Books

Steve Inskeep talks to Michael Waldman president of NYU Law School's Brennan Center for Justice about his new book, which is a biography of the second amendment.

A new book looks at words that self-appointed linguistic police have declared contraband, like "lunch," which should be a verb, and "balding," a participle formed from an adjective instead of a verb.

Professor Jordan Ellenberg gives students points for recognizing when they get a wrong answer, even if they can't figure out why. In his new book, he writes that good math is about good reasoning.

When Brando Skyhorse was 3, he and his mother were abandoned by his Mexican father. So his mother created a new story line for the family, identifying herself and her young son as American Indian.

Tom Rachman has written a book for book lovers in The Rise and Fall of Great Powers. The best-selling novelist talks with NPR's Scott Simon about the difference between reading and literature.

Catch-22 is widely considered a great novel; until now, it has been a disaster as a play. A new production of his play seems to have broken the curse: It's touring the UK and receiving strong reviews.

At the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, former jockey Donna Barton Brothers will interview the winner on horseback. Now an analyst for NBC, Brothers won more than 1,100 races before retiring in 1998.

In her new book, Nell Bernstein says America's juvenile justice system is overdue for reform. Time in jail as a child or teen, she says, is the best predictor of adult criminality and incarceration.

The dispute between retail giant Amazon and publisher Hachette was big news at Book Expo America. Writers, publishers and agents are wondering what the rift could mean for the future of books.

Amazon wants better terms for print and e-books and is refusing pre-orders for upcoming Hachette books, and slowing delivery for those already ordered. Authors are complaining on the Internet.

It's time to get in shape for the summer reading season. NPR's Scott Simon talks to writer Sally Franson to hear how readers can do a pre-beach workout while sitting still.

What Is Visible imagines the life of Laura Bridgman, the first blind and deaf person to learn language, years before the more famous Helen Keller. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with author Kimberly Elkins.