Foreign correspondent Peter Hessler taught in China during the country's economic boom in the 1990s, which he wrote about in his book River Town. Now, in Other Rivers, Hessler breaks down what it was like to teach there again more than two decades later. In today's episode, he and NPR international correspondent Emily Feng talk about what changed — and what stayed the same — with a new generation of students in China and how covering the country remains a challenge for so many writers and journalists.
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
Voters have a bleak outlook on the economy right now, and many are pointing the finger at President Biden. At the same time, many voters have a rosy view of the economy when Donald Trump was president. But how much credit or blame should a president get for the economy? And how do partisan politics play into our perception of the economy's performance?
Related episodes: Common economic myths, debunked (Apple / Spotify) Not too hot, not too cold: A 'Goldilocks' jobs report (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Let me cut right to the chase. This episode is going to be a deep dive into the origin of some common idioms. I don’t want to dance around the subject or have to walk on eggshells, so I’m using this introduction to break the ice.
Whether you’re feeling under the weather or ready to burn the midnight oil with us, you’re in for a treat.
I will spill the beans on their meanings and origins and explain how to use them, even if you only do so once in a blue moon.
Learn more about the origins and meaning of common idioms so you don’t bark up the wrong tree on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a new memoir out – it's about the people and experiences that shaped her version of leadership. Whitmer has led her state through a pandemic, natural disasters and the battle over reproductive rights, among many other issues. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between, her steadfast support for President Biden during his bid for reelection, and how she sees her future in the Democratic party.
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
Children of U.S. military families, a.k.a. brats, are known for their adaptability when relocating to new neighborhoods and schools every few years. This migratory population became the basis for brand new research on how the neighborhood you grew up in affects your economic success later in life. Today on the show, how a place influences your financial destiny.
One of the most famous lines in poetry comes from the poet Robert Burns, who spoke of ‘The best-laid schemes of mice and men.’
The line has been used in reference to the fact that no matter how good the plan or the intentions behind it, things will often not go according to plan.
Indeed, there have been times in history when plans have made things far worse than the problem they were trying to solve. But there have also been times when things have turned out better than hoped for reasons not understood at the time.
Learn more about unintended consequences and how things sometimes don’t turn out like they were planned on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Devil Is Fine, the new novel by John Vercher, follows an unnamed protagonist banging out a book pitch in a fugue state that mirrors what's happening in his own life: after the death of his son, a biracial writer inherits a plantation from the white side of his family, which has the remains of both his slave-owning ancestors and the people they enslaved. In today's episode, Vercher speaks with NPR's Lauren Frayer about why he felt magical realism made the story about American history and loss and racism more accessible, and how different layers of grief manifest in the story.
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
Back in 2021, the meme stock frenzy was at its peak: Roaring Kitty AKA Keith Gill, and young day traders gleefully upended financial markets. Roaring Kitty disappeared for a bit before returning just a couple months ago.