Search results for

In Russell Banks' lushly romantic new novel, The Reserve, a pilot swoops into a privileged enclave, turning the life of a beautiful heiress upside down.

For all of us who have ever wandered into a room only to freeze, wondering blankly, "Why did I come in here, again?," Martha Weinman Lear has an answer. Lear, the author of Where Did I Leave My Glasses?, discusses the twin issues of memory loss and aging — what degree of forgetfulness is normal, and what can be done about it?

In his first legal thriller in three years, John Grisham explores a tainted Mississippi judicial system where Supreme Court justices are bought and sold. The Appeal serves as a cautionary tale about political corruption.

Greg Patent hunted down the secrets of ethnic baking in more than 30 nations. His new book, A Baker's Odyssey, collects recipes for the delectable treats, with insights into their culinary history and cultural significance.

James Hansen, a leading NASA climate scientist, says the Bush administration has tried to silence his warnings about global warming. Writer and scientist Mark Bowen wrote a book on the affair: Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming.

Iraq war costs reach beyond the tab for bullets and bombs, says Joseph Stiglitz, co-author (with Linda Bilmes) of the new book The Three Trillion Dollar War. They join Fresh Air to talk about potential long-term expenses from the war.

Scott Simon, author of the new political novel Windy City, calls politics "a local specialty" in Chicago, in the tradition of blues and improvisational comedy. His new book chronicles the chaos that ensues after the city's mayor is poisoned while eating pizza.

After American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, it took firefighters three days to stop the blaze. Firefighter Patrick Creed and journalist Rick Newman discuss the Pentagon blaze and the book they wrote about it, Firefight.

In Semantic Antics, lexicographer Sol Steinmetz traces how even the most basic words --including "deer," "balloon" and "kid" — have changed meaning in unusual and unexpected ways.

Secularist Shiite politican Ahmad Chalabi was for years part of an opposition group dedicated to overthrowing former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. He's also the subject of the new book The Man Who Pushed America to War.