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Scientists on five continents are hunting for geological evidence to pinpoint exactly when humans became a major force shaping life on Earth. But settling on the date could unleash a larger debate.

For years, black children around Roanoke, Va., heard the cautionary tale of Willie and George Muse, African American albino brothers who were kidnapped and forced to perform in a series of circuses.

The debate over whether digital books are better continues. Yet in the age of Amazon, the number of independent booksellers is up. The revival is fueled, at least in part, by digital natives.

The Afghan politician has survived two assassination attempts and is one of four Afghan women negotiating with the Taliban. "The power of words is stronger than the power of bullets," she tells NPR.

The actor and stand-up comedian has channeled his late mother in his work for years. Hey Mom is Louie's way of catching her up on everything that's been going on in his life.

A New York Times analysis of social studies textbooks from California and Texas reveals differences influenced by each state's politics. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Times reporter Dana Goldstein.

A new book looks at the women who served alongside elite special operations units in order to connect with a population that was off-limits to male soldiers: Afghan women.

Wikipedia is the latest battleground in the fight over the status of female writers in the literary world. A subcategory called "American women novelists" has sparked accusations of sexism on the collaboratively written online encyclopedia — where fewer than 10 percent of the editors are women.

Colum McCann's novel TransAtlantic weaves together disparate historical figures and times. Reviewer Rosecrans Baldwin says that while some sections are uneven, the book rolls over you like a wave, crashing and building upon itself.

The bill's sponsor says it's to increase transparency on what's being taught in the classroom.

In some of the dirtiest places on Earth, author and environmentalist Andrew Blackwell found something worth looking at. His book, Visit Sunny Chernobyl, tours the deforestation of the Amazon, the oil sand mines in Canada and the world's most polluted city, located in China.

Reading about dysfunction can be dismal. But done well, memoirs can be more excellent than exhibitionist. Author Marion Winik recommends three edgy, honest, and provocative tell-alls.

Science has a way of getting inside our heads — especially when it comes to the powers of the mind. Author and neurologist Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa recommends three brilliant brain-teasing books.

The Inquisition was initially designed to deal with Christian heretics, but author Cullen Murphy says that "inquisitorial impulse" is still at work today. In fact, he says, it was the harbinger of the modern world.

It used to be called the "vanity press," a name that carried a sniff of derision. But Lynn Neary reports that self-publishing has become a booming business, spawning best-sellers, and attracting the interest of Amazon and the major publishing houses.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian about his article in The New York Times advocating for increased paternity leave.

The comic teamed up with a sociologist to write an overview of dating and relationships. His book explains online dating's paradox of choice and how we're all like a song by hip-hop artist Flo Rida.

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Merve Dasdemir and Jasper Verhulst of the Turkish rock band Altin Gun about their latest album, Yol.

Evil stepmothers, witches and crones: When they aren't poisoning princesses, they're mangling mermaids or trying to eat children. One writer traces these villains' roots to a fear of female power.

Known as Patient H.M. to the medical community, Henry Molaison was lobotomized — and lost his ability to create memories in the process. His story is one of tragedy and scientific breakthrough.

Juan Felipe Herrera is the child of Mexican migrant farmworkers. He says, "I had a mother [who] sang and told stories and loved poetry, even though she only went to third grade."

In Susan Barker's novel, a few strange letters bloom into a saga of two souls' reincarnations. Barker says her characters' many lives gave her an instrument to explore China — both past and present.

A collection of first drafts, letters, outtakes and photos on display in New York City illuminate the inner workings of Ernest Hemingway's meticulous writing process — failures, flaws and all.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Melissa Lopez, immigration attorney and director of Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services in El Paso, Texas, about the unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the border.

Trevor Noah's black mother was jailed for having a relationship with his white father. She always turned to humor before anger, and Noah says that's a trait he inherited. His new book is Born a Crime.