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Observations Of China, From Behind The Wheel February 8, 2010 In summer 2001, New Yorker Beijing correspondent Peter Hessler got his Chinese driver's license. For the next seven years, he traveled thousands of miles through China, reporting on how the car is transforming the country. NPR
Two New Novels Based On Homer's Work February 8, 2010 Two new novels this month are based on motifs from Homer's great poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Alan Cheuse reviews Ransom by David Malouf and The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachery Mason. NPR
Brautigan's Surreal Story: 'Trout Fishing In America' February 6, 2010 The book Trout Fishing in America was published in 1967 and became an instant cult favorite. Guest host Audie Cornish speaks with writer and former national poet laureate Billy Collins about the book's author, Richard Brautigan. Collins describes Brautigan's writing as an American form of surrealism. NPR
The Astonishing Story That Inspired 'Kidnapped' February 7, 2010 Birthright is the dramatic 18th-century story of the kidnapping of 12-year-old British aristocrat James Annesley, whose story inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure tale, Kidnapped. Host Liane Hansen speaks with award-winning author A. Roger Ekirch about Birthright: The True Story that Inspired Kidnapped. NPR
First Black Woman POW 'Still Standing' February 7, 2010 Shoshana Johnson was one of seven American POWs rescued alive 22 days after the 507th Maintenance Company was ambushed in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, in March of 2003. Her capture made her the first African-American female prisoner of war in U.S. history. Host Liane Hansen talks to Johnson about her new memoir I'm Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen, My Journey Home. NPR
Book Probes 'Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks' February 7, 2010 Henrietta Lacks, a poor African-American woman and mother of five, never knew that she revolutionized medicine. Shortly before she died of cancer in 1951, doctors took a tissue sample from her — without her permission. Those cells became the first human cells to gain "immortality" — replicating themselves in laboratories long after Henrietta Lacks died. Host Guy Raz talks to science journalist Rebecca Skloot about her new book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. NPR
Ted Haggard's Wife: Marriage Stronger After Scandal February 5, 2010 Gayle Haggard was living the life of her dreams. She was married to the senior pastor of a thriving megachurch, a mother of five, and a faith leader in her own right. But it all came crashing down when she — along with the rest of the nation — learned her husband was involved in a years-long sexual relationship with another man. Host Michel Martin speaks with Gayle Haggard, author of the book Why I Stayed, about her marriage, her husband's fall from grace and his sexuality. NPR
Temple Grandin: The Woman Who Talks to Animals February 5, 2010 Temple Grandin is one of the world's greatest animal behaviorists. She is also autistic — and has put that to work for her. Grandin has written several books on animals, including Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior. This weekend, HBO will premiere a made-for-TV movie based on her life. NPR
Author Reveals Flaws In The History Of Childbirth February 4, 2010 In her book Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, Randi Hutter Epstein describes doctors who made great medical advances, but who had surprising flaws. Dr. J. Marion Sims, who is credited with curing vaginal fistulas, practiced on slave women, "stitching them up over and over and over again." NPR
'Man In White' Reveals Twain's Haunted Final Years February 3, 2010 Mark Twain remains a beloved literary figure even a century after his death, but in his new book, Mark Twain: Man In White, Michael Shelden says the author's last years were extremely tumultuous — and widely misunderstood. Shelden explores Twain's emotional struggles and triumphs, and describes the complex relationships in the years before his death. NPR
'Henrietta Lacks': A Donor's Immortal Legacy February 2, 2010 In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died after a long battle with cervical cancer. Doctors cultured her cells without permission from her family. The story of those cells — known as HeLa cells, in Lacks' honor — and of the medical advances that came from them, is told in Rebecca Skloot's book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. NPR
Activist Crisscrosses U.S. Doing 'Jobs Most Americans Won't Do' February 2, 2010 President Obama recently announced plans to spend nearly $100 billion in 2011 solely on job creation. The proposed budget is aimed at reducing the nation's employment rate of 10 percent. But in a new book, labor activist Gabriel Thompson explores the current job market and takes a look at some of the least-desired jobs that always seem available. Host Michel Martin talks to Thompson about his time spent working undercover in the lettuce fields of Arizona, at an Alabama chicken plant and as a delivery boy in New York City, as chronicled in the book, Working in the Shadows: A Year Doing Jobs (Most) Americans Won't Do. NPR
'Spartacus War': Story Of The Real-Life Gladiator February 2, 2010 The legend of Spartacus has inspired so many fanciful retellings, it's easy to lose track of what actually happened back in 73 BC. In The Spartacus War, Barry Strauss gives a historical account of the charismatic rebel who inspired a slave revolt against Rome. NPR
'Get Me Out': Making Babies Through The Ages February 1, 2010 Mare's-urine cocktails? Do-it-yourself forceps? Randi Hutter Epstein's new book Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth From the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank is full of delightful — and sometimes disturbing — anecdotes about the history of pregnancy and childbirth. NPR
'The Quants': It Pays To Know Your Wall Street Math February 1, 2010 In 1967, mathematician Ed Thorp revolutionized Wall Street with a method of using math and computers to predict the future of the stock market — and his hedge fund has been profitable ever since. Thorp's story, and those of many other market-driven math whizzes, is told in Scott Patterson's new book The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It. NPR
Debunking Conspiracy Theories In 'Voodoo Histories' January 30, 2010 For almost every major world event — from the Apollo moon landing to Hurricane Katrina — there's a conspiracy theory to undermine the conventional view of the way things took place. Voodoo Histories, a new book by David Aaronovitch, takes aim at some of the most notorious. NPR
Alice Eve Cohen On 'What I Thought I Knew' January 31, 2010 Alice Eve Cohen thought she could never have a baby. Doctors told her a birth defect would prevent her from conceiving a child, much less carrying it to term. Then, when she was 44, Cohen rushed to the hospital, believing she had cancer. But, as she tells host Guy Raz, what everyone thought was a tumor turned out to be a baby. Alice Eve Cohen tells the story of her unexpected pregnancy in the book What I Thought I Knew. NPR
Sean Carroll On The Mysteries Of Time January 29, 2010 It's easy to find a dictionary definition of "time." But ask a group of theoretical physicists and the answer isn't as clear. Sean Carroll of CalTech discusses the mysteries of time in his book, From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time. NPR
'As the World Burns': The Politics Of Climate Change January 28, 2010 In Wednesday's State of the Union address, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to fighting climate change. But journalist Jeff Goodell says that with the oil and coal lobbies working against him, it may not be so easy. NPR
Publishers Embrace IPad As Rival To Kindle January 28, 2010 While introducing iPad's e-book reader, Apple CEO Steve Jobs declared that that he was standing on the shoulders of Amazon's Kindle. Jobs may be grateful to Amazon for showing the way but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to take over the e-book market that is dominated by the Kindle. Publishers have been anticipating the iPad as an antidote to Amazon's near monopoly on e-books. NPR
As Iraq Elections Near, Few Prospects For A U.S. Exit January 27, 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks talks about the upcoming national elections in Iraq and predicts an unexpectedly prolonged involvement in the region. "I don't think Americans realize just how stuck we are in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Middle East," he says. NPR
Fighting Cybercrime, One Digital Thug At A Time January 26, 2010 Small-time hackers are no longer the only ones vying to steal your financial information (or your defense secrets): now organized crime is in the game. Terry Gross talks to cybersecurity writer Joseph Menn and real-life digital-crime fighter Barrett Lyon about how the mob has become a major player in cybercrime — and why they think the Internet might not survive. NPR
Changing A Nation: The Power Of The A-Bomb January 25, 2010 Historian Garry Wills' new book Bomb Power: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State explores the ways the atomic bomb has transformed the country. NPR
Gregory Koger, Explaining The American Filibuster January 25, 2010 His new book, Filibustering: A Political History of Obstruction in the House and Senate, looks at the rise of the filibuster in the American legislative process and its effect on policymaking. NPR
Examining The U.S. President's Military Might January 23, 2010 Since the Manhattan Project, the U.S. president has wielded more military power than ever before. And in the opinion of historian Garry Wills, more than the commander-in-chief is allowed by the Constitution. Guy Raz talks with Wills about his new book, Bomb Power: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State. NPR
New Author Steps Out With 'Glass Feet' January 24, 2010 Not too long ago, Ali Shaw published his first novel, a fable. There is a creature which turns animals and birds white. A recluse breeds tiny winged cows. There is a boy who falls in love with a girl, and tries to save her, because in this tale, birds, animals and people mysteriously turn into glass. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Shaw about his new book Girl with the Glass Feet, which has been long-listed for The Guardian First Book Award. NPR
Authors, Thinkers, Autograph Seekers Meet In Jaipur January 25, 2010 Some of the world's leading writers and thinkers have been flocking to the Indian city of Jaipur for the annual literature festival. When the event was started five years ago, only 16 people took part. In attendance this year are a Nobel laureate, two Man Booker International Prize winners and some Pulitzer-winning authors. Indian school children prowl the grounds for autographs. NPR
'How We Decide' And The Paralysis Of Analysis January 22, 2010 Writer Jonah Lehrer has overcome a lifetime of indecisiveness to write a book about it. How We Decide uses cutting-edge neuroscience to explore how we make decisions and what we can do to make them better. NPR
'Denying' Science Could Be Dangerous January 22, 2010 Genetically modified food, vaccines and synthetic biology are all hot-button issues. But they shouldn't be, according to guest Michael Specter, author of the new book Denialism. He argues that the scariest threat is not science itself, but the reluctance to discuss it. NPR
'Wench' Explores Intimate Relationships Between Slaves And Masters January 20, 2010 The relationship between slave masters and the slaves who were their lovers can be difficult to fathom. But author Dolen Perkins Valdez takes on the subject in her a new book, titled Wench. Guest host Lynn Neary talks with Valdez about the project and the prevalence of such taboo relationships during the slavery era. NPR
Torture Memo Author On Only Regret January 19, 2010 The author of the controversial torture memos during the Bush administration says his only regret about the period is the "pressure of time" he had to act under. John Yoo, author of Crisis and Command: A History of Executive Power from George Washington to George Bush, also says that his memos' definition of "severe pain" came from a statute that regulates insurance benefits under Medicare. NPR
'Just Kids': Punk Icon Patti Smith Looks Back January 19, 2010 Before the death of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in 1989, punk godmother Patti Smith promised her friend she would write their story. Twenty years later, she's keeping that promise. She joins Fresh Air for a conversation about their relationship and their art. NPR
Author Louis Menand On Reforming U.S. Universities January 18, 2010 Robert Siegel talks to Louis Menand about his new book, The Marketplace of Ideas: Reform and Resistance in the American University. Menand, a Harvard University English professor and New Yorker writer, contends that higher education in this country is antiquated. What is taught and how it is taught has not kept up with the changes in demographics, technology and other factors. He says trying to reform the university is like trying to get on the Internet with a typewriter. NPR
Haitian Author Danticat Describes City Hit By Quake January 16, 2010 Author Edwidge Danticat, who was born in Haiti's capital city Port-au-Prince, reads an excerpt from her book After the Dance to celebrate another earthquake-devastated city there, Jacmel. NPR
How Americans Help Fund The Taliban January 14, 2010 As President Obama gears up for a military buildup in Afghanistan, a House subcommittee is looking into U.S. taxpayer money ending up in the hands of Taliban insurgents. Aram Roston's 2009 article for The Nation helped trigger that investigation. NPR
Next Up: Turning Two Health Care Bills Into One January 12, 2010 Congress is back in session, and the health care bills are headed for a conference committee. Jonathan Cohn, who blogs about health care issues for The New Republic, joins Fresh Air for a conversation about the difference between the House and Senate bills and what a compromise might look like. NPR
MSNBC Co-Host Mika Brzezinski Does 'All Things At Once' January 12, 2010 "Morning Joe" co-anchor Mika Brzezinski speaks with host Michel Martin about her new memoir, All Things At Once. Brzezinski details growing up as the daughter of unconventional parents, being fired from CBS News as a broadcast journalist, and a close call incident involving her daughter that made her take a second look at her life's priorities. NPR
Wounded In Wars, Civilians Face Care Battle At Home January 11, 2010 Public-interest watchdog T. Christian Miller talks about the challenges military-contractor employees face in getting medical treatment after returning from conflict zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. NPR
In New Book, N. Korea Seen Through Defectors' Eyes January 6, 2010 Barbara Demick's book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea opens with a nighttime satellite image of northeast Asia that shows North Korea, which has little electricity, cloaked in darkness. She says the image conveys much about the way North Korea is perceived. NPR
Reporter's Secrets To Smart Consumption 2.0 January 4, 2010 Award-winning reporter and MSNBC blogger Bob Sullivan has been covering issues of online fraud and privacy on the internet for over 12 years. His new book is Stop Getting Ripped Off, a guide to sensible consumption. He shares tips with Terry Gross on how to avoid getting scammed by car salesmen and credit card companies alike. NPR
Will The Next War Be Fought Over Water? January 3, 2010 Just as wars over oil played a major role in 20th-century history, a new book makes a convincing case that many 21st-century conflicts will be fought over water. NPR
Examining Glass Ceiling In Presidential Politics January 1, 2010 The 2008 presidential campaign was supposed to herald a new era for women in politics, but more than a year later the proverbial glass ceiling still appears hard to break through. Anne Kornblut, author of the new book Notes from the Cracked Ceiling: Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and What it will take for a Woman to win, says no one has figured how female candidates should present themselves. NPR
Deciphering The Psychology of Pricing January 1, 2010 What mental tricks do retailers employ to push products? William Poundstone, author of Priceless: The Myth of Fair Market Value (and How To Take Advantage of It), talks about the science of pricing and shares tips for savvy shopping. NPR
Breaking Into The 'Department Of Mad Scientists' January 1, 2010 What happens when scientific research borders on science fiction? Michael Belfiore, author of the new book The Department of Mad Scientists, talks about the bizarre projects happening behind the scenes at DARPA — the secretive research arm of the Department of Defense. NPR
A Novel?: Padgett Powell's Book Defies Genre December 31, 2009 Padgett Powell's The Interrogative Mood: A Novel? is a book like no other. It is composed entirely of questions, some of them are laugh-out-loud funny, others provoke memories of long gone times, while some leave you pondering the meaning of life. NPR
'An Adaptation' Writer Praises Film Of Memoir December 31, 2009 British columnist Lynn Barber's memoir, An Education, is about her affair, while she was still in high school, with an older con man. She spent weekdays prepping for Oxford and weekends flying off to European cities with her lover. Barber, who was happy with the movie adaptation of the memoir, says by the time she saw the film it no longer felt like her story. NPR
Tackling 'The Big Questions' Of Life December 31, 2009 There are questions, and then, there are BIG questions. For instance, how do we know right from wrong? Why is the Universe here? Steven Landsburg's got logic, physics and math-based answers in his book, The Big Questions. NPR
For 'Up In The Air' Writer, Book, Film Different December 30, 2009 The movie Up in the Air is based on author Walter Kirn's novel of the same name. Kirn had no part in writing the screenplay for the film, and he says the movie is understandably different from the book. Kirn says novels tend to come from the inside of a character, while movies look at them from the outside. NPR
'You Lie,' 'Hands Off' Among Year's Top Quotes December 30, 2009 The quotes of current times are not great rhetorical speeches, but outbursts and clever remarks. This year's No. 1 quote, as selected by the The Yale Book of Quotations: "Keep your government hands off my Medicare," uttered by an anonymous attendee at a town hall health care meeting in South Carolina. NPR
Unpredictable, Unforgettable Russell Brand December 30, 2009 The British are crazy for actor and comedian Russell Brand, but he's not content to stop with his compatriots. With a comic triumph as a bad-boy rocker in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and a startlingly frank memoir called My Booky Wook, Brand is shooting for Stateside stardom. NPR
In Memoriam: Activist Poet Dennis Brutus December 30, 2009 During his lifetime, South African poet Dennis Brutus made incredible contributions to the fight against apartheid. Brutus died on December 26, 2009, after successfully battling segregation in athletics with global recognition. Fresh Air remembers the life and achievements of Brutus in this interview from 1986. NPR
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