Books

NPR Book Reviews

Abraham Lincoln Reborn As A Vampire Slayer
Then suppose that, in 19th-century America, the forces of good and evil battled for the soul of the new republic — what we now know as the Civil War. Author Seth Grahame-Smith explores that premise in a new book you can really sink your teeth into.
Toxic 'Factory': Industrial Meat And The Environment
David Kirby's book Animal Factory tells the story of three people whose lives have been adversely affected by the growth of factory farms. Part investigative report, part thriller, this book explores the environmental and health impact of raising animals in confinement.
Excerpt: 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'
Negative Images 'Brainwash' African Americans
Ad man Tom Burrell calls out negative images of African Americans in the media for perpetuating the myth of black inferiority. In Brainwashed, he examines the history of the myth and how contemporary culture reinforces it.
Paperback Fiction Bestsellers For March 18
The long-time bestselling paperback, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, has been adapted into a movie, which opens in theaters on Friday.
Hardcover Nonfiction Bestsellers For March 18
American readers can?t get enough of Chelsea Handler. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is the comedian's third book to make the bestseller lists in recent weeks.
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers For March 18
In Angelology, Danielle Trussoni uses Biblical inspiration to create a species of nefarious creatures that are the product of angel-human unions.
Excerpt: 'Jesus Wars'
Excerpt: 'Jesus Wars'
Profit And 'Peril' In The Secret Nuclear Trade
Until his arrest in 2004, nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan — the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb — ran a vast smuggling network that sent nuclear materiel to Iran and Libya. In his book Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America's Enemies, weapons expert David Albright explains how Khan's network continues to threaten global security.
Seven Days In Seven Lives: 'A Week In December'
Sebastian Faulks' satirical novel is a weeklong tour of modern London, woven together in Dickensian style. Dickens' 19th century characters dealt with class conflict, wealth, poverty and true love. Faulks' contemporary characters deal with terrorism, greed, the Internet and — because some things never change — true love.
'So Much' For Paradise: Battered By Bad Insurance
Lionel Shriver's novel So Much for That tells the story of Shep Knacker, who is about to retire to a tropical island when his wife gets diagnosed with cancer. To keep his insurance, Shep has to keep his hated job, but he soon discovers that even the full coverage of the fully employed may not be enough to keep him afloat.
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 Consequence: 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.

Arts and Culture

Books