Pony Confidential, a new novel by author Christina Lynch, is about an unlikely detective: a crime-solving pony who sets off to find his long-lost first owner. Penny, who was just a little girl when separated from Pony, is now an adult who has been accused of murder–and Pony is ready to clear her name. The book was inspired by a combination of tales from The Odyssey and Lynch's curiosity about the inner world of her own real-life pony, Flora. In today's episode, Lynch joins NPR's Scott Simon to talk about the emotional lives of animals, the novel's subtext about the legal system, and the parallels between Pony and Penny's respective confinement.
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
Every day, hundreds of billions of dollars worth of investments are bought and sold around the world. Most of these transactions are conducted by investment banks and other large institutions.
Many, if not most, of these organizations act on behalf of other actors, often individual investors.
However, many people avoid investing because it seems complicated, and they don’t understand how it works.
Learn more about investing and some of the basic concepts on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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Almost everyone listening to the sound of my voice is a citizen of some country.
Citizenship seems very simple and straightforward, but it is anything but. For most of human history, almost everyone was not a citizen of anything.
Today, it is entirely possible to change citizenship, become a citizen of multiple countries, or possibly even become a citizen of no country at all.
In some countries, the issue of who can become a citizen and how are some of the biggest issues they face.
Learn more about citizenship, how it developed, and what it means in the world today on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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In the early 13th century, England suffered through the worst monarch it would have in its history: King John.
John and his arbitrary policies and high taxation angered the nobility, the church, and the common people.
However, out of his disastrous reign came something good. An uprising against his rule forced him to sign a document establishing fundamental principles of limited government, the rule of law, and individual rights, marking a crucial milestone in developing constitutional and legal frameworks.
Learn more about the Magna Carta, how it came about, and its significance on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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New books focused on Johnny Carson and Shirley MacLaine offer intimate portraits of two of television and Hollywood's biggest stars. Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years, becoming an unparalleled nighttime staple and unifying force within American culture. His life is the subject of Carson the Magnificent, a new biography co-written by Bill Zehme and Mike Thomas, who took over the decades-long research project after Zehme died in 2023. In today's episode, Thomas joins NPR's Scott Simon to discuss the divisions between Carson's public and private personas. Then, Shirley MacLaine's personal photo walls feature pictures of dignitaries, starlets and leaders like the Obamas, the Dalai Lama, Dolly Parton, Stephen Hawking and others. In her new book, The Wall of Life, MacLaine uses her photo collection as a way to tell her life stories through a scrapbook format. In today's episode, she speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about past lives, enduring friendships in Hollywood, and the balance between reality and fame.
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
There is an old saying that da Nile isn’t just a river in Egypt. That is true. It is also a river in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
The Nile is the longest river in the world, yet it is one of the smallest major rivers in the world.
Historically, some of the world’s greatest civilizations have depended on it, and today it is still a source of conflict between countries that depend on it for water and power.
Learn more about the Nile River and how its geography has and continues to shape history, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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We live in a time where it can be difficult to maintain good relationships with people with opposing views. While writing her new book, Do You Still Talk to Grandma?, Brit Barron saw everyone around her struggling to hold this tension while connecting with the people they love. Her book is a guide to navigating those relationships with our loved ones – even when we disagree with them. In today's episode, she talks with NPR's Deepa Fernandes about binary thinking, the issue of social media, and our need to belong.
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
Author Yvette Montoya didn't grow up playing Lotería, but she discovered the classic Latino party game in college. There, she fell in love with Lotería itself, but also the vibrant art and imagery of its boards and card decks. Now, Montoya has reinvented her own version of the bingo-like game with Mystical Lotería, a game set and book that give the traditional version a spiritual twist. In today's episode, Montoya talks with NPR's A Martínez about incorporating brujería–her witchcraft practice–into Mystical Lotería. They also discuss the resurgent interest in ancestral veneration within Latino culture, the need to move beyond Western healing modalities, and Día de Los Muertos.
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
This week, Rob assures you that yes, he was there, boots on the ground, for the indie rock (nay, indie sleaze?) boom that hit New York City in the 2000s. Rob sets the stage for the music scene that MGMT launched itself into, before he ultimately unpacks the pop sensation qualities of its megahit “Kids.” Later, music writer Larry Fitzmaurice joins to parse the indie pop scene, share what it was like to cover MGMT during its ascension, and weigh in on the legacy that the band's music and particular aesthetic have today.
Host: Rob Harvilla
Guest: Larry Fitzmaurice
Producers: Jonathan Kermah, Justin Sayles, and Bobby Wagner