Book Club The next book we're featuring in the book club is "Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend," by Susan Orlean Susan Orlean wrote a sweeping, powerfully moving account of Rin Tin Tin's journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. To find out more details, click here. |
Past Conversations
"That's Disgusting" by Rachel Herz
Broadcast: Monday, January 23, 10 a.m. CST
That's Disgusting illuminates the science behind disgust, tackling such colorful topics as cannibalism, humor, and pornography.
"Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right" by Thomas Frank
Broadcast: Tuesday, January 17, 10 a.m. CST
From the author of What's the Matter with Kansas?, an insightful and sardonic look at why the worst economy since the 1930s has brought about the revival of conservatism.
"Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength" by John Tierney
Broadcast: Thursday, January 5, 10 a.m. CST
In Willpower, the pioneering researcher Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with renowned New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control.
"Monsters in America," by W. Scott Poole
Broadcast: Monday, November 28, 10 a.m. CST
A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity.
"Reclaiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World," by John Shelby Spong
Broadcast: Tuesday November 22, 9 a.m. CST
Renowned bishop and author John Shelby Spong presents Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World, a book designed to take readers into the contemporary academic debate about the Bible.
"My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals," by Melanie Dunea
Broadcast: Thursday November 17, 10 a.m. CST
Chefs have been playing the "My Last Supper" game among themselves for decades, if not centuries, but it had always been kept within the profession until now. Melanie Dunea came up with the ingenious idea to ask fifty of the world's famous chefs to let her in on this insider's game and tell her what their final meals would be.
"Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend," by Susan Orlean
Broadcast: Wednesday, November 16, 10 a.m. CST
So begins Susan Orlean's sweeping, powerfully moving account of Rin Tin Tin's journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. Orlean spent nearly ten years researching and reporting her most captivating book to date: the story of a dog who was born in 1918 and never died.
"Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You," by Jerome Groopman, MD
Broadcast: Tuesday, November 15, 9 a.m. CST
Whether we're deciding to take a cholesterol drug or choosing a cancer treatment, we are overwhelmed by information from all sides: our doctors' recommendations, dissenting expert opinions, confusing statistics, conflicting media reports, the advice of friends, claims on the Internet, and a never-ending stream of drug company ads. Your Medical Mind shows us how to chart a clear path through this sea of confusion.
"Political Consultants and Campaigns: One Day to Sell," by Jason Johnson
Broadcast: Monday, November 7, 9 a.m. CST
This book provides a clearer understanding of modern-day political campaigns by revealing what is on the minds of the people who run them. With original data, the author examines consultant behavior on message formation, policy positioning, candidate recruitment, Internet strategy, and negative advertising and compares these practices to existing political science theory.
"Destiny of the Republic," by Candice Millard
Broadcast: Wednesday, November 2, 10 a.m. CST
Candice Millard brings to life the story of James A. Garfield, who was shot in the back just four months after being inaugurated as president. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil.
"Cartel," by Sylvia Longmire
Broadcast: Tuesday, November 1, 10 a.m. CST
Having followed Mexico's cartels for years, border security expert Sylvia Longmire takes readers deep into the heart of the drug world to witness a dangerous underground that will do whatever it takes to deliver drugs to a willing audience of American consumers.
"The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us," by Jeffrey Kluger
Broadcast: Thursday, October 27, 10 a.m. CST
With his signature insight and humor, Jeffrey Kluger takes big ideas about siblings and turns them into smart, accessible writing that will help anyone understand the importance of siblings in our lives.
"What It Is Like to Go to War," by Karl Marlantes
Broadcast: Tuesday, October 25, 10 a.m. CST
From the author of the New York Times Bestseller Matterhorn, this is a powerful nonfiction book about the experience of combat and how inadequately we prepare our young men and women for war.
"The Grace of Silence: A Family Memoir," by Michele Norris
Broadcast: Thursday, October 20, 10 a.m. CST
A profoundly moving and deeply personal memoir exploring the hidden conversation on race by the co-host of NPR's flagship program All Things Considered.
"Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President," by Ron Suskind
Broadcast: Thursday, September 29, 9 a.m. CST
Confidence Men brings into focus the collusion and conflict between the nation's two capitals — New York and Washington, one of private gain, the other of public purpose — in defining confidence and, thereby, charting America's future.
"Knocking on Heaven's Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World," by Lisa Randall
Broadcast: Thurdsay, September 29, 10 a.m. CST
The most sweeping and exciting science book in years, Knocking on Heaven's Door makes clear the biggest scientific questions we face and reveals how answering them could ultimately tell us who we are and where we came from.
"Ghosts by Daylight," by Janine di Giovanni
Broadcast: Tuesday, September 27, 10 a.m. CST
An enthralling, deeply moving memoir from one of our foremost American war correspondents. With stunning scenes of action, heart-wrenching accounts of profound love, personal loss, and redemption, Ghosts by Daylight tells the unforgettable story of a passionate life lived to the fullest.
"Crossbones," by Nuruddin Farah
Broadcast: Tuesday, September 20, 10 a.m. CST
Crossbones is a fascinating look at individuals caught in the maw of zealotry, profiteering, and political conflict, by one of our most highly acclaimed international writers.
"Birds of Paradise," by Diana Abu-Jabr
Broadcast: Wednesday, September 14, 10 a.m. CST
Set against the vibrant backdrop of contemporary Miami, Birds of Paradise is filled with piercing insights into the politics of food and sugar, teen culture, and of the ebb and flow of marriage.
"Nothing Daunted," by Dorothy Wikenden
Broadcast: Monday, September 12, 10 a.m. CST
In Nothing Daunted, Dorothy Wickenden creates an exhilarating saga about two intrepid young women and the "settling up" of the West.
"Rock the Casbah," by Robin Wright
Broadcast: Tuesday, September 6, 10 a.m. CST
A decade after the 9/11 attacks, this groundbreaking book takes readers deep into rebellions against both autocrats and extremists that are redefining politics, culture, and security threats across the Islamic world.
"Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure," by Tim Hartford
Broadcast: Wednesday, August 24, 10 a.m. CST
Taking us from corporate boardrooms to the deserts of Iraq, Adapt clearly explains the necessary ingredients for turning failure into success. It is a breakthrough handbook for surviving — and prospering — in our complex and ever-shifting world.
"Humiliation," by Wayne Koestenbaum
Broadcast: Thursday, August 18, 10 a.m. CST
Inventive, poignant, erudite, and playful, Humiliation plunges into one of the most disquieting of human experiences, with reflections at once emboldening and humane.
"The Magician King," by Lev Grossman
Broadcast: Tuesday, August 16, 10 a.m. CST
The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. Once again, Lev Grossman proves that he is the modern heir to C.S. Lewis, and the cutting edge of literary fantasy.
"What Language Is (And What It Isn't and What It Could Be)," by John McWhorter
Broadcast: Monday, August 8, 10 a.m. CST
From Standard English to Black English; obscure tongues only spoken by a few thousand people in the world to the big ones like Mandarin — What Language Is celebrates the history and curiosities of languages around the world and smashes our assumptions about "correct" grammar.
"Haiti After the Earthquake," by Paul Farmer
Broadcast: Monday, July 28, 10 a.m. CST
Within three days of the January 2010 quake, Dr. Paul Farmer arrived in the Haitian capital, along with a team of volunteers, to lend his services to the injured. In this vivid narrative, Farmer describes the incredible suffering — and resilience — that he encountered in Haiti.
The Big Summer Book Show
Broadcast: Monday, July 25, 10 a.m. CST
Join Kerri Miller and a panel of book critics for a discussion about the titles that should be on every book lovers list this summer. (Rescheduled from July 11.)
"Stealing Rembrandts," by Anthony M. Amore, Tom Mashberg
Broadcast: Thursday, July 21, 10 a.m. CST
"Fire and Rain," by David Browne
Broadcast: Tuesday, July 19, 10 a.m. CST
Featuring candid interviews with more than 100 luminaries, including some of the artists themselves, David Browne's vivid narrative tells the incredible story of how — over the course of twelve turbulent months — the '60s effectively ended and the '70s began.
"The Sinner's Grand Tour," by Tony Perrottet
Broadcast: Monday, July 18, 10 a.m. CST
In The Sinner's Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view.
"In Spite of Everything," by Susan Gregory Thomas
Broadcast: Thursday, July 14, 10 a.m. CST
In Spite of Everything is an astounding, bright, and brilliantly told account of a mother's fight to protect her children's world and to make sense of her own troubled past — and the culture of divorce in which she and Generation X were raised.
"The Last Werewolf," by Glen Duncan
Broadcast: Wednesday, July 13, 10 a.m. CST
In The Last Werewolf, Glen Duncan has given us a werewolf for the twenty-first century — a man whose deeds can only be described as monstrous but who is in some magical way deeply human.
"The Optimism Bias," by Tali Sharot
Broadcast: Tuesday, July 5, 10 a.m. CST
With its cutting-edge science and its wide-ranging and accessible narrative, The Optimism Bias provides us with startling new insight into the workings of the brain.
"Robopocalypse," by Daniel Wilson
Broadcast: Thursday, July 7, 10 a.m. CST
Robopocalypse is a brilliantly conceived action-filled epic, a terrifying story with heart-stopping implications for the real technology all around us ... and an entertaining and engaging thriller unlike anything else written in years.
"The Fiery Trial," by Eric Foner
Broadcast: Thursday, June 30, 10 a.m. CST
From a master historian, the story of Lincoln's—and the nation's—transformation through the crucible of slavery and emancipation. Foner's Lincoln emerges as a leader, one whose greatness lies in his capacity for moral and political growth through real engagement with allies and critics alike. This powerful work will transform our understanding of the nation's greatest president and the issue that mattered most.
"State of Wonder," by Ann Patchett
Broadcast: Tuesday, June 28, 10 a.m. CST
Ann Patchett raises the bar with State of Wonder, a provocative and ambitious novel set deep in the Amazon jungle. State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side.
"Half a Life," by Darin Strauss
Broadcast: Wednesday, June 22, 10 a.m. CST
In this powerful, unforgettable memoir, acclaimed novelist Darin Strauss recounts a tragedy and its aftermath. In spare and piercing prose, Darin Strauss explores loss and guilt, maturity and accountability, hope and acceptance—and the result is a staggering, uplifting tour de force.
"Incognito," by David Eagleman
Broadcast: Thursday, June 16, 10 a.m. CST
In this sparkling and provocative new book, the renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman navigates the depths of the subconscious brain to illuminate surprising mysteries. Taking in brain damage, plane spotting, dating, drugs, beauty, infidelity, synesthesia, criminal law, artificial intelligence, and visual illusions, Incognito is a thrilling subsurface exploration of the mind and all its contradictions.
"The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son," by Ian Brown
Broadcast: Monday, June 13, 10 a.m. CST
Ian Brown's son Walker is one of only about 300 people worldwide diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic mutation that results in unusual facial appearance, the inability to speak, and a compulsion to hit himself constantly. Brown travels the globe, meeting with genetic scientists and neurologists as well as parents, to solve the questions Walker's doctors can't answer. In his journey, he offers an insightful critique of society's assumptions about the disabled, and he discovers a connected community of families living with this illness.
"The Summer without Men," by Siri Hustvedt
Broadcast: Friday, June 10, 10 a.m. CST
From the internationally bestselling author of "What I Loved" comes a provocative, witty, and revelatory novel about women and girls, love and marriage, and the age-old question of sameness and difference between the sexes.
"Say Her Name," by Francisco Goldman
Broadcast: Wednesday, June 8, 10 a.m. CST
In 2005, celebrated novelist Francisco Goldman married a beautiful young writer named Aura Estrada in a romantic Mexican hacienda. The month before their second anniversary, during a long-awaited holiday, Aura broke her neck while body surfing. Francisco, blamed for Aura's death by her family and blaming himself, wanted to die, too. Instead, he wrote Say Her Name, a novel chronicling his great love and unspeakable loss, tracking the stages of grief when pure love gives way to bottomless pain.
"A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother," by Janny Scott
Broadcast: Tuesday, June 7, 10 a.m. CST
Barack Obama has written extensively about his father, but little is known about Stanley Ann Dunham, the fiercely independent woman who raised him, the person he credits for, as he says, "what is best in me." Here is the missing piece of the story. Award-winning reporter Janny Scott interviewed nearly two hundred of Dunham's friends, colleagues, and relatives to uncover the full breadth of this woman's inspiring and untraditional life.
"33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs," by Dorian Lynskey
Broadcast: Thursday, June 2, 10 a.m. CST
From one of the United Kingdom's most prominent music critics, a page-turning and wonderfully researched history of 33 songs that have transformed the world through the twentieth century and beyond. When pop music meets politics, the results are often thrilling, sometimes life-changing, and never simple. The protest songs of such great artists as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, U2, Public Enemy, Fela Kuti, R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, and the Clash represent pop music at its most charged and relevant.
"A Moment in the Sun," by John Sayles
Broadcast: Wednesday, June 1, 10 a.m. CST
It's 1897. Gold has been discovered in the Yukon. New York is under the sway of Hearst and Pulitzer. And in a few months, an American battleship will explode in a Cuban harbor, plunging the U.S. into war. Spanning five years and half a dozen countries, this is the unforgettable story of that extraordinary moment: the turn of the twentieth century, as seen by one of the greatest storytellers of our time.
"The Big Shift," by Marc Freedman
Broadcast: Tuesday, May 31, 10 a.m. CST
In The Big Shift, Freedman bemoans the fact that the discussion about longer lives in America has been entirely about the staggering economic costs of a dramatically aging society when, in reality, most of the nation's 78 million boomers are not getting old … at least not yet. The whole 60- to 80-year-old period is simply new territory, he writes, and the people in this period constitute a whole new phenomenon in the 21st century.
"Loyalty: The Vexing Virtue" by Eric Felten
Broadcast: Monday, May 23, 10 a.m. CST
A witty, provocative, story-filled inquiry into the indispensable virtue of loyalty—a tricky ideal that gets tangled and compromised when loyalties collide a prizewinning columnist for The Wall Street Journal, says is as essential as it is impossible.
"The Passage," by Justin Cronin
Broadcast: Thursday, May 19, 10 a.m. CST
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions.
"The Tao of Travel," by Paul Theroux
Broadcast: Wednesday, May 18, 10 a.m. CST
Paul Theroux celebrates fifty years of wandering the globe by collecting the best writing on travel from the books that shaped him, as a reader and a traveler. Theroux is the author of many highly acclaimed books. His novels include A Dead Hand and The Mosquito Coast, and his renowned travel books include Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and Dark Star Safari
"Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100," by Michio Kaku
Broadcast: Wednesday, April 27, 10 a.m. CST
In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku—the New York Times bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible—gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over three hundred of the world's top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs.
"he Tragedy of Arthur," by Arthur Phillips
Broadcast: Tuesday, April 26, 10 a.m. CST
The Tragedy of Arthur is an emotional and elaborately constructed tour de force from bestselling and critically acclaimed novelist Arthur Phillips, "one of the best writers in America" (The Washington Post).
"How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One," by Stanley Fish
Broadcast: Thursday, April 21, 10 a.m. CST
Some appreciate fine art; others appreciate fine wines. Stanley Fish appreciates fine sentences. The New York Times columnist and world-class professor has long been an aficionado of language. In this entertaining and erudite gem, Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure, skills invaluable to any writer (or reader).
"Moonwalking with Einstein," by Joshua Foer
Broascast: Thursday, March 24, 10 a.m. CST
Moonwalking with Einstein draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of memory, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human remembering. At a time when electronic devices have all but rendered our individual memories obsolete, Foer's bid to resurrect the forgotten art of remembering becomes an urgent quest.
"Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality," by Jonathan Weiner
Broadcast: Wednesday, March 23, 10 a.m. CST
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Jonathan Weiner comes a fast-paced and astonishing scientific adventure story: has the long-sought secret of eternal youth at last been found? onathan Weiner is one of the most distinguished popular-science writers in the country: his books have won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
"Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions," by Guy Kawasaki
Broadcast: Tuesday, March 22, 10 a.m. CST
Guy Kawasaki's fundamental message in Enchantment is that in any transaction the goal is not to get your own way, but to bring about a voluntary, enduring, and delightful change of heart in other people, by working with and through them and enlisting their own goals and desires.
"The Social Animal," by David Brooks
Broadcast: Wednesday, March 16, 10 a.m. CST
With unequaled insight and brio, David Brooks, the New York Times columnist and bestselling author of Bobos in Paradise, has long explored and explained the way we live. Now, with the intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom that make his columns among the most read in the nation, Brooks turns to the building blocks of human flourishing in a multilayered, profoundly illuminating work grounded in everyday life.
"The Invisible Line," by Daniel J. Sharfstein
Broadcast: Tuesday, March 15, 10 a.m. CST
In this sweeping history, Daniel J. Sharfstein unravels the stories of three families who represent the complexity of race in America and force us to rethink our basic assumptions about who we are. Daniel J. Sharfstein is an associate professor of law at Vanderbilt University.
"The Tiger's Wife," by Tea Obreht
Broadcast: Monday, March 14, 10 a.m. CST
Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Téa Obreht, the youngest of The New Yorker's twenty best American fiction writers under forty, has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation.
"The Everything Changed," by Jeff Greenfield
Broadcast: March 10, 10 a.m. CST
A brilliant and brilliantly entertaining tour de force of American politics from one of journalism's most acclaimed commentators. Jeff Greenfield is the CBS News senior political correspondent, and a veteran of CNN and ABC News. A four-time Emmy Award winner, he is the author or coauthor of eleven books.
"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," by Amy Chua
Broadcast: Friday, March 4, 9 a.m. CST
An awe-inspiring, often hilarious, and unerringly honest story of one mother's exercise in extreme parenting, revealing the rewards-and the costs-of raising her children the Chinese way. Amy Chua is the John Duff Jr. Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
"Chinaberry Sidewalks," by Rodney Cromwell
Broadcast: Wednesday, March 2, 10 a.m. CST
The only child of a hard-drinking father and a Holy Roller mother, Rodney Crowell was no stranger to bombast from an early age, whether knock-down-drag-outs at a local dive bar or fire-and-brimstone sermons at Pentecostal tent revivals. From the acclaimed musician comes a tender, surprising, and often uproarious memoir about his dirt-poor southeast Texas boyhood.
"The Anthology of Rap," by Adam Bradley, Andrew DuBois
Broadcast: Thursday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m. CST
From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the Billboard charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential cultural forces of our time. In The Anthology of Rap, editors Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois demonstrate that rap is also a wide-reaching and vital poetic tradition born of beats and rhymes.
"Not Quite Adults," by Richard Settersten, Barbara E. Ray
Broadcast: Tuesday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. CST
Drawing on almost a decade of cutting-edge research and nearly five hundred interviews with young people, Richard Settersten, Ph.D., and Barbara E. Ray shatter stereotypes, revealing an unexpected truth: A slower path to adulthood is good for all of us."
"Washington: A Life," by Ron Chernow
Broadcast: Friday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. CST
In Washington: A Life celebrated biographer Ron Chernow provides a richly nuanced portrait of the father of our nation. Ron Chernow's first book, The House of Morgan, won the National Book Award and the Ambassador Award for the year's best study of American culture. His second book, The Warburgs, won the Eccles Prize as the Best Business Book of 1993 and was also selected by the American Library Association as one of that year's best nonfiction books.
"The Big Crunch," by Pete Hautman
Broadcast: Thursday, Feb. 3, 10 a.m. CST
From National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, this is a love story for people not particularly biased toward romance. But it is romantic, in the same way that truth can be romantic and uncertainty can be the biggest certainty of all.
Deadly Spin," by Wendell Potter
Broadcast: Wednesday, Jan. 19, 10 a.m. CST
In Deadly Spin, Wendell Potter takes readers behind the scenes to show how a huge chunk of our absurd healthcare spending actually bankrolls a propaganda campaign and lobbying effort focused on protecting one thing: profits. Whatever the fate of the current health care legislation, it makes no attempt to change that fundamental problem.
"Practical Wisdom," by Barry Schwartz, Kenneth Sharpe
Broadcast: Tuesday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. CST
A reasoned yet urgent call to embrace and protect the essential, practical human quality that has been drummed out of our lives: wisdom. Barry Schwartz is the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College, specializing in psychology and economics.
"Thrive," by Dan Buettner
Broadcast: Monday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m. CST
Working with leading researchers, Dan Buettner identifies the happiest region on each of four continents. He explores why these populations say they are happier than anyone else, and what they can teach the rest of us about finding contentment. Buettner is an internationally recognized researcher, explorer, and author. He founded Blue Zones™, a project of Quest Network, Inc., to research and publicize the world's best practices in health, longevity, and happiness.
"The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer," by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Broadcast: Thursday, Jan. 6, 10 a.m. CST
The Emperor of All Maladies is a "biography" of cancer—from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. Siddhartha Mukherjee is a cancer physician and researcher. He is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and a staff cancer physician at Columbia University Medical Center.
"Cleopatra: A Life," by Stacy Schiff
Broadcast: Wednesday, Jan. 5, 10 a.m. CST
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Master biographer Stacy Schiff has illuminated the lives of from French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to Benjamin Franklin.
"First Family: Abigail and John Adams," by Joseph J. Ellis
Broadcast: Monday, Jan. 3, 10 a.m. CST
The prizewinning, best-selling author of Founding Brothers and His Excellency brings America's preeminent first couple to life in a moving and illuminating narrative. Joseph John Ellis is a Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College who has written influential and award-winning histories on the founding generation of American presidents.
"Frank: The Voice," by James Kaplan
Broadcast: Tuesday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m. CST
Bestselling author James Kaplan redefines Frank Sinatra in a triumphant new biography that includes many rarely seen photographs. Jame Kaplan is a novelist and nonfiction writer whose essays, reviews, and profiles have appeared in The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and New York.
"Running the Books," by Avi Steinberg
Broadcast: Monday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. CST
Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man's earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process. Steinberg's work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and other publications.
"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption," by Laura Hillenbrand
Broadcast: Monday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. CST
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
"Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House," by Richard Wolffe
Broadcast: Tuesday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m. CST
Revival is the dramatic inside story of the defining period of the Obama White House. It is an epic tale that follows the president and his inner circle from the crisis of defeat to historic success. Richard Wolffe is an award-winning journalist and political analyst for MSNBC television, appearing frequently on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and Hardball.
"In the Company of Angels," by Thomas Kennedy
Broadcast: Friday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. CST
In the Company of Angels is the powerful story of two damaged souls trying to find their way from darkness toward light. Thomas E. Kennedy was born in New York City and has lived in Copenhagen for over two decades. He has written over twenty books, mostly published by small presses, including novels, short stories, and essays.
"My Reading Life," by Pat Conroy
Broadcast: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. CST
Pat Conroy, the beloved American storyteller, is also a voracious reader. He has for years kept a notebook in which he notes words or phrases, just from a love of language. But reading for him is not simply a pleasure to be enjoyed in off-hours or a source of inspiration for his own writing.
"Sunset Park," by Paul Auster
Broadcast: Monday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. CST
Sunset Park follows the hopes and fears of a cast of unforgettable characters brought together by the mysterious Miles Heller during the dark months of the 2008 economic collapse. Paul Auster's unique novels are often like Chinese boxes, continually opening further to reveal new layers.
"The Killer of Little Shepherds," by Douglas Starr
Broadcast: Thursday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m. CST
At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, dubbed "The Killer of Little Shepherds," terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years--until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era's most renowned criminologist.
"American Grace," by Robert D. Putnam, David E. Campbell
Broadcast: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 9 a.m. CST
American Grace is based on two of the most comprehensive surveys ever conducted on religion and public life in America. It includes a dozen in-depth profiles of diverse congregations across the country, which illuminate how the trends described by Putnam and Campbell affect the lives of real Americans.
"Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America," by Eugene Robinson
Broadcast: Tuesday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. CST
In his groundbreaking book Disintegration, longtime Washington Post journalist Eugene Robinson argues that, through decades of desegregation, affirmative action, and immigration, the concept of Black America has shattered.
"The Mind's Eye," by Oliver Sacks
Broadcast: Monday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. CST
In The Mind's Eye, Oliver Sacks tells the stories of people who are able to navigate the world and communicate with others despite losing what many of us consider indispensable senses and abilities: the power of speech, the capacity to recognize faces, the sense of three-dimensional space, the ability to read, the sense of sight.
"Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So," by Mark Vonnegut
Broadcast: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. CST
More than thirty years after the publication of his acclaimed memoir The Eden Express, Mark Vonnegut, the only son of the late Kurt Vonnegut, continues his remarkable story in this searingly funny, iconoclastic account of coping with mental illness, finding his calling as a pediatrician, and learning that willpower isn't nearly enough.
"At Home: A Short History of Private Life," by Bill Bryson
Broadcast: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. CST
Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to "write a history of the world without leaving home."
"Chronic: Poems," by D.A. Powell
Broadcast: Monday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. CST
The first poetry collection by D. A. Powell since his remarkable trilogy of Tea, Lunch, and Cocktails, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Powell has received a Paul Engle Fellowship from the James Michener Center, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Lyric Poetry Award from the Poetry Society of America, among other awards.
"Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future," by Robert B. Reich
Broadcast: Friday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. CST
Robert B. Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton.
"The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival," by John Vaillant
Broadcast: Thursday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. CST
John Vaillant is also the author of The Golden Spruce. He has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Outside, National Geographic, and Men's Journal, among others. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife and children.
"Out Patchwork Nation," by Dante Chinni, James Gimpel
Broadcast: Friday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. CST
A revolutionary new way to understand America's complex cultural and political landscape, with proof that local communities have a major impact on the nation's behavior-in the voting booth and beyond.
"Book Lust to Go," by Nancy Pearl
Broadcast: Friday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. CST
Nancy Pearl sells books: hers and those of the authors she recommends. Book Lust To Go is 120 places to read about before you go. Book Lust To Go brings Pearl's amazing ability to summon the perfect book to connect with a particular interest with the art of having an adventure — whether it requires a passport or just an armchair.
"Super Sad True Love Story," by Gary Shteyngart
Broadcast: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 10 a.m. CST
The author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Absurdistan, Gary Shteyngart has risen to the top of the fiction world. Now, in his hilarious and heartfelt new novel, he envisions a deliciously dark tale of America's dysfunctional coming years—and the timeless and tender feelings that just might bring us back from the brink.
"I Curse the River of Time," by Per Petterson
Broadcast: Monday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. CST
Per Petterson is the author of five novels, including "In the Wake" and "To Siberia." "Out Stealing Horses" has won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize. A former librarian and bookseller, Petterson lives in Oslo, Norway.
"Zero History," by William Gibson
Broadcast: Friday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. CST
William Gibson's feat of imagination, embodied by the seminal "cyberpunk" novel "Neuromancer" and subsequent sci-fi techno titles, was in presaging the Information Age and coining some of its language even as he remained a technological laggard who eschewed computers.
"Ape House," by Sara Gruen
Broadcast: Tuesday, September 7, 10 a.m. CST
Sara Gruen is the author of the bestseller Riding Lessons and Flying Changes. She lives north of Chicago with her husband, her three children, four cats, two goats, two dogs, and a horse. "Ape House" delivers great entertainment, but it also opens the animal world to us in ways few novels have done, securing Sara Gruen's place as a master storyteller who allows us to see ourselves as we never have before.
"What the Great Ate," by Mark Jacob and Matthew Jacob
Broadcast: Monday, September 6, 10 a.m. CST
In What the Great Ate, Matthew and Mark Jacob have cooked up a bountiful sampling of the peculiar culinary likes, dislikes, habits, and attitudes of famous—and often notorious—figures throughout history.
"Body Work," by Sara Paretsky
Broadcast: Friday, September 3, 10 a.m. CST
Sara Paretsky is credited with breaking the gender barrier in detective fiction with the creation of her hard-boiled female detective, V. I. Warshawski. In mysteries that have been translated into more than 20 languages, the no-nonsense and sexy V.I. keeps her eye on the city of Chicago, distributing justice to everyone from corporate crooks to government phonies and street hustlers.
"Composed," by Rosanne Cash
Broadcast: Tuesday, August 31, 10 a.m. CST
For thirty years as a musician, Rosanne Cash has enjoyed both critical and commercial success, releasing a series of albums that are as notable for their lyrical intelligence as for their musical excellence. In her memoir, Cash writes compellingly about her upbringing in Southern California as the child of country legend Johnny Cash, and of her relationships with her mother and her famous stepmother, June Carter Cash.
"The Murder Room," by Michael Capuzzo
Broadcast: Monday, August 30, 10 a.m. CST
Acclaimed bestselling author Michael Capuzzo's brilliant storytelling brings true crime to life more realistically and vividly than it has ever been portrayed before. Born in Boston and educated at Northwestern University, Michael Capuzzo is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Close to Shore, a historical thriller of the true story that inspired Jaws.
"How Pleasure Works," by Paul Bloom
Broadcast: Monday, August 16, 10 a.m. CST
Yale psychologist Paul Bloom presents a striking new vision of the pleasures of everyday life. Bloom is the author of Descartes' Baby and How Pleasure Works. He has contributed to The Atlantic, the New York Times, Science, and Nature. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
"Hamlet's Blackberry," by William Powers
Broadcast: Friday, August 13, 10 a.m. CST
"Hamlet's BlackBerry" argues that we need a new way of thinking, an everyday philosophy for life with screens. William Powers, a former staff writer for the Washington Post, has written about media, technology, and other subjects for a wide variety of publications, including the Atlantic, the New York Times, and McSweeney's.
"Merchants of Doubt," by Naomi Oreskes
Broadcast: Thursday, August 12, 10 a.m. CST
The troubling story of how a cadre of influential scientists have clouded public understanding of scientific facts to advance a political and economic agenda. Naomi Oreskes is a professor of history and science studies at the University of California, San Diego.
"Packing for Mars," by Mary Roach
Broadcast: Thursday, August 5, 10 a.m. CST
The best-selling author of "Stiff" and "Bonk" explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
"Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War," by Andrew Bacevich
Broadcast: Wednesday, August 4, 9 a.m. CST
The bestselling author of "The Limits of Power" critically examines the Washington consensus on national security and why it must change. Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University, retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of colonel.
"American Dreams," by H.W. Brands
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, July 30, CST
Blending political and cultural history with his keen sense of the spirit of the times, Brands captures the national experience through the last six decades and reveals the still-unfolding legacy of dreams born out of a global cataclysm.
"The Lovers," by Vendela Vida
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, July 27, 10 a.m. CST
With the crystalline voice and psychological nuance for which her work has been so celebrated, Vendela Vida has crafted another unforgettable heroine in a stunningly beautiful and mysterious landscape.
"Pandora's Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization," by Spencer Wells
Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, July 21, 10 a.m. CST
In his thrilling new book, Spencer Wells examines our cultural inheritance in order to find the turning point that led us to the path we are on today, one he believes we must veer from in order to survive.
"Heaven," by Lisa Miller
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, July 14, 10 a.m. CST
A groundbreaking and accessible history of heaven—from the earliest biblical conceptions of the afterlife to the theologians who frame our understandings to the convictions and perceptions of everyday people.
"The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates," by Wes Moore
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, July 14, 9 a.m. CST
In December of 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a small piece about Wes Moore, a local student who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. The same paper ran a huge story about four young men who had killed a police officer in a spectacularly botched armed robbery. The police were still hunting for two of the suspects who had gone on the lam, a pair of brothers. One of their names was Wes Moore.
"Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth," by Juliet B. Schor
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, July 13, 10 a.m. CST
In Plenitude economist and bestselling author Juliet B. Schor offers a groundbreaking intellectual statement about the economics and sociology of ecological decline, suggesting a radical change in how we think about consumer goods, value, and ways to live.
"Eating Pomegranates," by Sarah Gabriel
Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, July 12, 10 a.m. CST
Eating Pomegranates is Sarah Gabriel's candid and incredibly intimate story of being forced to acknowledge that while you can try to overcome the loss of a parent, you can never escape your genetic legacy.
"The Book of Spies," by Gayle Lynds
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, July 8, 10 a.m. CST
Gayle Lynds is the author of five other solo thrillers as well as three co-written with Robert Ludlum. She is the co-founder of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
"Fault Line," by Barry Eisler
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, July 8, 10 a.m.
Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center along the way. Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year.
"The Empathic Civilization," by Jeremy Rifkin
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, July 1, 9 a.m. CST
In his most ambitious book to date, bestselling social critic Jeremy Rifkin shows that this disconnect between our vision for the world and our ability to realize that vision lies in the current state of human consciousness.
"War," by Sebastian Junger
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, June 9, 10 a.m. CST
Sebastian Junger's new book, War, is a depiction of one year in the life of the U.S. soldiers who tried to turn the occupation of Korengal around, and whose battle against a steady barrage of Taliban attacks was eventually judged to be not worth the trouble.
"The Match," by Beth Whitehouse
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, June 9, 9 a.m. CST
Faced with their daughter's devastating prognosis, Stacy and Steve Trebing made the difficult decision to pursue the only known cure for Diamond Blackfan anemia: a bone marrow transplant from a genetically matched sibling. Beth Whitehouse is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for Newsday. Her five-part front-page series "The Match," which was the basis for this book, won numerous awards.
"DIY U," by Anya Kamenetz
Broadcast, Midmorning
Anya Kamenetz is a staff writer for Fast Company magazine. The Village Voice nominated her for a Pulitzer Prize for contributions to the feature series Generation Debt, which became a book in 2006. She has written for the New York Times, appeared on CNN and National Public Radio, and been featured as a "Yahoo Finance Expert."
"America and the Pill," by Elaine Tyler May
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, June 4, 9 a.m. CST
A revealing new look at the groundbreaking form of contraception that enabled women to control their lives and transform the world. Elaine Tyler May is Regents Professor in the Departments of American Studies and History at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of several books, including Homeward Bound and Barren in the Promised Land.
"Paradise Beneath Her Feet," by Isobel Coleman
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, June 3, 10 a.m.
In Paradise Beneath Her Feet, Isobel Coleman shows how Muslim women and men are fighting back with progressive interpretations of Islam to support women's rights in a growing movement of Islamic feminism.
"Repeat until Rich," by Josh Axelrad
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, June 2, 10 a.m.
A deliciously wry, edge-of-the-seat memoir of making a fortune with card counters across a wide swath of blackjack in America. Josh Axelrad played blackjack professionally for five years and poker unprofessionally for one. A graduate of Columbia College, he languished briefly in investment banking before he turned to cards.
"The Last Stand," by Nathanial Philbrick
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, May 25, 10 a.m. CST
The bestselling author of Mayflower sheds new light on one of the iconic stories of the American West. In his tightly structured narrative, Nathaniel Philbrick brilliantly sketches the two larger-than-life antagonists: Sitting Bull, whose charisma and political savvy earned him the position of leader of the Plains Indians, and George Armstrong Custer, one of the Union's greatest cavalry officers and a man with a reputation for fearless and often reckless courage.
"Tattoos of the Heart," by Gergory Boyle
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, May 19, 10 a.m.
Erudite, down-to-earth, and utterly heartening, these essays about universal kinship and redemptionare moving examples of the power of unconditional love in difficult times and the importance of fighting despair.
61 Hours," by Lee Child
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, May 18, 10 a.m.
Lee Child's latest thriller is a ticking time bomb of suspense that builds electric tension on every page. Lee Child is the author of thirteen Jack Reacher thrillers, including the New York Times bestsellers Persuader, The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way, and #1 bestsellers Bad Luck and Trouble and Nothing to Lose.
Gonville," by Peter Birkenhead
Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, May 17, 10 a.m. CST
In powerful and spirited prose, Peter Birkenhead recounts a childhood spent trying to make sense of his father, a terrifying, charismatic presence who brutalized his family physically and emotionally at the same time that he enchanted them with his passion and whimsy.
"Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life," by Steve Almond
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, May 14, 10 a.m. CST
"Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life" traces Almond's passion from his earliest (and most wretched) rock criticism to his eventual discovery of a music-crazed soul mate and their subsequent production of two little superfans.
"The Philosophical Baby," by Alison Gopnik
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, May 6, 10 a.m. CST
Alison Gopnik - a leading psychologist and philosopher, as well as a mother - explains the groundbreaking new psychological, neuroscientific, and philosophical developments in our understanding of very young children, transforming our understanding of how babies see the world, and in turn promoting a deeper appreciation for the role of parents.
"More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home," by Sarah Susanka
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, May 5, 9 a.m. CST
Homeowners are certain to embrace this new collection of articles by the best-selling author and visionary residential architect who sparked a movement toward "better, not bigger" homes.
"The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me," by Bruce Feiler
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, May 4, 10 a.m. CST
Both funny and intellectually rigorous, Bruce Feiler has applied his investigative spirit to religion, Japan, the circus, country music and assorted other topics. His personal accounts of various cultural forays are always illuminating, if you can keep up.
"Girls on the Edge," by Leonard Sax
Broadcast, Midmorning
Monday, May 3, 10 a.m. CST
The author of Boys Adrift argues that young women today are at risk, and shows what we can do to help girls achieve their potential. Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., is a family physician, psychologist, and acclaimed author of Boys Adrift and Why Gender Matters.
"This Is Not the Story You Think It Is...: A Season of Unlikely Happiness," by Laura Munson
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, April 28, 10 a.m.
Laura Munson's essay in the New York Times, about the time she was tested in a way she never anticipated, created a firestorm-now here's the whole story. When Laura Munson's essay was published, The New York Times was so flooded with responses that they had to close down the comment feature. Readers wrote in saying that they had sent the column to all of their friends.
"Finding Beauty in a Broken World," by Terry Tempest Williams
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, April 20, 10 a.m. CST
Terry Tempest Williams is the Annie Clark Tanner Scholar in Environmental Humanities at the University of Utah. Her books include Refuge, Leap, Red, and The Open Space of Democracy. Her writing appears frequently in journals and newspapers worldwide. She is the recipient of Lannan and Guggenheim fellowships in creative nonfiction. Williams lives in Castle Valley, Utah.
"Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran," by Roxana Saberi
Broadcast, Midmorning
Friday, April 16, 10 a.m. CST
Between Two Worlds is also a deeply revealing account of this tumultuous country and theongoing struggle for freedom that is being fought inside Evin Prison and on the streets of Iran. From her heartfelt perspective, Saberi offers a rich, dramatic, and illuminating portrait of Iran as it undergoes a striking, historic transformation.
"The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes," by Randi Davenport
Broadcast, Midmorning
Thursday, April 15, 9 a.m. CST
Randi Davenport navigated the byzantine and broken health care system and managed not just to save her son from the brink of suicide but to bring him back to her again, and make her family whole. In The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes, she gives voice to the experiences of countless families whose struggles with mental illness are likewise invisible to the larger world.
"Generosity," by Richard Powers
Broadcast, Midmorning
Wednesday, April 14, 10 a.m. CST
Funny, fast, and finally magical, Generosity celebrates both science and the freed imagination. In his most exuberant book yet, Richard Powers asks us to consider the big questions facing humankindas we begin to rewrite our own existence.
"When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead," by Jerry Weintraub
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, April 13, 10 a.m. CST
A fast talking wise-ass from the Bronx, Jerry Weintraub became a millionaire at 26 by handling some of the biggest acts in show biz, most famously Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Weintraub is probably best known as the producer of such classic films as Nashville, Diner, Oh, God! and The Karate Kid, as well as the more recent Oceans Eleven and its sequels, which have together grossed over a billion dollars.
"The Genius in All of Us," by David Shenk
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, April 12, 10 a.m. CST
David Shenk is a national-bestselling author of four previous books, including The Forgetting and Data Smog, and a contributor to National Geographic, Gourmet, Harper's, The New Yorker, NPR, and PBS.
"The Devil and Sherlock Holmes," by David Grann
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, April 1, 10 a.m. CST
David Grann is a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker. He has written about everything from New York City's antiquated water tunnels to the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, from the hunt for the giant squid to the mysterious death of the world's greatest Sherlock Holmes expert.
"Remarkable Creatures," by Tracy Chevalier
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, March 31, 10 a.m. CST
Tracy Chevalier made her first bold stroke on the canvas of the literary world with 1999's Girl with a Pearl Earring, which took readers inside the mysterious Vermeer painting of the same name. Her fascination with art and history saturates her work, bringing it to vibrant life.
"The Shaking Woman or a History of My Nerves," by Siri Hustvedt
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, March 25, 10 a.m. CST
In this unique neurological memoir Siri Hustvedt attempts to solve her own mysterious condition. Hustvedt is a poet and novelist born and raised in Minnesota.
"The Surrendered," by Chang-rae Lee
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, March 24, 10 a.m. CST
The bestselling, award-winning writer of Native Speaker, A Gesture Life, and Aloft returns with his biggest, most ambitious novel yet: a spellbinding story of how love and war echo through an entire lifetime.
"The Boy Who Would Be Shakespeare," by Doug Stewart
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, March 23, 10 a.m. CST
The true story of how a quiet, unremarkable, nineteen-year-old clerk almost pulled off the greatest literary hoax of all time. Doug Stewart frequently writes about history and the arts for Smithsonian magazine.
"The Decision Tree," by Thomas Goetz
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, March 18, 9 a.m. CST
In The Decision Tree, Thomas Goetz proposes a new strategy for thinking about health, one that applies cutting-edge technology and sound science to put us at the center of the equation. Goetz is the executive editor of WIRED magazine, where he has written several cover stories, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine.
"American Salvage" by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, March 8, 10 a.m. CST
Bonnie Jo Campbell is the author of a collection of stories, Women & Other Animals, and a novel, Q Road. She is the winner of a Pushcart Prize, the AWP Award for Short Fiction, and Southern Review's 2008 Eudora Welty Prize for "The Inventor, 1972," which is included in this collection.
"The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050" by Joel Kotkin
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, March 5, 10 a.m. CST
Visionary social thinker Joel Kotkin looks ahead to America in 2050, revealing how the addition of one hundred million Americans by midcentury will transform how we all live, work, and prosper.
"A Brain Wider Than the Sky," by Andrew Levy
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, March 3, 10 a.m. CST
Levy's extraordinary social and cultural history of migraines, and the evocative personal story about his own battle with debilitating migraines. Levy is Edna Cooper Chair in English and Director of the Writer's Studio at Butler University in Indianapolis.
"Keeping the Feast," by Paula Butturini
Broadcast, Midmorning
Tuesday, March 2, 10 a.m. CST
A story of food and love, injury and healing, Keeping the Feast is the triumphant memoir of one couple's nourishment and restoration in Italy after a period of tragedy, and the extraordinary sustaining powers of food, family, and friendship.
"Einstein's God: Conversations about Science and the Human Spirit," by Krista Tippett
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. CST
Drawn from American Public Media's Peabody Award-winning program Speaking of Faith, the conversations in this profoundly illuminating book reach for a place too rarely explored in our ongoing exchange of ideas-the nexus of science and spirituality.
"Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough," by Lori Gottlieb
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, February 12, 10 a.m. CST
"Marry Him" is an eye-opening, often funny, sometimes painful, and always truthful in-depth examination of the modern dating landscape, and ultimately, a provocative wake-up call about getting real about Mr. Right.
"Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street," by Jim Wallis
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, February 11, 10 a.m. CST
In the pages of this book, Wallis provides us with a moral compass for this new economy — one that will guide us on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street.
"The Good Soldiers," by David Finkel
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, February 11, 9 a.m. CST
What was the true story of the surge? And was it really a success? Those are the questions Finkel grapples with in his remarkable report from the front lines. Combining the action of Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down with the literary brio of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, The Good Soldiers is an unforgettable work of reportage.
"Black-White Achievement Gap," by Rod Paige, Elaine Witty
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, February 8, 10 a.m. CST
In this clarion call, Paige, a former secretary of education (2001-2005) and his sister, a noted educator, pursue two threads of thought: the quest for authentic African-American leadership and the black-white achievement gap.
"Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned," by Wells Tower
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, February 4, 10 a.m. CST
In the stories of Wells Tower, families fall apart and messily try to reassemble themselves. His version of America is touched with the seamy splendor of the dropout, the misfit: failed inventors, boozy dreamers, hapless fathers, wayward sons.
"Notes from the Cracked Ceiling," by Anne E. Kornblut
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, February 1, 10 a.m. CST
Notes from the Cracked Ceiling reveals that the highly touted new era of gender-equal politics never got as far as was commonly perceived and is now in full retreat. It is essential reading for anyone who cares about politics and the limits for women that persist.
"Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir," by Kate Braestrup
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, January 22, 10 a.m.
In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in "Marriage and Other Acts of Charity."
"Half Broke Horses," by Jeannette Walls
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, January 20, 10 a.m. CST
Jeannette Walls's, author of "The Glass Castle," now brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person voice that is authentic, irresistible, and triumphant. For two decades, MSNBC.com contributor Jeannette Walls hid her hardscrabble past as the child of two rebellious noncomformists (who sometimes put painting before parenting).
"Good Without God," by Greg M. Epstein
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, January 18, 9 a.m. CST
In this constructive response not only to his fellow atheists Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris but also to contemporary religious leaders such as Rick Warren and Jim Wallis, Epstein makes a bold claim for what nonbelievers do share and believe.
"In Her Wake," by Nancy Rappaport
Broascast, MidmorningThursday, January 14, 10 a.m. CST
A psychiatrist's haunting memoir of her mother's suicide illuminates our understanding of family tragedy. Nancy Rappaport is assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
"Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage," by Elizabeth Gilbert
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, January 13, 10 a.m. CST
A sequel to her bestselling memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert's new book is the story of how she and Felipe, the man she met and fell in love with at the end of Eat, Pray, Love, grapple and ultimately make peace with the notion of marriage, long after each of them has endured an ugly divorce and sworn off the institution.
"Genetic Rounds," by Robert Marion
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, January 12, 10 a.m. CST
Renowned pediatrician and author Dr. Robert Marion, whose bestselling book The Intern Blues is revered by doctors of all ages, offers a powerful and moving account of his experiences in modern genetics.
"The Checklist Manifest," by Atul Gawande
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, January 11, 10 a.m. CST
Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater, to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements.
"Drive," by Daniel Pink
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. CST
Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does--and how that affects every aspect of our lives.
"Remedies," by Kate Ledger
Broadcast, MidmorningThursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. CST
A captivating new voice in women's fiction delves into the haunted past of a physician's seemingly perfect marriage. Kate Ledger received an M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Arizona and works as a freelance writer, specializing in health and medicine.
"New Frugality," by Chris Farrell
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, Dec. 28, 9 a.m. CST
From the economics correspondent for public radio's Marketplace Money, a new plan for a new economic reality—the philosophy and practice of living frugally.
"Blue Genes," by Christopher Lukas
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, Dec. 28, 10 a.m. CST
Written with heartrending honesty, Blue Genes captures the devastation of this family legacy of depression and details the strength and hope that can provide a way of escaping its grasp.
"Go Ask Your Father," by Lennard J. Davis
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, December 8, 10 a.m. CST
Mixing equal parts memoir, detective story, and popular-science narrative, this is the emotionally charged account of one man's quest to find out the truth about his genetic heritage-and confront the agonizing possibility of having to redefine the first fifty years of his life.
"Drink This," by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Broadcast, MidmorningMonday, December 7, 10 a.m. CST
Refreshingly simple, irreverent, and witty, Drink This explains all the insider stuff that wine critics assume you know. It will teach you how to taste and savor wine, alone, with a friend, or with a group.
"Denialism," by Michael Specter
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, December 2, 9 a.m. CST
New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter reveals that Americans have come to mistrust institutions and especially the institution of science more today than ever before.
"Born Round," Frank Bruni
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, December 1, 10 a.m. CST
Born Round traces the highly unusual path Bruni traveled to become a restaurant critic; it is the captivating account of an unpredictable journalistic ride from an intern's desk at Newsweek to a dream job at The New York Times, as well as the brutally honest story of Bruni's lifelong, often painful, struggle with food.
"The Age of Wonder," by Richard Holmes
Broadcast, MidmorningFriday, November 27, 10 a.m. CST
A riveting history of the men and women whose discoveries and inventions at the end of the eighteenth century gave birth to the Romantic Age of Science. Holmes's evocation of this age of wonder shows how great ideas and experiments—both successes and failures—were born of singular and oftenlonely dedication, and how religious faith and scientific truth collide.
"A Face Of Courage," by Tommy Watson
Broadcast, MidmorningWednesday, November 25, 10 a.m. CST
In spite of several negative classroom experiences, Tommy Watson was able to persevere, graduate from high school and earn an athletic scholarship to play BIG TEN football for the University of Minnesota.
"Connected," by Nicholas A. Christakis, James H. Fowler
Broadcast, MidmorningTuesday, November 24, 10 a.m. CST
Connected explains why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, and much more. Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, is a professor at Harvard University with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Care Policy, Sociology, and Medicine, and in 2009 was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
"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."
"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.
"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.
"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
In The Spotlight
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The Current Music Blog
Your daily note for good music, news and pop culture. With attempted jokes.
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