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Author Interviews NPR interviews with top authors and the NPR Book Tour, a weekly feature and podcast where leading authors read and discuss their writing. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Author Interviews

Books

Author: Liberals Should Lament Conservatism's Death

Is conservatism dead? Author Sam Tanenhaus believes so. In his latest book, The Death of Conservatism, an expansion on his January article in The New Republic, Tanenhaus argues that American conservatism has been taken over by revanchists who are at war with the American government.

Author: Liberals Should Lament Conservatism's Death

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Opinion

Leonard Pitts Looks 'Forward From This Moment'

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts has written about everything from the tragedy of September 11th to the death of Michael Jackson. He has collected a selection of his columns in a book, Forward From This Moment.

Leonard Pitts Looks 'Forward From This Moment'

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Animal Week on 'Fresh Air'

Veterinarian Translates Barks And Meows

Fresh Air

Veterinarian Nancy Kay helps pet caregivers consider what's in the medical best interest of their furry friends, and offers advice on everything from helping a pet handle vet visits to figuring out whether an animal is in pain.

Veterinarian Translates Barks And Meows

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Animal Week on 'Fresh Air'

'Alex & Me': The Parrot Who Said 'I Love You'

Fresh Air

Alex the African gray parrot could do more than speak and understand he could also count, identify colors and develop an emotional relationship. When Alex died in September 2007, his last words to scientist Irene Pepperberg were "You be good. I love you."

'Alex & Me': The Parrot Who Said 'I Love You'

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Books

Priceless Advice From 'The Undercover Economist'

Economist and part-time advice guru Tim Harford uses the cutthroat principles of economics and capitalism to help guide you through life's little quandaries.

Priceless Advice From 'The Undercover Economist'

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Books

Harriet (Tubman) The Spy

Harriet Tubman is most well-known for her work on the underground railroad. Prior to and during the Civil War era, she was called "black Moses" because, like Moses, she led people out of slavery. But there's another chapter in Harriet Tubman's story that's not as commonly told. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Thomas B. Allen, author of Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent.

Harriet (Tubman) The Spy

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Religion

The Muslims Who Saved The Jews

Host Liane Hansen speaks with photographer Norman Gershman about his book Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II, which is also the subject of a documentary called God's House. Greshman spent five years collecting stories of Albanian Muslims who harbored Jewish refugees during World War II.

The Muslims Who Saved The Jews

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Books

How 'Marx's General' Helped Lead The Revolution

Friedrich Engels wasn't born a revolutionary, but over the course of several beer-soaked days in Paris, he became part of "the greatest friendship in Western political thought."

How 'Marx's General' Helped Lead The Revolution

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From Poverty To The Ivy League: A Refugee's Story

Author Tracy Kidder recounts the story of a refugee from the war-torn African country of Burundi in the new book Strength in What Remains. When Deogratias "Deo" Niyizonkiza arrived in New York City in 1993, he had little beyond the clothes on his back.

From Poverty To The Ivy League: A Refugee's Story

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Bob Greene's 'Late Edition' Love Story

Bob Greene's new book, Late Edition: A Love Story, is a collection of true stories about the first newspaper that ever gave him a job, the Columbus Citizen-Journal in Ohio. Host Scott Simon speaks to the best-selling author and former syndicated columnist about his memoir.

Bob Greene's 'Late Edition' Love Story

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Sunday Puzzle

Reading Backward Is The Trick

Each answer starts with a clue for a six-letter word. If you drop the first letter and read the remaining letters backward, you'll get a five-letter word that answers a second clue.

Reading Backward Is The Trick

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Books

Did Cooking Give Humans An Evolutionary Edge?

In Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, primatologist Richard Wrangham argues that cooking gave early humans an advantage over other primates, leading to larger brains and more free time. Wrangham discusses his theory, and why Homo sapiens can't live on raw food alone.

Did Cooking Give Humans An Evolutionary Edge?

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Business

Negotiator Knows: 'Never Make The First Offer'

Donald Dell was one of the first agents for professional athletes — think Stan Smith, Michael Jordan, and Andy Roddick — and he's one of the greatest dealmakers ever. He shares his secrets in Never Make The First Offer.

Negotiator Knows: 'Never Make The First Offer'

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Parenting Tips: Praise Can Be Bad; Lying Is Normal

Po Bronson, co-author of NurtureShock, explores some of the thornier issues of child rearing — including the phenomenon of "overpraising" kids and tactics for confronting children who lie.

Parenting Tips: Praise Can Be Bad; Lying Is Normal

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Race

'A Mighty Long Way' From Little Rock

In 1957, the "Little Rock Nine" enrolled in racially segregated Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Carlotta Walls LaNier was the youngest member of the group. In her book, A Mighty Long Way, she remembers her journey.

'A Mighty Long Way' From Little Rock

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