Sidney Sheldon discusses his book, “The Sands of Time.” Sheldon says that the plot is set in Spain and talks about his travels in the country. He describes the Basque region and the assassinations by the Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA). Sheldon...
England - Fiction; Actors - Fiction; Country homes - Fiction; Social classes - Fiction; Married people - Fiction; Television programs - Fiction; Aristocracy (Social class) – Fiction; Gosford Park (Motion picture)
Julian Fellowes discusses his book, “Snobs.” He begins by explaining the plot, which follows Edith Lavery, the only child of an upper-middle class family with social aspirations, living in England during the 1990s. Luckily she is able to obtain...
Democracy - United States; Wealth - United States; Income distribution - United States
Gar Alperovitz discusses his book, “America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy.” Alperovitz begins by saying that democracy is threatened and that there has been a downward trend in government doing what...
Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Biography - Dictionaries; Silent films - United States - History and criticism
Anthony Slide discusses his book, “Silent Players.” He begins by explaining that he first became interested in silent films in the 1960s. He then explores some of the actors and actresses that he writes about in his book, including May Marsh,...
Women - Political activity - India - Congresses; Political participation - India - Congresses; Panchayat - India - Congresses
Dr. Bidyut Mohanty discusses her book, “Woman and Political Empowerment.” She begins by discussing the importance of registration and political power in regards to women’s political empowerment. She explains that because many births in India...
World War, 1914-1918 - Turkey - Fiction; Mothers and daughters - Fiction; Plantation life - Fiction; Women - Turkey - Fiction; Silk industry - Fiction; Dwellings - Fiction; Turkey - Fiction
Alev Lytle Croutier discusses her book, “Seven Houses.” She begins by discussing the plot of the novel, which is set against the backdrop of twentieth century Turkey. The book tells the story of the Ipekci silk-making family that begins during...
Cixi, Empress Dowager of China, 1835-1908 - Fiction; Empresses - Fiction; China - History - Guangxu, 1875-1908 - Fiction
Anchee Min discusses her book, “Empress Orchid.” She begins by explaining that the book is historical fiction and follows the life of Tsu Hsi, also known as, Orchid. Orchid was born a poor girl in rural China, later she became a royal concubine...
Lovesickness - Fiction; Young women - China - Fiction; Future life - Fiction; Operas, Chinese - Fiction; China - Social life and customs - 17th century - Fiction
Lisa See discusses her book, “Peony in Love.” Martinson begins by talking about the cataclysmic change that occurred in 16th century China when the Manchus took over the country. See then goes on to discuss the opera, “Peony Pavilion,”...
Short stories; Children - Fiction; Mother and child - Fiction; Mothers - Death - Fiction; Mothers and daughters - Fiction
Julie Orringer discusses her book, “How to Breathe Underwater.” She begins by explaining how she gradually wrote this collection of short stories over the span of several years. She provides background information on her Jewish upbringing and...
Business education; Industrial management - Study and teaching (Graduate); Master of business administration degree
Steven Stralser discusses his book, “MBA in a Day.” He begins by explaining how his book is an overview of the key points that are taught in the best business schools in the country. He describes the critical qualities that a good business...
Chinese Americans - California - Los Angeles - History; Chinese Americans - California - Los Angeles - History - Pictorial works; Los Angeles (Calif.) - History; Los Angeles (Calif.) - History - Pictorial works
Icy Smith discusses her book, “The Lonely Queue.” She begins the interview by talking about her immigration from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and her background growing up in poverty and moving to America for an education. She goes into the...
Reyto, Susanne M. - Childhood and youth; Hungarian Americans - Biography; Political refugees - United States - Biography; Reyto, Susanne M. - Family; Communism - Hungary; Fascism - Hungary; Hungary - Social conditions - 1945-1989
Susanne Reyto discusses her biography, “Pursuit of Freedom.” She begins by explaining that this book was written as a way to tell her story to her grandson. She talks about growing up in Hungary when the Nazis were taking over and how her...
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust - Psychology; World War, 1939-1945 - Jews - Rescue; Altruism; Motivation (Psychology)
Samuel and Pearl Oliner discuss their book, “The Altruistic Personality.” Samuel begins by telling his childhood story of how he narrowly escaped being captured by Gestapo police in Poland with the help of a family friend. They explain that...
Older people - United States - Interviews; Older people - United States - Attitudes; Social participation - United States - Case studies; Self-actualization (Psychology) in old age - United States - Case studies
Studs Terkel discusses his book, “Coming of Age: The Story of Our Century by Those Who’ve Lived it.” Martinson begins by stating that Terkel went around the country talking to people over the age of 70 about aging. Terkel then talks about...
Mass Media; African Americans - Caricatures and cartoons - Social aspects; Racism - United States
Bill Overton discusses his book, “The Media.” He begins by explaining how people create an image in their heads because of what they read in newspapers or see in television. He says that he covered multiple races, religions, and nationalities...
Dr. Aliza A. Lifshitz discusses her book, “Mamá Sana, Bebé Sano : Una Guia en Espanol e Inglés Sobre el Embarazo, la Atención Prenatal, el Nacimiento y el Cuidado del Recién Nacido = Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby : a Spanish/English Guide to...
Stalking - Fiction; Inheritance and succession - Fiction
Bradford Morrow discusses his novel, “Giovanni’s Gift.” He begins by explaining that the book is based on a real experience of a stalker harassing his aunt and uncle. He came out to visit them and while he was spending some time trying to...
Women - Iran - Fiction; Iranian Americans - Fiction
Susanne Pari discusses her novel, “The Fortune Catcher.” She begins by explaining the book is based off her life experiences growing up in Iran during the revolution. Pari lived there until 1978 because her father traveled around Iran for his...
Irving Dardik discusses his book, “Quantum Fitness.” He begins by explaining his position as the Chairman of the Olympic Sports Committee. He travels the country and trains Olympic athletes in science and medicine. The book uses relaxation...
Runyon, Damon, 1880-1946; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Broadway (New York, N.Y.) - Biography
Jimmy Breslin discusses his novel, “Damon Runyon.” He begins by explaining that the book is a non-fiction account of the life of writer Damon Runyon. Breslin talks about following Runyon’s paper trails all over the country and interviewing...
