In his new book, The Grand Design, the British physicist says unraveling a complex series of theories will explain the universe. The book, written with American physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow, will be published Sept. 9.
Mark Schatzker, a lifelong steak lover, was disappointed in the steaks he was eating -- they simply didn't taste as good as he remembered. So Schatzker set off on a quest to find the very best piece of beef in the world, a quest that took him from feedlots in Texas, to French cave paintings of prehistoric cattle, to the Argentine pampas.
Now in its 219th year, the newest Old Farmer's Almanac makes its debut with weather predictions, gardening advice and mouthwatering recipes for Dutch ovens.
The former prime minister of the United Kingdom's memoir, My Life: A Political Journey, is on sale in the U.S. Blair spoke to Steve Inskeep about Iraq, globalization and his political career.
For more than seven years, Americans learned about the war from news reports. But between headlines, many also turned to books to understand the strategy and the lessons of the conflict. As "Operation New Dawn" begins, Thomas Ricks picks the best and the worst books about the Iraq war.
Plenty of folks are wary when it comes to self-help, but if you're not going to help yourself, then who will? Writer Lisa Unger says: Silence your inner snark and read these three books -- they will clear your mind and change your life.
John McCain's daughter says in a new book that Sarah Palin brought drama, stress and uncertainty to her father's failed bid for the presidency in 2008. But Meghan McCain doesn't blame the vice presidential nominee for the loss.
From when not to say thank you, to an embarrassing run-in at a Shanghai Taco Bell, Deborah Fallows recounts her tumultuous journey through the Chinese language in her new book Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons In Life, Love, And Language.
Sara Paretsky's latest novel, Body Work, takes her heroine into the world of cutting-edge performance art, PTSD and the mob. It's the 14th installment of Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski crime thriller series which she started writing more than 20 years ago.
An excerpt from "The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival"
Sometimes, lightning does strike twice: The latest novel by Giles Foden -- author of The Last King of Scotland -- is an absorbing, elegant and thoughtful read. Turbulence, which dramatizes the Allied effort to use meteorology for military gain during World War II, follows a young meteorologist who must convince a brilliant pacifist to contribute to the war effort.
Alex Cohen may be a public radio reporter by day, but by night she goes by her roller derby name -- Axles of Evil. Cohen has joined forces with fellow L.A. Derby Doll Jennifer "Kasey Bomber" Barbee to write Down and Derby, an insider's guide to a rough-and-tumble sport.
Jonathan Franzen's new novel, Freedom, doesn't come out until Tuesday but The New York Times has already declared it a "masterpiece" and Time magazine has dubbed Franzen a "Great American Novelist." The book has gotten so much attention in the media that it's led to accusations of both gender and genre bias among the literary elite.
The last thing a grad student needs is another reading list, but don't worry -- this one will help. Author Adam Ruben recommends three titles that will help you get through the languorous slog of post-baccalaureate education.
Real archaeologists are nothing like Indiana Jones, but that doesn't mean their world isn't dramatic and dangerous. Author Craig Childs sheds a light on pot hunters and relic diggers in his new book, Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession.
In the days since the Industrial Revolution, Americans have put a premium on convenience and low prices. But this obsession with low prices has its consequences. At times, durability, craftsmanship and even social responsibility are sacrificed. Host Liane Hansen talks with Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of the book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture.
The landmark 1963 civil rights march was more than just "I have a dream," says historian Charles Euchner. His new book, Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington, relies on participants and attendees to tell the story of that fateful day.
Richard Toye's new book paints Winston Churchill as a lion of freedom who proudly proclaimed that he would not preside over the liquidation of an empire. Host Scott Simon speaks with Toye about Churchill's Empire: The World That Made Him and the World He Made.
Struggling with an illness that left her bedridden, Elisabeth Tova Bailey was surprised when her friend brought her a gift: a pot of flowers that also contained a wild snail. In a new memoir, Bailey describes how that nearly motionless mollusk became an unlikely companion.
Alan Cheuse reviews The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove, a coming-of age-novel by Susan Gregg Gilmore set in Nashville. Cheuse teaches writing at George Mason University in Virginia.
In Three Cups of Tea, which moves up two spots on the list this week, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin describe Mortenson's efforts to build a school in a small village in Pakistan. That project eventually expanded into the Central Asia Institute -- an organization that has constructed dozens of educational facilities in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Chris Cleave's Little Bee, which follows the intertwining fates of a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan and a wealthy British couple, holds tight to the No. 3 spot after spending 27 weeks on the paperback bestseller list. A film adaptation of the book starring Nicole Kidman is slated to begin production later this year.
The Secret, Rhonda Byrne's mega-bestseller, taught self-help-seekers to achieve their goals by thinking positively. This week, Byrne is back with a follow-up called The Power -- a handbook about harnessing "The Power" of the universe in order to get everything you want. It debuts this week at No. 3.
Debuting on the list this week is Crossfire, a story of family, horse racing, and blackmail. Captain Tom Forsyth returns to live with his estranged mother after leaving the army, only to find that she’s being forced to make her prize horses lose every race they enter.
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admitted in his autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He spoke to Terry Gross last November about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.
The Seattle Gum Wall, the Montana Testicle Festival, and the entire state of Nevada are just a few of the non-destinations Catherine Price lists in her anti-travel guide, 101 Places Not To See Before You Die. Price takes it upon herself to go to terrible tourist destinations ... so you don't have to.
In her new book about bad behavior, Laura Kipnis explores why we can't look away when a public drama unfolds. But critic Susan Gilman says her approach is a bit too timid for such a titillating topic.
In a powerful memoir, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey surveys the storm-battered landscape of the place she once called home. Beyond Katrina is a powerful meditation on things long gone that will never come back.
Kathy Reich's Spider Bones, the 13th installment in a series of forensic thrillers, explores the sometimes tangled webs of the criminal justice system. Reichs explains that forensic anthropology is a valuable tool for cracking cold cases, but that solving crimes is rarely as easy as it seems on screen.
A recent debate over book reviews and the ubiquity of similar Brooklyn writers stresses the desperate need to put away the term "chick lit" forever.