Books

Ted Williams: A Perfectionist Ballplayer With Many Demons

2:25pm December 03, 2013

The hitter had a swing so pure and flawless that Mickey Mantle would watch him take batting practice. But he was also a tormented soul who hurt a lot of people, including himself. Ben Bradlee Jr. delivers a deeply personal account of Williams' life in The Kid.

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Arts

An Unlikely Explorer Stumbles Into Controversy

1:03pm December 02, 2013

by NPR Staff

The mostly forgotten explorer Paul du Chaillu first introduced the world to gorillas. His methods were attacked and his work discredited during his lifetime, but he also experienced fame and redemption. Now, there's a new book that tells his story.

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Arts

Nightclub King Jon Taffer Sets A High Bar

7:55pm December 01, 2013

by NPR Staff

Jon Taffer is a bar and nightclub consultant and the host of the reality show Bar Rescue. His new book is called Raise the Bar, and he says bars and pubs are part of America's fiber.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (second from left) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry next to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (far left) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (far right) after a statement on early Nov

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Arts

A Poet's Advice For Unlikely Partners: Just Dance

6:49pm November 29, 2013

by Ariel Dorfman

Earlier this week, international negotiators agreed on a deal to curb the Iranian nuclear program temporarily. Author Ariel Dorfman offers context to the reactions that have followed. He suggests a book of poetry by the Sufi master Rumi, a fascinating glimpse into the lives and ideas that shape Persian identity.

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The Beatles on the stairs of NEMS — North End Music Stores, Brian Epstein's Liverpool record shop — having just signed a management deal, in 1964.

At The BBC, The Beatles Shocked An Institution

4:13pm November 27, 2013

Between 1962 and 1965, The Beatles were featured on 53 BBC radio programs. For The Beatles: The BBC Archives, executive producer Kevin Howlett had to search for many of these recordings, and they weren't easy to find.

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Arts

It Still Isn't Easy, But Independent Bookstores Are Doing Better

3:36pm November 27, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

Despite intense competition from Amazon and big-box retailers, there are more independent bookstores now than there were four years ago. Borders' bankruptcy, the "buy local" movement and cooperative publishers have all contributed to the renaissance.

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Y'Jazzmin Christopher, 7, takes up target practice at Archery in the Wild in Longmont, Colo. "She used to be a really shy person, but now she's opening socially," says Alicia Christopher, Y'Jazzmin's mom, about her daughter's archery.

More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By 'The Hunger Games'

12:32pm November 27, 2013

by Grace Hood

The popularity of The Hunger Games book and film series is leading to an uptick in the popularity of archery, especially among girls. USA Archery says membership is on the rise, and some sporting equipment outfitters have seen a big boost in bow and arrow sales in the years since the series began.

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Arts

Thanksgivukkah Stress Getting You Down? Here's A Literary Escape Plan

7:13pm November 26, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

For critic Maureen Corrigan, this year's hybrid family holiday may be best celebrated by escaping into a book. Her recommendations include a kids' book about Russian Jews who identify with the Pilgrims, and a novel that contemplates class divides during wartime through the lens of a football game.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt smiled upon hearing that he was leading the 1928 contest for governor of New York, more than six years after he contracted polio.

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Arts

Roosevelt's Polio Wasn't A Secret: He Used It To His 'Advantage'

4:07pm November 25, 2013

In The Man He Became, historian James Tobin says, despite misimpressions to the contrary, Americans of Franklin Roosevelt's day were well-aware of his disability — it was an important part of the personal narrative that helped him win the presidency.

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Israeli soldiers work from a Gaza Strip watchtower.

'Promised Land' Wrestles With Israel's Brutal Contradictions

9:01am November 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Ari Shavit says Israel must find a way to reconcile its democratic values with the reality of everyday life there. His new book draws from interviews with hundreds of Israelis — both Jews and Arabs — as well as his military experience and Zionist family history.

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