Search results for

E.L. Doctorow's new novel Andrew's Brain takes the reader deep into the mind of a cognitive scientist who's struggling with both scientific questions and personal tragedy. Critic Heller McAlpin says the book, which takes the form of Andrew's monologue to a doctor, is "a real head-scratcher."

The former New Jersey senator, basketball player and presidential candidate sees an America enduring a "slow-motion crisis." But he also sees unlimited potential to improve the U.S. In We Can All Do Better, Bradley argues that political change can come about remarkably fast, but only if people get involved.

Kate Atkinson's 2013 best-seller, Life After Life, depicted the century-spanning lives of Ursula Todd; her new book takes a more constrained approach to Ursula's brother, Royal Air Force pilot Teddy.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Biden's plan for broad-based student loan relief, Black political leaders and activists continue their fight for debt cancelation.

If a comic book about surviving middle school doesn't sound like a must read to you, think again. Critic Maureen Corrigan says that Jeff Kinney's Dog Days — the latest in his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series — hits home with any crowd.

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to expel 755 American diplomatic and technical personnel. NPR's Noel King talks with journalist Charles Maynes in Moscow about power plays between the countries.

Nina Bunjevac tackles two troublesome subjects in Fatherland: Her Serbian nationalist father, and the occasionally violent, extremist history of his country — all in a controlled, icy-cool style.

As the UAW kicks of the first day of a historic and unusual strike, the union is holding a rally in Detroit. Bernie Sanders will be speaking.

Rachel Cantor's new novel tries to draw out the connections between love and scholarship in a tale of a frustrated translator looking for a new life. But it's occasionally too clever for its own good.

Mark Leyner manages to make run-on sentences, erotic digressions and manic depression engaging in his autobiographical novel, Gone with the Mind.

Marisa Silver's new novel imagines the meeting of a Depression-era photographer and her now-iconic subject. Giving the characters different names but similar stories to their real-life counterparts, Silver tackles big questions about the morality of art.

Who was Pat Nixon? Aside from being the wife of President Richard Nixon — and a very private person — she remains mostly a mystery. Now, a new novel by Ann Beattie blends fact and fiction in an effort to sketch the life of the former first lady.

Michael Chabon's new novel, set on the border between Berkeley and Oakland, Calif., takes stylistic cues from jazz, soul and funk music. It's formally playful, and even when it misses the mark, it's still satisfying to watch Chabon work, says NPR critic Glen Weldon.

Human rights violations continue in Sri Lanka despite the end of the war: 250,000 Tamils are still incarcerated. In the last week, a journalist has been jailed for 20 years of hard labor, a U.N. official has been expelled for criticizing the government, and a dispute has broken out over TV footage broadcast on television that purports to show a Sri Lankan soldier executing Tamils.

Author Max Brooks is out now with the final entry of his Minecraft series for kids. Brooks says Minecraft is a great way to teach kids about preparedness and adaptation.

Iraqi authorities are investigating an apparent attempt to burn down the headquarters of the Iraqi Transitional Government, situated in the heavily guarded Green Zone. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Jaafari announced a new national security plan.

In the Gaza Strip, there are differing opinions about the Egyptian uprising that's shaken the Arab world. About 1.5 million Palestinians live in that small slither of coastland which borders Egypt. Some fear a new Egyptian government could lead to Israel's military taking over Gaza's southern border.

Pakistani officials are trying to arrange a peace deal with tribal elders in northwest Pakistan. Previous attempts have failed, but there is optimism this time because a Pashtun nationalist party, the ANP, is involved in the negotiations.

Physicist Carlo Rovelli is unique among modern scientists who write for popular audiences in his ability to capture the purest essence of his science with both precision and lyricism.

Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed.

Growing up, it felt like you were either the kid with all the American Girl dolls, or you knew the kid with all the American Girl dolls. A new book examines this cultural force.

The Rafah border crossing is a modest, isolated outpost at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. Yet it could be a critical lifeline as Gazans face a growing humanitarian crisis.

The case before the high court Tuesday examined how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded. A ruling in favor of payday lenders could gut the agency.

When writer Lynn Darling found herself at a turning point in her life, she sought solitude and enlightenment in the woods of Vermont. Her new memoir, Out of the Woods, describes that midlife experience. Fresh Air book critic Maureen Corrigan calls it "a compelling story of internal exploration, as well as outward-bound adventure."

RASL collects all 15 issues of Jeff Smith's comic of the same name, about a time-jumping physicist-turned-art-thief who knows more than is good for him about interdimensional travel. Reviewer Etelka Lehoczky says RASL's female characters can be a little one-dimensional, but overall the book is full of surprises.