NPR's Book of the Day - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Zelenskyy aide gives insight on war in Ukraine in 'The Fight for Our Lives' Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Iuliia Mendel, press secretary to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, offers a peek behind the curtain in her new memoir, The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy and What it Means for the World. In an interview with Mary Louise Kelly, Mendel talks about Vladimir Putin – and the resilience of Ukraine.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Two authors explore ideals and stresses of Latino culture and immigration Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

The two books featured in this episode are stories examining the difficulties and stressors of being Latino in America. First is I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, which is about a 15-year-old girl who has a contentious relationship with her immigrant parents. Author Erika L. Sánchez explains in conversation with Latino USA's Maria Hinojosa her goal to challenge ideas of Latina perfection. Then we hear from David Bowles, author of They Call Her Fregona, who discusses with Scott Simon the cracks in the Latino community and immigration in pursuit of a better life.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Ken Starr gives an inside look on Clinton investigation in his memoir, 'Contempt' Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Ken Starr's 2018 memoir, Contempt, gives an inside look into his investigation of the Clinton administration that led to President Clinton's impeachment. In an interview from back when the book was published, Starr, who died this week, discusses in a conversation with Steve Inskeep his perspective on the president and the law, which at times may seem to conflict with his later stance on President Donald Trump.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

'She's Nice Though' tackles the burdens of being nice Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

Mia Mercado's essay collection She's Nice Though: Essays on Being Bad at Being Good examines the reasons why one would want to be viewed as "nice." She explores why one would want to be liked, what we try to accomplish by being nice, and how constraining being agreeable can be. NPR's Ailsa Chang discusses this with Mercado, as well as how this plays into gender and dating.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

'Dinners with Ruth' shows how friendship can flourish despite clashing careers Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

In Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, NPR's own Nina Totenberg documents her friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and how it would sometimes be at odds with their professional duties. Totenberg talks with Steve Inskeep about their respect for each other's obligations as a journalist and a Supreme Court judge, and how they lifted each other up in a time when women were even more undervalued.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

'Nickel and Dimed' is a window into the lives of low-wage workers Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

In Nickel and Dimed, author Barbara Ehrenreich lives the life of a low-wage worker and explores how unsustainable poverty is, as well as how easy it can be for one to get stuck in a vicious cycle. In this conversation with John Ydstie from 2001, Ehrenreich, who died earlier this month, discusses the symptoms of a profit-driven society and the issues that echo those today.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Two authors write about the importance of mental health and accessing feelings Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

The two books featured in this episode focus on accessing feelings and mental health. First is a book of essays by spoken word artist, Bassey Ikpi. Ikpi tells Scott Simon that her book I'm Telling the Truth but I'm Lying chronicles the hard work it took to make a real life for herself after facing abuse at home. Then we hear from neurologist and physician Anna DeForest on her novel that questions a lot about existence and the inequities of the medical system. A History of Present Illness is DeForest's first novel, and she explains to Ayesha Roscoe why mental health is at the heart of her story.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Gaia Vince details how migration will help billions survive in new book Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

The main argument Gaia Vince makes in her book Nomad Century is that in order for three to five billion people on Earth to survive, it will require a planned and deliberate migration of the kind humanity has never before undertaken. NPR's Scott Simon discusses this possibility with Vince as she explains how human kind has hampered the success of migration through "artificial bordering of nation states," and as she talks of the need to "rethink how we decide where someone is allowed to live" in order to have a chance of survival in a warming climate with extreme temperatures.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

'Touch' is a love story with elements of mystery, time, and loneliness Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Olaf Olafsson's new novel Touch is a combination of mystery, memories lost, and love. It puts the idea of "the one that got away" front and center and explores how loneliness can be felt in many different ways. In an interview with Mary Louise Kelly, Olafsson shares why the pandemic was the perfect time to write this story.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

'Path Lit by Lightning' showcases Jim Thorpe's resilience until the end of his life Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

In the book Path Lit by Lightning, author David Maraniss does more than just write Jim Thorpe's life story. He delves into what caused misconceptions and false narratives about the great athlete, examines how exploitation of Native Americans by the U.S. government helped shape Thorpe's resilience, and offers a different perspective on the last few years of Thorpe's life as something admirable. In conversation with NPR's Don Gonyea, Maraniss explains these details and why they matter.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

NPR’s Book of the Day

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected