Gooch, Brad, 1952-; Spirituality - United States; United States - Religion
Brad Gooch discusses his book, “Godtalk.” He begins by explaining the new religious phenomenon of Urbantia, a book that was supposedly sent down to a farmer in Chicago by aliens in the 1920s. He talks about traveling around America and how he...
Wisner, Franz - Travel;
Wisner, Kurt Oscar - Travel;
Brothers - United States - Biography;
Travelers - United States - Biography;
Betrothal - United States;
Man-woman relationships - United States
Franz Wisner discusses his book, “Honeymoon with my Brother.” He begins by explaining that his fiancée called off their wedding 5 days before the ceremony, so Franz took his brother Kurt on the honeymoon he had tickets to. The two brothers...
Wolff, Tobias, 1945- - Childhood and youth; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography
Tobias Wolff discusses his book, “This Boy’s Life: A Memoir.” Wolff describes his mother and their travels to the Utah uranium mines and her abusive partners. He talks about his brother, Geoffrey, and fabricating documents when he was...
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945; Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962; World War, 1939-1945 - United States; Presidents - United States - Biography; Presidents' spouses - United States - Biography; United States - History - 1933-1945
Doris Kearns Goodwin discusses her book, “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II." Goodwin describes Franklin and Eleanor’s relationship and Franklin’s fear of fire. She talks about Harry Hopkins,...
Musicians - United States - Biography; Lexicographers - United States - Biography
Nicolas Slonimsky discusses his book, “Perfect Pitch: A Life Story.” Slonimsky talks about the time he was the piano teacher of the niece and nephew of the Russian czar and describes “perfect pitch.” He also talks about his Jewish...
Siberia (Russia) - Fiction; Indians of North America - Fiction
Louis L’Amour discusses his book, “Last of the Breed.” He begins by detailing the plot of the novel, which follows the story of U.S. Air Force Major Joe Mack whose aircraft is forced down in the middle of Siberia. Mack is then placed in a...
Ukraine - Fiction; Young men - Fiction; Novelists - Fiction; Grandfathers - Fiction; Jewish families - Fiction; World War, 1939-1945 - Ukraine - Fiction; Americans - Ukraine - Fiction
Jonathan Foer discusses his book, “Everything is Illuminated.” He explains that the book is about a young, American, Jew named Jonathan who travels to the Ukraine in search of a woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis during World War...
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...
Spiritual life; Lyme disease - Patients - United States - Biography; Surfers - United States - Biography; Kotler, Steven, 1967 - Travel
Steven Kotler discusses his book, “West of Jesus.” He begins by sharing the story of his struggle with Lyme disease and its effect on him spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Kotler explains how it was this struggle that led him to take up...
Michael Tolkin discusses his book, “Under Radar.” He begins by explaining the plot, which follows the character Tom, who has taken his family on vacation to a resort in Jamaica. However, the vacation runs a foul when Tom pushes another guest...
Ethnology - Indonesia; Indonesia - Description and travel
Lawrence and Lorne Blair discuss their book, “Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey.” They talk about their travels to Indonesia financed by Ringo Starr, and Lawrence’s interest in psycho-anthropology. The Blairs describe their adventures...
David Wallechinsky discusses his book, “The Knowledge Book.” He begins by discussing his own family and how neither of his parents went to college and instead were both autodidacts. He shares his memories growing up the child of parents who...
United States - Emigration and immigration - Case studies; Honduras - Emigration and immigration - Case studies; Illegal aliens - United States - Social conditions - Case studies; Immigrant children - United States - Social conditions - Case...
Sonia Nazario discusses her book, “Enrique’s Journey.” She begins by explaining that the book is the true story of a young boy named Enrique who travels from Honduras to the United States to find his mother. Nazario explains that when Enrique...
Feiler, Bruce S. - Travel - Middle East; Bible. O.T. - History of Biblical events; Arab -Israeli conflict; Palestine - Description and travel; Iraq - Description and travel; Iran -Description and travel
Bruce Feiler discusses his book, “Where God was Born.” He begins by discussing his first book “Walking the Bible” and the PBS documentary he made on it. He shares his reasons for writing his new book, which was a need to explore how...
African American families - Fiction; Racially mixed people - Fiction; African Americans - Fiction; New Orleans (La.) - Fiction; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction
Jervey Tervalon discusses his book, “Lita.” He begins by discussing his previous book, "Dead Above Ground" and how this book begins where the last one ended. Tervalon explores the plot of this new book which follows the protagonist Lita Du...
Musicians - Fiction; Conductors (Music) - Fiction; San Francisco (Calif.) - Fiction
Peter Duchin discusses his book, “Blue Moon.” He begins by discussing his interest in mystery books and his job playing the piano and how it sparked the idea for a character that observes a murder while playing in a band at a hotel. Duchin goes...
Jenny Paschall discusses her novel, “Stefi.” She begins by introducing her two main characters: Sue, a 42 year old London film manager who had just ended a long relationship, and Stefi, a 24 year old woman Sue befriends in her exercise class. ...
Fantasy fiction, American; Science fiction, American
Norman Spinrad discusses his science fiction novel, “Child of Fortune.” He begins by talking about his main character: a young woman who must travel from planet to planet working as a prostitute. Spinrad describes that he decided to write a...
Miller, Judith, 1948- - Travel - Middle East; Islam and politics - Middle East; Middle East - Politics and government - 1979-
Judith Miller talks about her autobiography, “God Has Ninety-Nine Names.” She begins by explaining that the title of her book was borrowed from a line in the Quran. She explains her position as the Bureau Chief for the New York Times, and...
Exercise; Stretching exercises; Physical fitness; Health
Callan Pinckney discusses her book, “Callanetics.” She begins by explaining how her book is designed to give women a younger looking body. She shows before and after pictures of people who have done her workout. She talks about her extensive...
