Book Lovers Series

Leading authors of fiction and nonfiction read from and discuss their new books in front of a live audience. Join our Book Lovers Series, then give feedback by posting your thoughts on the individual lecture comment pages. You can even post time-coded comments on particular speaker points in the video by clicking on the "Add Comment" button on the player bar.

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Joanne Chang: Flour
Joanne Chang: Flour
Joanne Chang
December 9, 2010
00:51:21
Joanne Chang, pastry chef and owner of Flour Bakery and Cafe, discusses her new book of recipes from her popular Flour bakeries in Boston and Cambridge, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery and Cafe.
The America′s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
The America′s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Chris Kimball
December 7, 2010
00:41:54
Chris Kimball and the cast of America's Test Kitchen discuss healthy and delicious ways to feed your family, and their new book, The Americas Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
Harold McGee: Keys to Good Cooking
Harold McGee: Keys to Good Cooking
Harold McGee
December 6, 2010
00:45:33
Harold McGee, food scientist and The New York Times's "Curious Cook," talks about how to cook well, even when the recipe youre following isnt perfect. Harold McGee is joined in conversation by Rialtos award-winning chef/owner Jody Adams.
Siddhartha Mukherjee: A Biography of Cancer
Siddhartha Mukherjee: A Biography of Cancer
Siddhartha Mukherjee
December 2, 2010
00:53:57
Siddhartha Mukherjee, cancer physician and researcher, discusses his first book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance, but also of hubris, paternalism, and misperception.
David Edwards on The Lab: Creativity and Culture
David Edwards on The Lab: Creativity and Culture
David A. Edwards
December 1, 2010
00:44:39
David Edwards, Harvard engineering professor, looks at the future of scientific research and his new book, The Lab: Creativity and Culture.
Deadly Spin: How PR Is Killing Health Care and Undermining Democracy
Deadly Spin: How PR Is Killing Health Care and Undermining Democracy
Wendell Potter
November 24, 2010
01:17:00
In his book Deadly Spin, Wendell Potter takes readers behind the scenes to show how a huge chunk of our healthcare spending actually bankrolls a propaganda campaign and lobbying effort focused on protecting one thing: profits.
Salman Rushdie: Luka and the Fire of Life
Salman Rushdie: Luka and the Fire of Life
Salman Rushdie
November 18, 2010
01:12:00
One of the great storytellers of our time, Salman Rushdie, talks about his new book, Luka and the Fire of Life. This novel is a follow up to his modern classic, Haroun and the Sea of Stories.
Susan Cheever on Louisa May Alcott
Susan Cheever
November 18, 2010
00:43:33
Susan Cheever, novelist, memoirist, literary historian, and daughter of John Cheever, discusses her newest exploration of America's literary past, Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography. Louisa May Alcott never intended to write Little Women.
Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage
Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage
Hazel Rowley
November 16, 2010
00:48:31
Biographer Hazel Rowley delves into the lives of one of American history's most fascinating couples, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Stephen Greenblatt: Shakespeare's Freedom
Stephen Greenblatt
November 15, 2010
00:47:17
Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt discusses his new book, Shakespeare's Freedom.
Sebastian Junger on War
Sebastian Junger on War
Sebastian Junger
November 11, 2010
01:34:00
Sebastian Junger, who was embedded for months in Afghanistan with American troops, discusses his new book, War, and the documentary based on the book, Restrepo, with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.
Atlantic: Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
Atlantic: Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
Simon Winchester
November 11, 2010
00:50:35
Simon Winchester, master raconteur, tells a series of gripping and little-known tales of the Atlantic, the ocean he calls "the inland sea of modern civilization." Simon Winchester is a bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster. Prior to writing, he studied and worked in the field of geology.
Alex Ross: Listen to This
Alex Ross: Listen to This
Alex Ross
November 10, 2010
01:03:00
New Yorker music critic Alex Ross discusses his second book, Listen to This.
Mickey Mantle: America Incarnate
Mickey Mantle: America Incarnate
Jane Leavy
November 9, 2010
01:20:00
Jane Leavy, author of the new biography of Mickey Mantle, The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood, discusses Mantle's life and times with Jim Bouton, a former teammate of Mantle's, and Marty Appel, former PR director of the Yankees.
Paul Auster: Sunset Park
Paul Auster: Sunset Park
Paul Auster
November 9, 2010
00:47:56
Writer Paul Auster reads from his newest book, Sunset Park, which 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: An enigmatic young man employed as a trash-out worker i
Tim Wu: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires
Tim Wu
November 5, 2010
00:48:21
Tim Wu, policy advocate and creator of the phrase "net neutrality," provides a historical examination of how all new media of the 20th century (radio, television, Internet) started out as open resources, but became restricted by industry and government to the detriment of free expression and innovat
Ambassador Jack Matlock: How Myths and Ideologies Led America Astray—and How to Return to Reality
Jack Matlock Jr.
November 4, 2010
00:55:25
Ambassador Jack Matlock discusses his highly acclaimed latest book, Superpower Illusions: How Myths and Ideologies Led America Astray—and How to Return to Reality, published in 2010 by Yale University Press.
Kwame Anthony Appiah: How Moral Revolutions Happen
Kwame Anthony Appiah: How Moral Revolutions Happen
Kwame Anthony Appiah
November 4, 2010
00:52:29
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses honor and its place in social and political movements throughout modern history through his new book is The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen.
The Best American Short Stories 2010
Heidi Pitlor
November 3, 2010
01:00:00
Series editor Heidi Pitlor moderates a panel discussion on The Best American Short Stories 2010 with this years guest editor, Richard Russo, and contributors Brendan Mathews and Steve Almond.
Robert Darnton: Poetry and the Police
Robert Darnton
November 2, 2010
00:55:37
Robert Darnton, director of the Harvard University Libraries, discusses his new book Poetry and the Police: Communication Networks in Eighteenth-Century Paris.
Andrew Young and Kabir Sehgal: Civil Rights and the Journey Ahead
Andrew Young and Kabir Sehgal: Civil Rights and the Journey Ahead
Andrew Young
November 1, 2010
00:48:38
A top aide to Martin Luther King, Jr., and one of history's most important civil rights leaders, Andrew Young has been a witness to history and made his own. For years, he has been mentoring his godson, Kabir Sehgal, in correspondence and conversation.
Gal Beckerman: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry
Gal Beckerman: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry
Gal Beckerman
November 1, 2010
00:45:34
Gal Beckerman, reporter for The Forward, talks about his first book, an exploration of the lives of the Jews left behind in the Soviet Union after World War II. At the end of the war, nearly three million Jews were trapped inside the Soviet Union.
Ian Morris: Why the West Rules--For Now
Ian Morris
October 29, 2010
00:59:54
Ian Morris, Stanford professor of classics and history, explores his new book, Why the West Rules—For Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal about the Future.
Condoleezza Rice: Extraordinary, Ordinary People
Condoleezza Rice: Extraordinary, Ordinary People
Condoleezza Rice
October 28, 2010
00:53:36
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discusses her book, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family, with Ambassador Nicholas Burns.
In Between: Race in America Today
In Between: Race in America Today
Mark Morrison-Reed
October 27, 2010
01:05:00
Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed discusses his book, In Between: Memoir of an Integration Baby, his memoir of growing up during the era of the civil rights movement.
Best American Essays 2010
Robert Atwan
October 26, 2010
01:04:00
Series editor Robert Atwan joins contributors John Summers and Jerald Walker to discuss The Best American Essays 2010, the 25th anniversary volume.
Indian Ocean and the Shifting Center of Global Power
Indian Ocean and the Shifting Center of Global Power
Robert D. Kaplan
October 25, 2010
00:53:34
Robert D. Kaplan discusses the shifting center of global power and his new book, Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power. In Monsoon, an examination of the Indian Ocean region and the countries known as "Monsoon Asia," Robert D.
Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
Pauline Maier
October 23, 2010
00:55:39
MIT History Professor Pauline Maier discusses her book, Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788, which tells the dramatic story of the two-year debate over the ratification of the Constitution, filled with chicanery and statesmanship, drawing on the speeches and letters
Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" and the Genres of Authenticity
Sidonie Smith
October 22, 2010
01:22:00
In the early 21st century, memoir culture, celebrity culture, and U.S. political culture have converged as Presidential wannabes publish memoir after memoir, thereby converting "a life" into money, message, and conduit for voter attachment.
V.S. Naipaul: The Masque of Africa
V.S. Naipaul: The Masque of Africa
V.S. Naipaul
October 22, 2010
00:56:30
V.S. Naipaul discusses his most recent work of travel writing as cultural history, The Masque of Africa: Glimpses of African Belief. V.S. Naipaul will be joined in conversation this evening by his editor, George Andreou. Like all of V. S.
Charles Burns: X'ed Out
Charles Burns: X'ed Out
Charles Burns
October 20, 2010
00:44:59
Comics artist Charles Burns discusses his new book, X'ed Out, the first volume in an epic graphic fiction masterwork. Doug is having a strange night.
Nicole Krauss: Great House
Nicole Krauss: Great House
Nicole Krauss
October 19, 2010
00:44:56
Nicole Krauss reads from her new novel, Great House.
Audio-only
First Time's a Charm: Receiving Awards for First Works of Fiction
Helene Atwan
October 16, 2010
00:58:11
How does life change when your first published work of fiction receives a prestigious award? Three winners of the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award describe their experiences. Justin Cronin won in 2002 for Mary and O’Neil, Jennifer Haigh in 2004 for Mrs.
Joyce Carol Oates: Sourland
Joyce Carol Oates: Sourland
Joyce Carol Oates
October 16, 2010
01:02:00
Award-winning author Joyce Carol Oates discusses her latest work, Sourland. Oates's utterly fearless, disquieting, and imaginative writing spans multiple genres and has established her as one of America's preeminent authors.
Audio-only
The Ancients: History and Myth
Stacy Schiff
October 16, 2010
00:51:58
Can we ever truly understand the ancients? Have history and legend blended irrevocably? And has Hollywood warped our view?
Bill Bryson and Tony Hiss: Home and Away
Bill Bryson
October 16, 2010
00:46:44
Two unusually perceptive authors will transport you in this entertaining and enlightening session. Travel writer Bill Bryson (At Home) goes deep into the place we think we know best: home.
Audio-only
Role of Time and Place in Fiction
Gish Jen
October 16, 2010
00:53:54
Identity, the march of world events, and the effort to construct a life are explored in this session. Gish Jen’s World and Town is set in a small New England town, but raises questions about the wider world and the changes it brings.
Audio-only
Cartooning: You Can Do It Too!
Jarrett Krosoczka
October 16, 2010
00:44:52
A team of four successful and talented cartoonists/illustrators discuss their craft.
Dan Ariely and Mark Moffett: Bugs in the System
Dan Ariely and Mark Moffett: Bugs in the System
Dan Ariely
October 16, 2010
00:56:46
Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code and Mark Moffett studies the bugs under our feet. Ariely, in Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality, gives example after hilarious example of people behaving irrationally despite their most closely held beliefs.
Audio-only
Crimes and Misdemeanors: Writing Mystery Novels
Andrew Gross
October 16, 2010
00:53:25
Mystery and mayhem always make for good storytelling, and Robert B. Parker knew it.
Audio-only
It Books: Young Adult Writers Discuss What’s Hot
Francisco Stork
October 16, 2010
00:54:07
An all-star group of bestselling writers get together to discuss what's hot and what's not when it comes to young adult fiction.
Tyler Florence: Cooking for the Family
Tyler Florence: Cooking for the Family
Tyler Florence
October 16, 2010
00:39:50
When it comes to a great meal, there’s no place like home. And no one understands that better than celebrity chef and dad Tyler Florence, the star of the popular Food Network series Tyler’s Ultimate and author of the cookbook Tyler Florence Family Meal.
Audio-only
Baseball: Writing About America’s Favorite Pastime
Bill Littlefield
October 16, 2010
00:48:47
As Bill Littlefield so often reminds us, it IS only a game. But sometimes baseball feels like so much more, especially when we consider the legends who have claimed our hearts as well as a place in the record books.
Jeff Kinney on Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5
Jeff Kinney on Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5
Jeff Kinney
October 16, 2010
00:24:04
Jeff Heffley celebrates the publication of the much-anticipated Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5: The Ugly Truth. There are few things more frightening than middle school--just ask Greg Heffley, whose diary we have all come to know and love, thanks to celebrated author/illustrator Jeff Kinney.
Audio-only
Fiction: The Web of Relationship
Ann Hood
October 16, 2010
00:46:47
Three authors discuss their very different takes on essential human connections. Ann Hood's novel, The Red Thread, is an engaging look at five couples and their quest to adopt babies from China.
Audio-only
Internet or Not?
Nicholas Carr
October 16, 2010
00:53:54
We love the easy access to information afforded by the Internet, but have a sneaky suspicion that there is a downside. Nicholas Carr, in The Shallows, argues that the Internet reduces our collective attention span.
The Tendencies of Technology
Kevin Kelly
October 16, 2010
01:18:00
The recent changes that technology has made to books, reading, and the way we relate to each other are unprecedented and transformational.
Talking About Justice
Talking About Justice
Amartya Sen
October 16, 2010
00:53:19
Three noted scholars talk about justice. Nobel Prize-winner Amartya Sen, in The Idea of Justice, writes about how to achieve social justice in a world where cultures have widely differing beliefs.
Horror Novelists
Jack Ketchum
October 16, 2010
00:24:26
Horror novelists Jack Ketchum, Dustin LaValley, and Joe Knetter discuss their upcoming works and their favorite horror movie quotes, and then answer questions from the audience at Rock and Shock 2010 in Worcester, MA.
Audio-only
Architecture: Writing on the Walls
Moshe Safdie
October 16, 2010
01:01:00
Two world-renowned architects explain how the design of a building can tell a story. Moshe Safdie first made news with Habitat at Expo '67 and his recent work, from Yad Vashem to Crystal Bridges, continues to inspire.
Timothy Snyder: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Timothy Snyder
October 15, 2010
00:47:44
Timothy Snyder, historian of Eastern European history talks about his book Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin.
Mark Vonnegut: Just Like Someone without Mental Illness
Mark Vonnegut: Just Like Someone without Mental Illness
Mark Vonnegut
October 13, 2010
00:43:56
Mark Vonnegut talks about his new memoir Just Like Someone without Mental Illness Only More So, a follow-up to the acclaimed The Eden Express.
Amir Aczel: Present at the Creation
Amir Aczel
October 12, 2010
00:45:00
Amir D. Aczel, mathematician and historian of science, talks about the largest and yet arguably the most fundamental experiment in scientific history: the work with the Large Hadron Collider.
Frank Dikotter explains Mao's Great Famine
Frank Dikotter
October 8, 2010
00:39:21
Frank Dikotter discusses his new book, Maos Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958--1962. "Between 1958 and 1962, China descended into hell.
Deborah Fallows on Dreaming in Chinese
Deborah Fallows on Dreaming in Chinese
Deborah Fallows
October 7, 2010
00:52:26
Deborah Fallows explores her experiences as an American living in China in her new book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language. Deborah Fallows has spent much of her life learning languages and traveling around the world, but nothing prepared her for the surprise
Cassandra King: Stories of Story Writing
Cassandra King
October 7, 2010
00:45:47
National bestselling novelist, Cassandra King, author of The Same Sweet Girls, Making Waves, and The Sunday Wife addresses the Georgia Perimeter College’s Writers Institute.
An Evening with Pat Conroy
An Evening with Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy
October 6, 2010
00:40:52
Writer Pat Conroy tells the story of his life in the South. He tells about writing his new book, The Death of Santini, about his father's death.
John Stauffer: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
John Stauffer: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
John Stauffer
September 30, 2010
01:13:00
John Stauffer, Harvard professor of English discusses his book, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were the self made men of their time.
Justice Stephen Breyer: A Judge's View
Stephen Breyer
September 29, 2010
01:26:00
Justice Stephen Breyer discusses his new book, Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View, with Jeffrey Toobin, New Yorker writer and author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.
Ken Follett: Fall of Giants
Ken Follett: Fall of Giants
Ken Follett
September 29, 2010
00:55:52
Best-selling author Ken Follett discusses his new epic novel "Fall of Giants" with WABE’s Valerie Jackson at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.
James Howard Kunstler: The Witch of Hebron
James Howard Kunstler: The Witch of Hebron
James Howard Kunstler
September 28, 2010
00:54:35
James Howard Kunstler reads from his novel, The Witch of Hebron, a sequel to 2008's World Made by Hand.
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan: The Fall
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan: The Fall
Guillermo del Toro
September 23, 2010
00:57:57
Director Guillermo del Toro and author Chuck Hogan discuss The Fall, the second installment in the Strain Trilogy. The pair are interviewed by the Brattle Theatre's creative director, Ned Hinkle. The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City.
Josh Russell: My Bright Midnight
Josh Russell
September 21, 2010
00:58:02
Josh Russell, Associate Professor at Georgia State University, reads from his recently published novel, My Bright Midnight and talks about his upcoming third novel.
Mary Catherine Bateson: Composing a Further Life
Mary Catherine Bateson: Composing a Further Life
Mary Catherine Bateson
September 21, 2010
00:57:39
Anthropologist and expert on aging Mary Catherine Bateson discusses her book, Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom.
Reality Radio: Telling True Stories in Sound
Reality Radio: Telling True Stories in Sound
Ira Glass
September 21, 2010
01:29:00
John Biewen, author of Reality Radio: Telling True Stories in Sound, joins public radio favorites Ira Glass, Jay Allison, and the Kitchen Sisters for an intimate evening of stories and clips, and to discuss how they do what they do, and why.
David Kahn: Spying for Hitler
David Kahn
September 21, 2010
01:12:00
Historian David Kahn, author of Hitler’s Spies and The Codebreakers, explores German military intelligence during World War II.
The Youth Pill
David Stipp
September 10, 2010
00:47:10
David Stipp discusses his new book on the scientific and medical discoveries that will lead to greater longevity with good health. The author is critical of bogus remedies and promises of extended youth.
Gail Caldwell: Let’s Take the Long Way Home
Gail Caldwell: Let’s Take the Long Way Home
Gail Caldwell
August 12, 2010
00:43:39
Memoirist and former Boston Globe book critic Gail Caldwell reads from her new memoir, Let′s Take the Long Way Home, about her dear friend and colleague, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Knapp.
Colson Whitehead Reads from Sag Harbor
Colson Whitehead Reads from Sag Harbor
Colson Whitehead
August 4, 2010
00:37:22
Former MacArthur Fellowship recipient and award-winning author Colson Whitehead reads from his book Sag Harbor, which is newly released in paperback. Benji Cooper is one of the few black students at an elite prep school in Manhattan.
Rafe Esquith: Lighting Their Fires
Rafe Esquith: Lighting Their Fires
Rafe Esquith
August 2, 2010
00:41:21
Rafe Esquith is the only teacher to have been awarded the President’s Medal of the Arts and is the author of the bestseller, Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire.
Howard Norman: What Is Left the Daughter
Howard Norman: What Is Left the Daughter
Howard Norman
July 27, 2010
00:31:42
Howard Norman reads and explores his newest work, What Is Left the Daughter.
William Powers: Hamlet's Blackberry
William Powers: Hamlet's Blackberry
William Powers
July 22, 2010
00:42:03
Media and technology writer William Powers discusses his new book, Hamlet′s Blackberry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age.
Jennifer Weiner: Fly Away Home
Jennifer Weiner: Fly Away Home
Jennifer Weiner
July 21, 2010
00:37:43
Bestselling novelist Jennifer Weiner reads from a discusses her most recent book, Fly Away Home. When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions.
Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project
Victor K. McElheny
July 20, 2010
00:46:07
Science writer and founder the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at MIT, Victor McElheny, for a look into the workings of the Human Genome Project and his new book, Drawing the Map of Life.
Amy McCoy: Poor Girl Gourmet
Amy McCoy: Poor Girl Gourmet
Amy McCoy
July 19, 2010
00:24:37
Learn a lesson in eating well, but frugally, from blogger and now cookbook writer Amy McCoy. When the economic recession cut into Amy McCoy's food budget, she was determined to continue eating well even though she was on a budget.
Adam Ross: Mr. Peanut
Adam Ross: Mr. Peanut
Adam Ross
July 15, 2010
00:55:26
Nashville columnist and debut novelist Adam Ross discusses Mr. Peanut. David Pepin has been in love with his wife, Alice, since the moment they met in a university seminar on Alfred Hitchcock.
Helena Andrews: Bitch is the New Black
Helena Andrews: Bitch is the New Black
Helena Andrews
July 15, 2010
00:32:20
Helena Andrews is young, smart, successful and black.
Jon Clinch: Kings of the Earth
Jon Clinch: Kings of the Earth
Jon Clinch
July 12, 2010
00:51:14
Jon Clinch, author of the prize-winning debut novel Finn, an original work drawn from Mark Twain that focused on Huckleberry Finn’s brutal father, discusses another imaginative work, Kings of the Earth. It’s a gripping and haunting story of life, death and family in rural America.
George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness
George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness
Oren Harman
July 8, 2010
00:55:47
Historian of science Oren Harman holds a conversation about his new book, The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness. Since the dawn of time man has contemplated the mystery of altruism, but it was Darwin who posed the question most starkly.
Tom Harbin: Waking Up Blind
Tom Harbin: Waking Up Blind
Tom Harbin
July 7, 2010
00:39:14
Dr. Tom Harbin has been practicing ophthalmology with a specialty in glaucoma in Atlanta for more than 30 years and is a Clinical Professor Emeritus at Emory University.
Denial: A Memoir of Terror
Denial: A Memoir of Terror
Jessica Stern
July 6, 2010
00:42:03
Terrorism and foreign policy expert Jessica Stern discusses her new book, Denial: A Memoir of Terror.
Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter
Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter
Tom Bissell
June 29, 2010
00:45:32
Journalist and critic (and avid video gamer) Tom Bissell takes a deeper look into video game culture. His new book, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter takes a serious look at a much-dismissed topic.
Joshilyn Jackson: Backseat Saints
Joshilyn Jackson
June 29, 2010
00:45:53
Joshilyn Jacson was a finalist for the Townsend Award for Fiction, and her wonderful novel The Girl Who Stopped Swimming was selected as one of the Center for the Book’s 2010 ”25 Books All Georgians Should Read.” She talks about her brand new novel, Backseat Saints.
What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Nicholas Carr
June 28, 2010
00:49:25
Technology commentator Nicholas Carr explores the psychological impact of the Internet and his new book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.
Joseph Dabney: Art of Lowcountry Cooking
Joseph Dabney: Art of Lowcountry Cooking
Joseph Dabney
June 25, 2010
00:44:48
Joseph Dabney discusses his new book, The Food, Folklore and Art of Lowcountry Cooking. The book's subtitle is: A Celebration of the Foods, History, and Romance Handed Down from England, Africa, the Caribbean, France, Germany and Scotland.
Jane Green: Promises to Keep
Jane Green: Promises to Keep
Jane Green
June 25, 2010
00:39:33
Jane Green, the bestselling author of 11 popular novels discusses a compelling new novel just right for summer reading, Promises to Keep.
Laura Eldridge: Contraceptive Choices for Women
Laura Eldridge
June 25, 2010
00:57:42
Womens health writer and activist Laura Eldridge holds a conversation about her new book, In Our Control: The Complete Guide to Contraceptive Choices for Women.
Bret Easton Ellis: Imperial Bedrooms
Bret Easton Ellis: Imperial Bedrooms
Bret Easton Ellis
June 24, 2010
00:46:18
Bret Easton Ellis, author of Rules of Attraction and American Psycho, reads from his newest novel, Imperial Bedrooms, which follows the infamous teenagers of his debut, Less Than Zero, into an even more desperate middle age.
Jane Mendelsohn: American Music
Jane Mendelsohn: American Music
Jane Mendelsohn
June 21, 2010
00:48:59
Jane Mendelsohn, author of The New York Times’ bestselling novel I Was Amelia Earhart, discusses her new book, American Music. It’s a luminous love story centering on Milo, a severely wounded Iraq war veteran, and Honor, a former dancer who is now his physical therapist.
Kathryn Schulz on Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error
Kathryn Schulz on Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error
Kathryn Schulz
June 18, 2010
00:50:13
Journalist and "wrongologist" Kathryn Schulz holds a conversation about mistakes (and admitting them), and her new book, Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. To err is human.
Belle Boggs: Mattaponi Queen
Belle Boggs: Mattaponi Queen
Belle Boggs
June 17, 2010
00:38:13
Short story writer Belle Boggs reads from her first book, Mattaponi Queen, a collection of connected stories, some of which have previously appeared in The Paris Review, Glimmer Train, At Length, storySouth and Five Chapters.
Under Cape Cod Waters
Ethan Daniels
June 15, 2010
00:52:49
Author and underwater photographer, Ethan Daniels talks about his new book, Under Cape Cod Waters. This book is a stunning and unique portrait of the world beneath the Cape’s waters.
William Powers: Twelve by Twelve
William Powers
June 15, 2010
00:38:25
Critically acclaimed author and activist William Powers discusses his experiences escaping from society, chronicled in his new book, Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream.
John Burrison: From Mud to Jug
John Burrison
June 12, 2010
01:01:00
John Burrison, professor of English and the director of the folklore curriculum at Georgia State University, discusses his new book From Mud to Jug.
Travels in a Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans
Philip Gambone
June 11, 2010
00:33:14
Award-winning writer and teacher Philip Gambone holds a discussion of his new book, Travels in a Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans, a snapshot of the variety of gay lives and culture in America today.
Dan Ariely: The Upside of Irrationality
Dan Ariely: The Upside of Irrationality
Dan Ariely
June 10, 2010
00:53:33
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely discusses his new book, The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home. The 2008 economic crisis taught us that irrationality is an influential player in financial markets.
Ann Beattie: Walks With Men
Ann Beattie
June 9, 2010
00:35:24
Award-winning novelist and short story writer Ann Beattie reads from and discusses her latest novel, Walks with Men. It is 1980 in New York City, and Jane, a valedictorian fresh out of Harvard, strikes a deal with Neil, an intoxicating writer twenty years her senior.
Stephen Kinzer: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future
Stephen Kinzer: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future
Stephen Kinzer
June 8, 2010
00:58:40
Foreign correspondent and Boston University professor Stephen Kinzer discusses his book Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future, which examines the complex state of Middle East politics. What can the United States do to help realize its dream of a peaceful, democratic Middle East?
Richard Solomon: American Negotiating Behavior
Richard H. Solomon
June 7, 2010
00:59:55
Richard Solomon discusses his book, American Negotiating Behavior: Wheeler Dealers, Legal Eagles, Bullies, and Preachers.
Sebastian Junger: War in Afghanistan
Sebastian Junger: War in Afghanistan
Sebastian Junger
June 7, 2010
00:47:42
Journalist and best-selling author Sebastian Junger discusses his book, War, an account of his time with a US Army platoon on the battlefields of Afghanistan.
Daniel J. Carlat: The Trouble with Psychiatry
Daniel J. Carlat: The Trouble with Psychiatry
Daniel J. Carlat
June 2, 2010
00:50:44
Noted psychiatrist and mental health journalist Daniel J. Carlat holds a discussion about the current state of the field of psychiatry and his new book, Unhinged: The Trouble with Psychiatry—A Doctor’s Revelations About a Profession in Crisis.
Kim Severson: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life
Kim Severson: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life
Kim Severson
May 27, 2010
00:36:50
Journalist and food writer Kim Severson discusses her new memoir, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life. Somewhere between the lessons her mother taught her as a child and the ones she is now trying to teach her own daughter, Kim Severson stumbled.
Jonathan Alter: President Obama, Year One
Jonathan Alter: President Obama, Year One
Jonathan Alter
May 26, 2010
01:12:00
Jonathan Alter, senior editor at Newsweek, discusses his new book, The Promise: President Obama, Year One.
Nick Bunker: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World
Nick Bunker: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World
Nick Bunker
May 26, 2010
00:43:30
Journalist and historian Nick Bunker steps into a long-past world with his book, Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World; A New History. At the end of 1618, a blazing green star soared across the night sky over the northern hemisphere.
Claude Steele: How Stereotypes Affect Us
Claude Steele: How Stereotypes Affect Us
Claude Steele
May 25, 2010
00:56:11
Claude Steele, acclaimed social psychologist, discusses identity and his new book Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us. Through illustrative personal stories, Claude Steele shares the experiments and studies that show, again and again, that exposing subjects to ste
Fredrik Stanton: Great Negotiations
Fredrik Stanton: Great Negotiations
Fredrik Stanton
May 24, 2010
00:40:32
Fredrik Stanton discusses his book, Great Negotiations: Agreements That Changed the Modern World. In this book, Stanton argues that diplomatic negotiations have provided pivotal moments on which U.S. foreign policy and its development have turned.
Stephen Burt: Art of the Sonnet
Stephen Burt
May 21, 2010
00:48:22
Stephen Burt, Harvard professor of English, looks at one of the English language’s most beloved art forms and his new book, The Art of the Sonnet. Few poetic forms have found more uses than the sonnet in English, and none is now more recognizable.
Juliet B. Schor: New Economics of True Wealth
Juliet B. Schor: New Economics of True Wealth
Juliet Schor
May 20, 2010
00:52:28
Juliet B. Schor, sociologist and economist, discusses her book, Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth. Humans are degrading the planet far faster than we are regenerating it.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Impact of the Highly Improbable
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Impact of the Highly Improbable
Nassim Taleb
May 19, 2010
00:51:32
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, renowned expert on risk and randomness, discusses The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.
Saturday Is for Funerals: AIDS in Botswana
Saturday Is for Funerals: AIDS in Botswana
Unity Dow
May 18, 2010
00:37:35
Unity Dow, human rights activist and judge, and Max Essex, Harvard University's Lasker Professor of Health Sciences, discuss the AIDS crisis in Botswana and their new book, Saturday Is for Funerals.
Anya Kamenetz: DIY U: The Coming Transformation of Higher Education
Anya Kamenetz: DIY U: The Coming Transformation of Higher Education
Anya Kamenetz
May 17, 2010
00:42:31
Anya Kamenetz discusses her new book, DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education. The price of college tuition has increased more than any other major good or service for the last twenty years.
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
Wes Moore
May 17, 2010
01:03:00
Wes Moore, combat veteran and former White House Fellow, discusses chance, fate, family, and accountability and his new book The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates. He then introduces representatives from non-profit organizations that work to provide opportunity for at-risk students.
Larry Tye: Satchel, The Life and Times of an American Legend
Larry Tye
May 14, 2010
00:38:00
Larry Tye discusses his book, Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, a superbly researched, spellbindingly told story of athlete, showman, philosopher, and boundary breaker, Leroy "Satchel" Paige.
Scott Turow: Setting Thrilling Legal and Novel Precedents
Scott Turow: Setting Thrilling Legal and Novel Precedents
Scott Turow
May 13, 2010
00:48:27
Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, talks with Scott Turow about his career as an author and a lawyer and how his work inspires his fiction.
Norris Church Mailer: A Ticket to the Circus
Norris Mailer
May 13, 2010
00:33:54
Norris Church Mailer, novelist and Norman Mailer's muse, discusses her new memoir, A Ticket to the Circus.
Daniel Okrent: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
Daniel Okrent
May 12, 2010
00:47:21
Daniel Okrent, noted editor and historian author, discusses his new social history Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. From its start, America has been awash in drink.
Nino Ricci: The Origin of Species
Nino Ricci: The Origin of Species
Nino Ricci
May 10, 2010
00:44:32
Nino Ricci reads from his new novel, The Origin of Species, which was awarded the 2008 Governor General's Award for Fiction and is now being published in the United States for the first time.
Stephen Prothero: God Is Not One
Stephen Prothero
May 6, 2010
00:52:37
Stephen Prothero, religion scholar and bestselling author, discusses his new book, God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—And Why Their Differences Matter.
Chuck Palahniuk: Tell All
Chuck Palahniuk: Tell All
Chuck Palahniuk
May 5, 2010
01:19:00
Chuck Palahniuk acclaimed novelist discusses of his newest book, Tell All, a novel inspired by the life of Lillian Hellman.
The Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in the US
Robert Whitaker
May 4, 2010
01:05:00
Robert Whitaker shares the challenges he faced while writing his book Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America, which looks at the merits of psychiatric medications through the prism of long-term results.
Alina Bronsky: Broken Glass Park
Alina Bronsky
May 4, 2010
00:51:21
Contemporary German author Alina Bronsky discusses her book, Broken Glass Park with Marc Fitten, author of Valeria's Last Stand and editor of The Chattahoochee Review, Atlanta's oldest literary magazine.
Robin Black: If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This
Robin Black: If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This
Robin Black
May 3, 2010
00:34:56
Robin Black, award-winning short story writer, reads from her first full-length collection, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This.
Cartoonists Dash Shaw and Paul Karasik on BodyWorld
Dash Shaw
April 21, 2010
00:51:55
Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and animator Dash Shaw talks about his new book BodyWorld with fellow cartoonist Paul Karasik.
Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life
Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life
Steve Almond
April 16, 2010
00:52:06
Steve Almond, New York Times best-selling author presents Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life, a musical extravaganza in celebration of his new book about obsessive fandom.
Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Became Mark Twain
Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Became Mark Twain
Roy Morris Jr.
April 13, 2010
00:49:03
Roy Morris, Jr. discusses his new book, Lighting Out for the Territory: How Samuel Clemens Became Mark Twain. Mark Twain is arguably the most famous and influential writer in American history.
Walter Mosley Reads Known to Evil
Walter Mosley
March 24, 2010
00:47:22
Walter Mosley reads from his new installment about private investigator Leonid McGill, Known to Evil. Leonid McGill--the protagonist introduced in The Long Fall--is still fighting to stick to his reformed ways while the world around him pulls him in every other direction.
Seth Grahame-Smith: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Seth Grahame-Smith: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Seth Grahame-Smith
March 17, 2010
00:39:04
Seth Grahame-Smith discusses his book, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for reuniting the North with the South and abolishing slavery from our country, no one has ever known about his valiant fight against the forces of the undead.
Jane Austen: The Author, Her Legacy and…Sea Monsters? (Part 2)
Jane Austen: The Author, Her Legacy and…Sea Monsters? (Part 2)
Seth Grahame-Smith
March 9, 2010
00:58:32
Bethanne Patrick moderates a discussion about Jane Austen and why her works have been reinvented as "monster mash-ups": adding zombies, vampires, and even sea monsters to classic Austen texts. Patrick is joined by authors Seth Grahame-Smith, Ben H.
Jane Austen: The Author, Her Legacy and…Sea Monsters? (Part 1)
Jane Austen: The Author, Her Legacy and…Sea Monsters? (Part 1)
Seth Grahame-Smith
March 9, 2010
00:54:04
Bethanne Patrick moderates a discussion about Jane Austen and why her works have been reinvented as "monster mash-ups": adding zombies, vampires, and even sea monsters to classic Austen texts. Patrick is joined by authors Seth Grahame-Smith, Ben H.
Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak: Saved by Her Enemy
Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak: Saved by Her Enemy
Don Teague
March 4, 2010
00:54:26
Emmy Award-winning CBS News Correspondent Don Teague and his Iraqi-born translator Rafraf Barrak discuss their book, Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi Woman's Journey from the Heart of War to the Heartland of America. The two met early in the Iraq War and were nearly killed by a terrorist bomb.
Gretchin Rubin: The Happiness Project
Gretchin Rubin: The Happiness Project
Gretchen Rubin
February 19, 2010
00:08:37
Gretchen Rubin discusses her book, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, with Bethanne Patrick.
Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
Douglas Brinkley
February 15, 2010
01:25:00
Historian Douglas Brinkley discusses his new book, The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America with Kathleen Dalton, professor of history at Phillips Academy.
Thomas Mallon: People and Their Letters
Thomas Mallon
February 11, 2010
00:08:13
Thomas Mallon and Bethanne Patrick discuss Mallon's new book, Yours Ever: People and Their Letters.
Eric Blehm: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan
Eric Blehm
February 9, 2010
00:09:26
Eric Blehm and Bethanne Patrick discuss Blehm's new book, The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan.
James Brown: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Significant Living
James Brown
January 26, 2010
00:10:10
James Brown discusses his book, Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Significant Living, with Bethanne Patrick.
Ariel Sabar: A Son's Search for His Family's Past
Ariel Sabar
January 11, 2010
00:08:01
Ariel Sabar and Bethanne Patrick discuss Sabar's new book, My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Family's Past.
Dan Baum on Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans
Dan Baum
January 7, 2010
00:07:47
Dan Baum and Bethanne Patrick discuss Baum's book, Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans.
Pam Spaulding: Three Decades with the McGarvey Family
Pam Spaulding
December 23, 2009
00:06:14
Photographer Pam Spaulding and Bethanne Patrick discuss Spaulding's book, An American Family: Three Decades with the McGarveys, a photo essay that spanned 30 years.
David Sax: Save the Deli
David Sax: Save the Deli
David Sax
December 17, 2009
00:08:04
Bethanne Patrick and David Sax discuss Sax's book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen.
Garrison Keillor: Christmas Blizzard
Garrison Keillor: Christmas Blizzard
Garrison Keillor
December 14, 2009
01:28:01
Garrison Keillor, author, and host of A Prairie Home Companion, reads from his new book, A Christmas Blizzard. A Christmas Blizzard is vintage Keillor, a wry, witty look at a contemporary Scrooge that is sure to please.
Harriet Reisen: Louisa May Alcott, The Woman Behind Little Women
Harriet Reisen
November 23, 2009
00:05:55
Harriet Reisen discusses her book, Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women, with Bethanne Patrick.
Nicholas Schmidle : Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan
Nicholas Schmidle
November 19, 2009
00:07:11
Nicholas Schmidle discusses his book, To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan, with Bethanne Patrick.
Michael Greenberg: Beg, Borrow, Steal
Michael Greenberg
November 16, 2009
00:07:20
Michael Greenberg and Bethanne Patrick discuss Greenberg's book, Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life.
Kaylie Jones: Lies My Mother Never Told Me
Kaylie Jones
November 10, 2009
00:07:56
Kaylie Jones and Bethanne Patrick discuss Jones' book, Lies My Mother Never Told Me.
Alicia Silverstone: Sexiest Vegetarian Alive
Alicia Silverstone: Sexiest Vegetarian Alive
Alicia Silverstone
October 24, 2009
00:39:30
Alicia Silverstone, perhaps best known for her generation-defining role in Clueless, is a dedicated advocate for the planet and its animals, and was voted "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" in 2004.
David Finkel: The Good Soldiers
David Finkel
October 8, 2009
00:07:06
David Finkel and Bethanne Patrick discuss Finkel's book, The Good Soldiers, which chronicles the eight months he spent with an Army battalion in Iraq.
Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism
Andrew Bacevich
October 5, 2009
01:21:50
Conservative historian Andrew Bacevich discusses his provocative book The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. Bacevich joins Charles Sennott, founder of the online news service GlobalPost, to discuss the challenges the Obama administration faces in Afghanistan.
Helen Thomas and Craig Crawford: Listen Up, Mr. President
Bethanne Patrick
October 2, 2009
00:14:11
Helen Thomas and Craig Crawford discuss their book, Listen Up, Mr. President, with Bethanne Patrick.
Jesse Sheidlower: The F-Word
Jesse Sheidlower: The F-Word
Jesse Sheidlower
September 17, 2009
Oxford English Dictionary editor at large Jesse Sheidlower discusses his new, in-depth look at that most offensive, rhymes-with-pluck, four-letter English obscenity, The F-Word.
Buzz Aldrin: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
Buzz Aldrin
August 18, 2009
00:13:59
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin discusses his autobiography, Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon, with Bethanne Patrick.
Marc Leepson: Desperate Engagement
Marc Leepson
August 11, 2009
00:07:43
Marc Leepson and Bethanne Patrick discuss Leepson's book, Desperate Engagement, about a little known Civil War battle, which nearly changed the outcome of the War and the history of our country.
David O. Stewart: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy
David O. Stewart
June 3, 2009
00:07:21
David O. Stewart and Bethanne Patrick discuss Stewart's book, Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy.
Ruth Reichl: Not Becoming My Mother
Bethanne Patrick
May 26, 2009
00:09:21
Ruth Reichl discusses her book, Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way, with Bethanne Patrick.
David A. Taylor: The WPA Writers' Project Uncovers Depression America
David A. Taylor
May 7, 2009
00:06:46
David Taylor and Bethanne Patrick discuss Taylor's book, Soul of a People: The WPA Writers' Project Uncovers Depression America.
Bulent Atalay: Leonardo's Universe
Bulent Atalay
April 30, 2009
00:06:02
Bulent Atalay and Bethanne Patrick discuss Atalay's book, Leonardo's Universe, which explores the life, times and thoughs of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein
The Man Who Wrote Frankenstein
John Lauritsen
June 17, 2008
00:53:29
John Lauritsen makes the case that Frankenstein was not written by Mary Shelley, but by a great poet who deliberately concealed his authorship.
Audio-only
Jacqueline Winspear: Messenger of Truth
Jacqueline Winspear
March 14, 2008
00:52:32
Jacqueline Winspear, one of the country’s most popular and most honored mystery authors, discusses her latest book, Messenger of Truth. It is a novel featuring Maisie Dobbs, Winspear’s psychological investigator, enmeshed in a whodunit tale.
Audio-only
What Is Team Trivia?
Ken Jennings
February 5, 2008
00:39:52
Author and all-time Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings poses brain-teasing questions from his new release, Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days.
Love Is a Mix Tape
Love Is a Mix Tape
Rob Sheffield
January 23, 2008
00:27:45
Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield discusses his book Love Is a Mix Tape, which examines life, love, and death in terms of music, specifically a set of mixtapes from throughout his relationship with Renee, the spunky punk rocker he married and eventually lost to a pulmonary embolis
Luncheon of the Boating Party
Susan Vreeland
November 11, 2007
01:18:35
Susan Vreeland discusses her latest book, Luncheon of the Boating Party, a vivid exploration of one of the most beloved Renoir paintings in the world. With a palette of vibrant characters, Vreeland paints their lives, loves, losses, and triumphs in a brilliant portrait of her own.
Audio-only
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini
May 28, 2007
00:50:55
Afghan American novelist Khaled Hosseini discusses A Thousand Splendid Suns, the follow-up to his best-seller, The Kite Runner. The new book is another searing epic of Afghanistan in turmoil.
Frank McCourt: Act Two
Frank McCourt
January 11, 2006
00:57:26
Frank McCourt discusses his long-awaited book about how his 30-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer.
Neil Shulman MD: What? Dead Again?
Neil Shulman MD: What? Dead Again?
Neil Shulman
January 12, 1982
01:23:00
Humorist and medical doctor Neil Shulman reads from and discusses his book What? Dead Again?, which was eventually made into the film Doc Hollywood.