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Once upon a time, scenery and special effects were crafted entirely by human hands. NPR's Susan Stamberg reveals some of the surprising secrets behind Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Zhivago and other classics.

Arthur George Gaston overcame his humble beginnings to become a multimillionaire in the funeral home business and a huge financial backer of the civil rights movement. Biographer Suzanne Smith explains Gaston's lasting legacy on black entrepreneurship in America.

In Untold Story, writer Monica Ali imagines what might have happened if Princess Diana had survived that 1997 car crash in Paris — and then gone on to fake her own death.

Every day, Americans travel on the largest public works project in history. Author Earl Swift tells the story of America's interstate highway system in his new book, The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers who Created the American Superhighways.

A good novel doesn't just transcend the boundaries of its target market — it knows nothing about target markets. Julianna Baggott recommends five "young adult" novels that will appeal to readers of all ages.

Neuroscientist Dean Buonomano explains why our brains make mistakes when we try to remember long lists of information or add large numbers in our heads. Humans live "in a time and place we didn't evolve to live in," he says.

Known for a groundbreaking TV comedy and a string of hilarious films, Judd Apatow has edited a new collection of humor writing, Things I Found Funny. He joins NPR's Liane Hansen to talk about what makes for good comedy — and just plain good writing.

Just because food writer Nigella Lawson loves to cook doesn't mean she always has the time to cook. Her latest book, Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home, is filled with quick recipes.

Fifty-five years after Eloise first appeared, the impish girl who lived in the Plaza Hotel is as iconic as ever. Author Sam Irvin, who has written a new biography of Eloise creator Kay Thompson, talks about the famous storybook character and the eccentric actress behind her.

Ballet's history is not just about choreography and technique — it's also a history of nationalization, the changing ways we view the body, shifting gender norms and class struggles. Historian Jennifer Homans chronicles the art form in a new cultural history, Apollo's Angels.