All About Books | NET Radio

Guest reviewer Bruce Stephen studies "The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009," an anthology of 26 essays edited by Elizabeth Kolbert and Tim Folger.

Charles Stephen exposes Evan Thomas' "The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898," a lively account of how Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and William Randolph Hurst helped agitate the U.S. into the Spanish-American War.

Guest reviewer Pat Stephen explores "Three Cups Of Tea - One Man's Mission To Fight Terrorism And Build Nations . . . One School At A Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Charles Stephen investigates "Second Violin" by John Lawton, a new thriller set in England at the beginning of WWII.

Charles Stephen opens up "Silk Parachute," a collection of essays by "New Yorker" writer John McPhee on far flung topics like geology, lacrosse, cameras, and, of course, a silk parachute. Stephen also takes a peek at "Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945" by Barrett Tillman, a comprehensive picture of the WWII Pacific air campaigns and the warplanes behind them.

Guest reviewer David Williams looks at "Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend" by James S. Hirsh, the first well-researched autobiography of this baseball great. Charles Stephen reviews "The Dogs of Rome," a slow paced crime novel by Conor Fitzgerald.

Charles Stephen reveals Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman's "Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath," a wrenching illustrated account of the human suffering endured in the Philippines during WWII. Stephen also peruses "Complete Poems" by Dorothy Parker, a collection of verse from the renowned witty lady.

Guest reviewer Pat Leach presents "Columbine" by Dave Cullen, a thoroughly-researched, comprehensive account of the high school massacre, which dispells many popular myths surrounding the incident and examines the complex motives of the perpetrators.

Charles Stephen interviews Krista Tippett, the host of Speaking of Faith, about her new book "Einstein's God: Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit."

Charles Stephen contemplates "The Shameful Peace: How French Artists and Intellectuals Survived the Nazi Occupation" by Frederic Spotts, a look at the lives of collaborators, resisters, and survivors of wartime Germany's cultural domination. Stephen also reflects upon Kevin Young's "The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing," an anthology of poems about moving past the pain of loss.

Charles Stephen reviews "The Man from Saigon," by Marti Leimbach, a novel about a female magazine reporter sent to Vietnam during the war. Her life there includes an affair with a fellow journalist, increasingly dangerous reporting, and eventual capture by the Vietcong. Also reviewed, "Treasure Hunt," the lastest crime novel from John Lescroart.

Guest reviewer Rev. Stephen Griffith opens up "Travel as a Political Act" by PBS travel host Rick Steves, which invites travelers to not just enjoy their excursions, but also learn from them. Charles Stephen delves into "Churchill's Bunker: The Cabinet War Rooms and the Culture of Secrecy in Wartime London" by Richard Holmes, the history of the British Cabinet War Rooms - a system of underground bunkers used during WWII.

Charles Stephen examines "Heresy" by S.J. Parris, an historical thriller set amidst the unsettled times of Queen Elizabeth I. Stephen also looks up Neil deGrasse Tyson's "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet," a fun and accessible chronicle of the Kuiper Belt Object's discovery and classification.

Charles Stephen thaws out "Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon," an account of Louisa Adams' trip from St. Petersburg to Paris in the winter of 1815, expanded by author Michael O'Brien from her memoir of the journey. Stephen also breezes through "Bag in the Wind" by Ted Kooser, an illustrated children's book by the Pulitzer Prize winning Nebraska poet.

Charles Stephen navigates Thomas L. Friedman's "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America," which contains reflections from the New York Times columnist about the dangers facing society and the planet.

Guest reviewer Rev. Don Hanway illuminates "The Savage Text: The Use and Abuse of the Bible" by Adrian Thatcher, which focuses on the changed perception of the Bible in modern times. Charles Stephen reveals "Paganini's Ghost" by Paul Adam, a new mystery featuring music expert Gianni Castiglione.