Books: Book Reviews, Book News, and Author Interviews : NPR

Author Interviews

Soccer Star Abby Wambach Turns Rallying Commencement Speech Into New Book, 'Wolfpack'

April 20, 2019 • NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with retired Olympic soccer star Abby Wambach about her new book, <em>Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash our Power, and Change the Game</em>

Soccer Star Abby Wambach Turns Rallying Commencement Speech Into New Book, 'Wolfpack'

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Review

Book Reviews

'Republic Of Lies' Explores The Fixation With Conspiracy Theories

April 20, 2019 • Author Anna Merlan's recitations are chilling, as are her warnings that fringe beliefs tend to go mainstream — and how their rise is seen against a resurgence in nationalism and white supremacy.

New Novel Follows Undocumented Mother's Journey Through U.S. Immigration System

April 20, 2019 • NPR's Scott Simon asks Aaron Bobrow-Strain about his new book The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez, which documents the life of a young Mexican woman journeying through the U.S. immigration system.

New Novel Follows Undocumented Mother's Journey Through U.S. Immigration System

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Author Interviews

Chris Mullin's Novel Projects Britain's Post-Brexit Woes

April 20, 2019 • NPR's Scott Simon asks Chris Mullin about Brexit, migration, and his new novel, The Friends of Harry Perkins. It's a follow-up to Mullin's 1982 hit book, A Very British Coup.

Chris Mullin's Novel Projects Britain's Post-Brexit Woes

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Review

Book Reviews

Emotionally Complex 'Arid Dreams' Operates On Multiple Levels

April 20, 2019 • Duanwad Pimwana is one of Thailand's preeminent female writers, and this newly translated story collection — while not uniformly flawless — lets readers watch her grow into a true master of the form.

Review

Book Reviews

'Einstein's Unfinished Revolution' Looks At The Quantum-Physics-And-Reality Problem

April 19, 2019 • A century after the birth of quantum mechanics, no one is sure what it is telling us about the nature of reality — and Lee Smolin's book adds to a stream of excellent works on the topic.

The Mueller Report Is Free To Read, But It's Also A Bestseller

A day after the release of the redacted Mueller report, book versions of it occupied the top spots on Amazon's bestseller list. Amazon/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Amazon/Screenshot by NPR

The Mueller Report Is Free To Read, But It's Also A Bestseller

April 19, 2019 • The Mueller report on the 22-month probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election is now a bestselling book, even though its contents are free and widely available.

History

Frederick Douglass' Remarkable Life, From Slavery To 'American Wonder'

Fresh Air

April 19, 2019 • David Blight's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography details Douglass' passionate leadership in the abolitionist movement and his gift as a writer and orator. Originally broadcast Dec. 17 2018.

Frederick Douglass' Remarkable Life, From Slavery To 'American Wonder'

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Book Reviews

'Ungovernable' Brings Up Grim Realities Of Victorian Child Rearing

April 19, 2019 • Therese Oneill's new book presents plenty of suitably eyebrow-raising excerpts, but amid the snark at parenthood past and present, there are some unavoidable issues that come at a fraught time.

Review

Book Reviews

'The Raven's Tale:' O, For A Muse Of Angst

April 19, 2019 • Teenaged, angst-ridden Edgar Allan Poe seems like a great protagonist for a supernatural young adult novel — but The Raven's Tale has some serious flaws that leave a void at the story's heart.

Business

In 2008, 3 Officials Were On The Frontline Of The Financial Crisis

April 19, 2019 • Steve Inskeep talks to ex-Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and ex-President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Timothy Geithner, about their book and the economy.

In 2008, 3 Officials Were On The Frontline Of The Financial Crisis

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Politics

Several Publishers Plan To Release Redacted Mueller Report As A Physical Book

April 18, 2019 • Several publishers — Simon & Schuster's Scribner imprint, Skyhorse Publishing and Melville House — have said they will publish special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Several Publishers Plan To Release Redacted Mueller Report As A Physical Book

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Book Reviews

'Tragedy, The Greeks, And Us' Examines How Classical Philosophers Saw Early Dramas

April 18, 2019 • The Stone's Simon Critchley premises tragedy on action — as opposed to the generally more passive approach philosophy has a reputation for — and examines how Plato and others saw it as a threat.

Review

Book Reviews

'Lost And Wanted' Grapples With Grief, Regret And The Existence Of God

Fresh Air

April 18, 2019 • Nell Freudenberger's gorgeous new novel tells the story of a middle-aged woman who receives messages sent from her college friend's cell phone — even after her friend has died.

'Lost And Wanted' Grapples With Grief, Regret And The Existence Of God

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Sports

From Fastballs To Greaseballs, 'K' Offers A History Of Baseball's Most Iconic Pitches

Fresh Air

April 18, 2019 • NY Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner spoke to 22 hall-of-fame pitchers about what they throw, and how they get a mental edge over hitters. His new book is K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches.

From Fastballs To Greaseballs, 'K' Offers A History Of Baseball's Most Iconic Pitches

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