Writer Gregor Hens doesn't smoke anymore, but he still thinks about it every day. He says he started writing his memoir as a way to deal with the longing.
Lemony Snicket, AKA Daniel Handler, wrote the children's book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Handler spoke to Terry Gross in 2001 and in 2012, when he brought his accordion to the studio.
Buck's new memoir details his experiences in sports and life, including his addiction to hair-plug transplants. When it comes to announcing, he says, "I don't have a rooting interest for either side."
Shanthi Sekaran's new novel tells the story of a Mexican woman who has entered the U.S. without papers and an Indian-American chef struggling to have a baby.
Young people have always used language in new ways, and it has always driven older people crazy. But the linguist John McWhorter says all the LOLs are part of an inevitable evolution of language.
Author Lisa Servon says a growing number of Americans are giving up on traditional banks and relying instead on alternatives, including prepaid debit cards, check-cashing centers and payday lenders.
The tradition of giving a goodbye address goes all the way back to the nation's first president. Author John Avlon says George Washington's farewell was remarkably prescient and prophetic.
Cammie O'Reilly lost her mother when she was a baby — so she seeks out maternal support from female inmates. Author Jerry Spinelli says the book was inspired by a real-life story from his hometown.
Author Scott Carney talks about his new book, "What Doesn't Kill Us." Looking at case studies, Carney investigates how the body uses its environment to build resistance to normally extreme conditions.