Listen to All About Books online

All About Books -- November 26, 2009

Thu, Nov 26 Listen

Charles Stephen investigates "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," the first thrilling installment in a planned triology by new novelist Stieg Larsson. Otis Young unwraps "Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World" by Wilson Casey, a trivia compilation detailing over 500 "firsts" big and small.

All About Books -- November 19, 2009

Thu, Nov 19 Listen

Otis Young sits down with "Exiles in the Garden" by Ward Just, a carefully woven novel sketching the life of a U.S. Senator's son, edged on one side by D.C.'s political players and on the other side by exiles seeking refuge in the United States. Charles Stephen checks out "Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History" by Margaret MacMillan, a collection of essays on the advantages and intellectual traps that occur when putting past events in context.

All About Books -- November 12, 2009

Thu, Nov 12 Listen

Charles Stephen opens up Lorrie Moore's "A Gate at the Stairs," a witty, charming, and warm coming-of-age novel set in a Midwest college town. Otis Young considers "Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It" by Maile Meloy, a collection of short stories probing the complicated and often contradictory emotions encountered in everyday life.

All About Books -- November 5, 2009

Thu, Nov 5 Listen

Otis Young contemplates "Eternal Life: A New Vision: Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell," a thoughtful examination of deities and religion in the context of modern knowledge by retired bishop John Shelby Spong. Charles Stephen marches forward with "Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's Views on Human Evolution" by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, a deeply-researched though somewhat controversial new take on the motivations behind Charles Darwin's...

All About Books -- October 29, 2009

Thu, Oct 29 Listen

Charles Stephen sails through "That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo, a poignant and introspective novel examining family ties, dreams for the future, and life changes. Otis Young discovers "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing" by Kyria Abrahams, a candid and humorous autobiography of being raised in a devout religious environment.

All About Books -- October 22, 2009

Thu, Oct 22 Listen

Otis Young unearths Mitch Horowitz's "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," an exploration of the less mainstream beliefs that have woven through American culture since before the Revolutionary War. Charles Stephen kicks back with "Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness" by Willard Spiegelman, a collection of essays on looking, reading, walking, listening, and other simple pleasures. Stephen also glances through "Black and White and Dead All Over," a...

All About Books -- October 15, 2009

Thu, Oct 15 Listen

Guest reviewer Barbara Rixstine discusses "In Fed We Trust," by David Wessel, an economics reporter for the Wall Street Journal. This is a book about Federal Chairman Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve, and how they tried to head off the recent international financial disaster.

All About Books -- October 8, 2009

Thu, Oct 8 Listen

Charles Stephen talks with former U.S. poet laureate Ted Kooser about his latest book, "Lights on the Ground of Darkness," a short book of childhood remembrances.

All About Books -- October 1, 2009

Thu, Oct 1 Listen

Charles Stephen peruses "Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleyman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520-1536" by James Reston Jr., the story of Islam's greatest incursion into Europe when the Ottoman and Holy Roman Empires clashed in Austria and Hungary. Otis Young corners "Castle," a new psychological thriller by J. Robert Lennon.

All About Books -- September 24, 2009

Thu, Sep 24 Listen

Otis Young reviews "The Shack," an unusual novel by William Paul Young in which a man whose child was kidnapped finds peace with loss at the scene where she may have been murdered. Charles Stephen reviews "The Water's Edge," an intelligent crime novel from Norway by Karin Fossum. Charles also discusses a new, beautifully illustrated new version of the classic "Don Quixote," by Miguel de Cervantes.

All About Books -- September 17, 2009

Thu, Sep 17 Listen

Charles Stephen delves into Peter Martin's "Samuel Johnson: A Biography," perhaps the most comprehensive account of the famous 18th century author's life. Stephen also takes a quick look at historical thriller "The Brothers Boswell" by Philip Baruth. Otis Young explores "Bridge of Sand" by Janet Burroway, a new novel which launches a senator's widow on an emotional journey complicated by love, race, and class issues.

All About Books -- September 10, 2009

Thu, Sep 10 Listen

Otis Young summarizes and reviews "The Evolution of God," by Robert Wright. This book traces the history of western belief in God and the concept that religions have evolved and become "better." Also reviewed by Charles Stephen is the final crime novel by the late Donald Westlake, "Get Real."

All About Books -- September 3, 2009

Thu, Sep 3 Listen

Charles Stephen reviews "In the Graveyard of Empires" by Seth Jones. The noted authority on Afghanistan offers both the history of US foreign policy towards the country and suggestions for the future. Otis young does the honors for "The Eleventh Victim" by CNN host Nancy Grace, who has written a new crime novel set in the south about a serial killer.

All About Books -- August 27, 2009

Fri, Aug 28 Listen

Otis Young reviews "My Stroke of Insight," a book by a doctor of brain physiology, who recounts the massive stroke she suffered -- and her decade-long recovery. Charles Stephen discusses "The Book of Wiliam: How Shakespeare's First Foliio Conquered the World," by Paul Collins.

All About Books -- August 20, 2009

Thu, Aug 20 Listen

Charles Stephen wades into "The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown: The Sea Venture Castaways and the Fate of America" by Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith, a historic tale of courage, survival, and escape. Otis Young unlocks "Wanting" by Richard Flanagan, a narrative interweaving events from the lives of Charles Dickens and Sir John Franklin.

All About Books -- July 16, 2009

Thu, Jul 16 Listen

Charles Stephen wends his way through "Sojourner Truth's America" by Margaret Washington, a substantial biography of the former slave and her fight for women's rights and against slavery. Stephen also reflects on "The Day We Found the Universe" by Marcia Bartusiak, the story of scientists - well-known and obscure - and the discoveries that shape our current knowledge of the nature of the universe. Third, Stephen examines Giles Blunt's "No Such Creature," a new thriller set in a...

All About Books -- July 9, 2009

Thu, Jul 9 Listen

Charles Stephen sets out on an evolutionary adventure as he discusses four Darwin-related books: "Charles Darwin: The Beagle Letters," edited by Frederick Burkhardt; "The Annotated Origin: A Facsimile of the First Edition of On the Origin of Species," introduced by James T. Costa; "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman; and "Living Witness," the latest addition to the Gregor Demarkian series by Jane Haddam.

All About Books -- July 2, 2009

Thu, Jul 2 Listen

Charles Stephen tracks down "The Increment" by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, a spy thriller featuring a CIA agent, aided by a British agency and an Iranian nuclear scientist, as he races to prevent an unnecessary war with Iran. Otis Young opens up "The Servants' Quarters" by Lynn Freed, a romance exploring war, maturity, and class set in the shadow of WWII.

All About Books -- June 25, 2009

Thu, Jun 25 Listen

Otis Young dives into "Breathless" by Lurlene McDaniel, a short novel for young readers about ethical dilemmas and life decisions. Charles Stephen stakes out Neal Bascomb's "Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi," the true tale of the fledgling Israeli intelligence service and their capture of the infamous fugitive. Stephen also discusses "The Essential Lincoln: Speeches and Correspondence" by Orville Vernon Burton.

All About Books -- June 18, 2009

Thu, Jun 18 Listen

Charles Stephen explores "American Heroes: Profiles of Men and Women Who Shaped Early America" by Edmund S. Morgan, a collection of 17 essays on defining incidents and people from Puritan America. Otis Young concentrates on "The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles" by Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D., a look at new discoveries in science in which mind and body interact.

All About Books -- June 11, 2009

Thu, Jun 11 Listen

Otis Young studies Kevin Roose's "The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University," the inside scoop from an undercover liberal student who studied at Liberty University. Charles Stephen gazes upon "Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count" by Jill Jonnes, the story of the 1889 World's Fair and the construction of the famous Parisian tower.

All About Books -- June 4, 2009

Thu, Jun 4 Listen

Charles Stephen contemplates "Evangelical Disenchantment: Nine Portraits of Faith and Doubt" by David Hempton, a series of short biographies on influential artists, activists, and scholars and their journeys away from the Evangelical movement. Otis Young considers "How Free Is Free?: The Long Death of Jim Crow" by Leon F. Litwack, an examination of the African-American condition after Reconstruction up to the beginning of the 21st century.

All About Books -- May 28, 2009

Thu, May 28 Listen

Otis Young kicks back with Steven Gaines' "Fool's Paradise: Players, Poseurs, and the Culture of Excess in South Beach," which takes readers on a tour of the decadent lifestyles and (in)famous people making up the Florida city. Charles Stephen ponders "The Book of Dead Philosophers" by Simon Critchley, an exploration of the deaths of 200 philosophers and what those experiences can tell us about a life well-lived. Stephen also covers "Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood" by...

All About Books -- May 21, 2009

Thu, May 21 Listen

Charles Stephen wades into "Sea of Dangers: Captain Cook and His Rivals in the South Pacific" by Geoffrey Blainey, a chronicle of the famous Briton's explorations in the late 1700s. Otis Young investigates "The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story" by Diane Ackerman, the true story of how a pair of zoo keepers in Warsaw, Poland sheltered hundreds of Jews and Polish resisters from the ravages of WWII.

All About Books -- May 14, 2009

Thu, May 14 Listen

Otis Young sizes up "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan, a fictionalized retelling of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous affair and life with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Charles Stephen illuminates "Death of a Witch," the 25th installment of M. C. Beaton's "Hamish Macbeth" mysteries. Stephen also takes a brief look at "Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother" edited by Barbara Graham.

All About Books -- May 7, 2009

Thu, May 7 Listen

Charles Stephen unwraps Kim Phillips-Fein's "Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan," a researched account of the corporations and businessmen who labored to steer the U.S. to the right. Otis Young peruses "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson, an unusual novel about a child's imaginary friend and his surprising reappearance 20 years later.

All About Books -- April 23, 2009

Thu, Apr 23 Listen

Otis Young reviews a new crime novel, "The Second Opinion", by Michael Palmer. Charles Stephen discusses "The Painter's Chair" by Hugh Howard, an historical look at the paintings done of George Washington.

All About Books -- April 16, 2009

Thu, Apr 16 Listen

Charles Stephen interviews Nebraska author Mary Pipher about her new book, "Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddist in the World" The book is a memoir of Pipher's life.

All About Books -- April 9, 2009

Thu, Apr 9 Listen

Otis Young discusses "Voluntary Madness", by Nora Vincent, a true story of how the author came to live in several mental institutions. Charles Stephen reviews "Not in the Flesh", by Ruth Rendell. This new novel from the three-time Edgar Award winner features Chief Inspector Wexford in a tale of psychological suspense.

All About Books -- April 2, 2009

Thu, Apr 2 Listen

Charles Stephen uncovers "Nothing to Fear: FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America" by Adam Cohen, a new look at the influence of FDR's five closest aides during the first days of his administration. Otis Young outlines "Painting the Invisible Man," a new mystery about a mafia-linked murder based on true events from the life of author Rita Schiano.

All About Books (Book Reviews)