In today's episode, two new nonfiction books take on big themes: cynicism and freedom. In his new book, Hope for Cynics, Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki argues that cynicism is unhealthy not only for individuals, but also for communities and even entire nations. He speaks with Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes about why Americans have grown more cynical over the last 50 years and how a close friend inspired Zaki to move towards "hopeful skepticism." Then, Yale historian Timothy Snyder joins NPR's Scott Simon from Ukraine to talk about how the American definition of freedom can be too narrow. They also discuss how Snyder's thinking on freedom has been shaped by his time in Ukraine.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
In Germany, döner kebabs are more than just an affordable, satisfying street food. They're a symbol of Turkey's culinary influence in the country. Today on the show, how an effort to give döner kebabs a protected status under a little-known EU regulation could dish out some real economic consequences, in Germany and beyond.
Special thanks to Sidney Gennies, Sönke Matschurek, and Maren Möhring.
Federal health programs contribute to massive and unsustainable government overspending. Government control of most health care dollars continues apace. Neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris has a plan to fix it. Michael Cannon explains.
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Mark Evans joins in to discuss his new book, “Mark! My Words: How to Discover the Joy of Music, the Delight of Language, and the Pride of Achievement in the Age of Trash Talk and Cultural Chaos.”
Music by Jack Bauerlein.
All around you, in the air and the ground, is the most common element on Earth: Oxygen.
As you are certainly well aware, Oxygen is required for life on Earth as we know it. But you might realize that the Earth didn’t always have oxygen in its atmosphere.
Oxygen has been responsible for everything from the rise of multicellular life to the space program.
Learn more about the element oxygen, what it is, and how it came to be in our atmosphere on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
Richard Osman is the author of the popular Thursday Murder Club book series. But despite the success of that project, Osman said he wanted to spread his wings with a fresh palette and a new cast of characters. His new novel, We Solve Murders, follows a detective trio as they try to outsmart a supervillain. In today's episode, Osman talks with NPR's Scott Simon about how he originally set out to center the story around a crime-solving duo, not trio. They also discuss Osman's interest in writing about subjects like fame, those we might underestimate, and evil people who aren't evil all the time.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayNotes: include dig reviews; past books covered on NPR; any author profiles.
TikTok could begin shutting down in the U.S. as soon as January 19 of next year. But the app is not going down without a fight. The company is asking a panel of federal judges to block the law in a high-profile case that pits free speech versus national security. Today on the show, how TikTok got to this point and what we can expect from the app's last ditch effort to stay alive in the U.S.
Related episodes: Tick tock for TikTok? (Apple / Spotify) Is Project Texas enough to save TikTok? (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.