Books

The Symphony-A Listener's Guide, by Michael Steinberg

A great holiday gift for the serious classical music aficionado!

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NPR Book Reviews

Elif Shafak's New Book Reviewed
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak's new novel, The Forty Rules of Love, takes us into the life of a middle-aged Jewish woman from central Massachusetts, who as a reader for a literary agent, has just picked up a copy of a novel by a modern Sufi mystic.
Karl Rove 'In The Fight' Again With New Memoir
The book by the conservative strategist is called Courage and Consequense: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight. Rove tells Fresh Air the decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003 was not based on wrong information from the Bush administration, but was based on wrong information from the intelligence community.
Two Westerners Under Taliban Rule In Kandahar
U.S. military officials are preparing to attempt to take control of Kandahar away from the Taliban later this year. Two young Western residents of the city, Felix Kuehn and Alex Strick van Linschoten, describe what it's like to live and work under Taliban rule.
Authors Debate The Merits Of Parenting Advice
Ada Calhoun, author of Instinctive Parenting, makes the case that children will turn out fine if parents simply trust their gut. But Po Bronson, co-author of NurtureShock, begs to differ — he says instincts may tell parents when something needs to be done, but not how to do it. He maintains experts are still relevant for that.
Elmore Leonard, At Home In Detroit
The crime writer has more than 40 books to his name and dozens of films made from that source material. Leonard gives NPR's Noah Adams a tour of his hometown, with stops at some of the places that taught the writer about the language of crime, and at his writing desk at home.
The 'Great American School System' Flunks Out
Diane Ravitch's Death and Life of the Great American School System is a scathing report card of U.S. education. The former assistant secretary of education hands down a withering critique of the nation's schooling efforts — from charter schools, to No Child Left Behind, to Teach for America.
How A Few Made Millions Betting Against The Market
Michael Lewis' new book The Big Short chronicles the 2008 financial collapse through the investors who realized what was happening to the U.S. economy while it was happening — and then made a fortune by betting against the markets.
What We're Reading, March 16 - 22
Linda Wertheimer hails a Dickensian novel of London in the boom days of 2007, before the banking bust. An encore by child detective Flavia de Luce (Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) is both creepy and laugh-out-loud funny. And So Much for That finds the hilarity in a relentless tale of runaway health care costs.
The Outsiders Who Foresaw The Subprime Crisis
Michael Lewis, who wrote the best-seller Liar's Poker, is back with a new book examining those who profited from shorting subprime mortgages. In The Big Short, Lewis profiles extreme characters — outsiders — who are the sane people in an insane world.
Author Examines 'The History Of White People'
Conversations about race often focus on what it means to be black. But in her new book, The History of White People historian Nell Irvin Painter explores the concept of "whiteness" — and finds that who is "white" has actually changed throughout America's history.
A Look At Anti-Aging Tactics In 'Eternity Soup'
Who wants to live forever? Apparently, enough people to support an entire industry of pills, creams, tonics and surgeries meant to keep people alive well into three digits. Guy Raz speaks with Greg Critser, author of Eternity Soup: Inside the Quest to End Aging.
How Do You Make A Yugo Cool? Turn It Into A Book
The tiny, no-frills automobile imported from communist Yugoslavia during the 1980s is known to most Americans as the butt of many car jokes. Author Jason Vuic's book The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History reveals why it's the most famous lemon in automotive history.
The Mad Hatter's Secret Ingredient: Math
The first numbers that come to mind when thinking about Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland might be how much money the movie is raking in at the box office. But mathematicians say the books are full of algebraic lessons — such as why a raven is like a writing desk.
Marching Toward War, Through The 'Valley Of Death'
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ted Morgan's Valley of Death is the story of the brutal conflict — a fight led by the French to re-establish colonial rule in Vietnam — that led to the Vietnam War. The battle of Dien Bien Phu lasted months, but the fallout lasted decades.
Jesus And The Hidden Contradictions Of The Gospels
The New Testament contains multiple versions of the life and teachings of Jesus. Bart Ehrman, the author of Jesus, Interrupted,, says they are at odds with each other on important points regarding the life, death and divinity of Jesus.

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KBAQ Book of the Month

December 2009 KBAQ Book of the Month: The Symphony-A Listener's Guide by Michael Steinberg