NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Nonfiction, Week Of May 7, 2015
At No. 7, Tom Robbins applies his signature verbal gusto to his own life story in Tibetan Peach Pie.
Books
'Fresh Air' Remembers Mystery Novelist Ruth Rendell
The British author wrote crime novels for 50 years, many featuring Chief Inspector "Reg" Wexford. Rendell died May 2. Originally broadcast in 1989 and 2005.
Six Weeks In World War I Transformed How Wars Are Fought
NPR's Robert Siegel talks with historian Diana Preston about her book A Higher Form of Killing: Six Weeks in World War I That Forever Changed the Nature of Warfare.
'The Argonauts' Is A Voyage Through Parenting, Partnership And Transition
Maggie Nelson's philosophical memoir uses her pregnancy — and her partner Harry's gender transition — to explore larger questions about the changing ways we approach marriage and motherhood.
Flexible, Fluid 'Revision' Bounces From Rom-Com To Sci-Fi
What if you could rewrite reality? Andrea Phillips' debut novel follows an unambitious barista whose life is turned upside down when she discovers a website that lets her change lives with a click.
How NASA's Space Race Helped To Integrate The South
Writers Richard Paul and Steven Moss's new book is called We Could Not Fail. It's about the first African-Americans to work for NASA. They profile 10 African-American scientists and engineers.
In 'Subprimes,' Swiftian Satire Hits Close To Home
Karl Taro Greenfeld's new book imagines a near-future America where credit scores determine your fate, and a new generation of Okies travel the country in dilapidated SUVs, searching for prosperity.
Where Does Creativity Come From?
Writer Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses. She shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.
After 'Life,' 'A God In Ruins' Picks Up The Epic Tale Of The Todds
Kate Atkinson's 2013 best-seller, Life After Life, depicted the century-spanning lives of Ursula Todd; her new book takes a more constrained approach to Ursula's brother, Royal Air Force pilot Teddy.
'One Of Us' Examines The Damaged Inner Terrain Of Norwegian Mass Shooter
Journalist Asne Seierstad's book chronicles the 2011 shooting massacre in her country. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls the work "engrossing, important and undeniably difficult to read."