Fresh Air
Book Recommendations

Fresh Air

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy...

Episodes 879
Books 1,286
Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor Cover

Al Kooper

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards

Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor

Cooper's revised and expanded memoir, Backstage Passes, was mentioned as having just been released in 1998.

"

He revised and expanded memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards had just been released.

— Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On D...

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Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On Dylan

Cooper's revised and expanded memoir, Backstage Passes, was mentioned as having just been released in 1998.

"

He revised and expanded memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards had just been released.

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor Cover

Al Kooper

Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards

Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor

Cooper's revised and expanded memoir, Backstabbing Bastards, was mentioned alongside Backstage Passes as newly published.

"

He revised and expanded memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards had just been released.

— Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On D...

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Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On Dylan

Cooper's revised and expanded memoir, Backstabbing Bastards, was mentioned alongside Backstage Passes as newly published.

"

He revised and expanded memoir Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards had just been released.

And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir Cover

Joan Baez

And a Voice to Sing With

A Memoir

Baez's autobiography, A Voice to Sing With, was referenced when discussing her 1987 interview and her career reflections.

"

Upon the publication of her autobiography, A Voice to Sing With.

— Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On D...

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Episode: Joan Baez / Suze Rotolo / Al Kooper On Dylan

Baez's autobiography, A Voice to Sing With, was referenced when discussing her 1987 interview and her career reflections.

"

Upon the publication of her autobiography, A Voice to Sing With.

Always a Reckoning and Other Poems Cover

Jimmy Carter

Always a Reckoning and Other Poems

Carter had just published this poetry collection in 1995, making him the first former president to release a book of poems.

"

When we spoke in 1995, he'd just published a collection of his poems titled Always a Reckoning.

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

Carter had just published this poetry collection in 1995, making him the first former president to release a book of poems.

"

When we spoke in 1995, he'd just published a collection of his poems titled Always a Reckoning.

Jimmy Carter recorded in 1995 after the publication of his poetry collection, Always a Reckoning.

Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis Cover

Jimmy Carter

Our Endangered Values

America's Moral Crisis

Carter discussed this 2005 book as a memoir that examined the clash between politics and religion and expressed his concerns about moral issues in America.

"

In 2005, I spoke with him about his book Endangered Values, America's Moral Crisis.

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

Carter discussed this 2005 book as a memoir that examined the clash between politics and religion and expressed his concerns about moral issues in America.

"

In 2005, I spoke with him about his book Endangered Values, America's Moral Crisis.

Jimmy Carter recorded in 2005 after he'd written his book Endangered Values, America's Moral Crisis.

Well, in Our Endangered Values, the book, I describe my feelings about this quite thoroughly.

The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer Cover

Jimmy Carter

The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer

Carter and his daughter Amy created this children's picture book about an undersea creature, describing its appearance, personality and the collaborative process of writing and illustrating it.

"

Their book, The Little Baby Snooglefleeger, was based on stories Carter used to tell his children.

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

Carter and his daughter Amy created this children's picture book about an undersea creature, describing its appearance, personality and the collaborative process of writing and illustrating it.

"

Their book, The Little Baby Snooglefleeger, was based on stories Carter used to tell his children.

And he comes out of the ocean on occasion to become involved in adventures with little children who were about the same age as my children when I told them the stories.

And he interrelates in a very exciting and dramatic way to help resolve some of their problems or to deal with crises that affect their lives.

Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life Cover

Jimmy Carter

Everything to Gain

Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life

Carter recounted a stressful cowriting experience with his wife on this book, saying it nearly destroyed their marriage until an editor rescued the manuscript.

"

I had been through a horrible experience writing a book together with my wife a few years ago called Everything to Gain.

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

Carter recounted a stressful cowriting experience with his wife on this book, saying it nearly destroyed their marriage until an editor rescued the manuscript.

"

I had been through a horrible experience writing a book together with my wife a few years ago called Everything to Gain.

It was only a very enlightened editor who saved our book and saved our marriage by finally taking those 3 percent of paragraphs and dividing them half and half.

Christmas in Plains: Memories Cover

Jimmy Carter

Christmas in Plains

Memories

The interview referenced Carter's 2001 memoir, noting it covered his upbringing in Plains, Georgia, and his reflections during the holiday season.

"

When I interviewed Jimmy Carter in December 2001 about his memoir Christmas in Plains, he grew up in Plains, Georgia.

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

The interview referenced Carter's 2001 memoir, noting it covered his upbringing in Plains, Georgia, and his reflections during the holiday season.

"

When I interviewed Jimmy Carter in December 2001 about his memoir Christmas in Plains, he grew up in Plains, Georgia.

How Does a Poem Mean? Cover

John Ciardi

How Does a Poem Mean?

The host mentioned Miller Williams as the author of this textbook that is used in most college poetry courses.

"

One of these poets was Miller Williams who wrote the textbook used in most colleges called How Does a Poem Mean?

— Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

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Episode: Remembering Jimmy Carter (Part II)

The host mentioned Miller Williams as the author of this textbook that is used in most college poetry courses.

"

One of these poets was Miller Williams who wrote the textbook used in most colleges called How Does a Poem Mean?

What Are You Going Through: A Novel Cover

Sigrid Nunez

What Are You Going Through

A Novel

The novel was identified as the basis for Swinton's new film The Room Next Door.

"

Her new film, The Room Next Door, is adapted from the 2020 novel What Are You Going Through?, by Sigrid Nunes.

— Episode: Tilda Swinton Thinks About Her Death

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Episode: Tilda Swinton Thinks About Her Death

The novel was identified as the basis for Swinton's new film The Room Next Door.

"

Her new film, The Room Next Door, is adapted from the 2020 novel What Are You Going Through?, by Sigrid Nunes.

The Inner Clock: Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms Cover

Lynne Peeples

The Inner Clock

Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms

The book examined the latest science on circadian rhythms and explained how they affect health, sleep, performance and longevity. It detailed Peoples' own bunker experiment and related research linking clock disruption to disease.

"

according to a new book by science journalist Lynn Peoples, drinking coffee or sleeping in on the weekends won't help you get back on track.

— Episode: Getting In Sync With Your Inner Clock

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Episode: Getting In Sync With Your Inner Clock

The book examined the latest science on circadian rhythms and explained how they affect health, sleep, performance and longevity. It detailed Peoples' own bunker experiment and related research linking clock disruption to disease.

"

according to a new book by science journalist Lynn Peoples, drinking coffee or sleeping in on the weekends won't help you get back on track.

In her new book, The Inner Clock, Living in Sync With Our Circadian Rhythms, Peoples gets into the latest science around our circadian rhythms and their importance in our overall health, even beyond the hours of sleep we get each night.

In her book, Peoples digs into the latest research about how our internal clocks impact every facet of our lives, how well we do in school, our performance at work, how we interact with people, and even how long we live.

Lynn Peoples' new book is The Inner Clock, Living in Sync with Our Circadian Rhythms.

Persians: The Age of the Great Kings Cover

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

Persians

The Age of the Great Kings

The novel within the film was described as being based on the Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus.

"

He writes about fiction that's pretty obscure, like a novel based on the Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus.

— Episode: Sterling K. Brown Was Told By Hollywood...

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Episode: Sterling K. Brown Was Told By Hollywood To Lose Th...

The novel within the film was described as being based on the Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus.

"

He writes about fiction that's pretty obscure, like a novel based on the Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus.

Turning Point: How Reagan Liberated Grenada and Won the Cold War Cover

John Bachman

Turning Point

How Reagan Liberated Grenada and Won the Cold War

Carter's 1993 memoir was highlighted as covering his early political career and the first campaign for the Georgia State Senate.

"

Let's begin with the interview I recorded with Carter in 1993, after the publication of his memoir, Turning Point, about his first campaign when he won his seat in the Georgia State S...

— Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part...

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Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part I)

Carter's 1993 memoir was highlighted as covering his early political career and the first campaign for the Georgia State Senate.

"

Let's begin with the interview I recorded with Carter in 1993, after the publication of his memoir, Turning Point, about his first campaign when he won his seat in the Georgia State Senate.

When we spoke in 1993, Carter had just published his memoir, Turning Point.

Keeping Faith: A Novel Cover

Jodi Picoult

Keeping Faith

A Novel

Carter said he wrote this presidential memoir to settle his debts after leaving the White House.

"

And I wanted to write a presidential memoir called Keeping Faith, which I did, because I was deeply in debt.

— Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part...

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Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part I)

Carter said he wrote this presidential memoir to settle his debts after leaving the White House.

"

And I wanted to write a presidential memoir called Keeping Faith, which I did, because I was deeply in debt.

Living Faith - Daily Catholic Devotions April, May, June 2026: Volume 42 Number 1 Cover

Living Faith

Living Faith - Daily Catholic Devotions April, May, June 2026

Volume 42 Number 1

His later memoir, discussed in the 1996 interview, reflected on his faith and postpresidential life.

"

The following year, I spoke with him about his memoir, Living Faith.

— Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part...

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Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part I)

His later memoir, discussed in the 1996 interview, reflected on his faith and postpresidential life.

"

The following year, I spoke with him about his memoir, Living Faith.

When we spoke in 1996, Carter had just published his memoir, Living Faith.

The Virtues of Aging (Library of Contemporary Thought) Cover

Jimmy Carter

The Virtues of Aging (Library of Contemporary Thought)

Carter's newest book was introduced as "The Virtues of Aging," focusing on the challenges of later life.

"

Jimmy Carter, my guest, his new book is called The Virtues of Aging.

— Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part...

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Episode: Remembering President Jimmy Carter (Part I)

Carter's newest book was introduced as "The Virtues of Aging," focusing on the challenges of later life.

"

Jimmy Carter, my guest, his new book is called The Virtues of Aging.

After the publication of his book, The Virtues of Aging, I asked him how they first realized that too much time together was the source of tension.

The Boys on the Bus: Riding with the Campaign Press Corps Cover

Timothy Crouse

The Boys on the Bus

Riding with the Campaign Press Corps

The conversation referenced Timothy Krauss's book The Boys on the Bus as a source describing coverage of the 1972 presidential campaign and quoting his remarks about Connie Chung.

"

He wrote in his book, The Boys on the Bus, which is about covering the 72 presidential campaign, that he says this about you.

— Episode: Connie Chung Regrets Being A Good Girl

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Episode: Connie Chung Regrets Being A Good Girl

The conversation referenced Timothy Krauss's book The Boys on the Bus as a source describing coverage of the 1972 presidential campaign and quoting his remarks about Connie Chung.

"

He wrote in his book, The Boys on the Bus, which is about covering the 72 presidential campaign, that he says this about you.

Richard III by William Shakespeare Annotated: Richard iii shakespeare, Richard iii annotated Cover

William Shakespeare

Richard III by William Shakespeare Annotated

Richard iii shakespeare, Richard iii annotated

Strong mentioned a documentary Pacino made about Richard III and later reflected on learning about Shakespeare's Richard III while preparing for roles.

"

I think I learned ... about Shakespeare and, ... Richard III.

— Episode: Jeremy Strong Sees Acting As An Escape F...

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Episode: Jeremy Strong Sees Acting As An Escape From Self

Strong mentioned a documentary Pacino made about Richard III and later reflected on learning about Shakespeare's Richard III while preparing for roles.

"

I think I learned ... about Shakespeare and, ... Richard III.

a documentary that Pacino made about Richard III.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Cover

Christopher McDougall

Born to Run

A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

The memoir, titled Born to Run, was mentioned as having been published in 2016 and was discussed as the source of Springsteen's interview.

"

The book shares the title of his most famous song, Born to Run.

— Episode: Pete Seeger / Bruce Springsteen

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Episode: Pete Seeger / Bruce Springsteen

The memoir, titled Born to Run, was mentioned as having been published in 2016 and was discussed as the source of Springsteen's interview.

"

The book shares the title of his most famous song, Born to Run.

after the publication of his memoir, Born to Run.

back in 2016 after the publication of his memoir, Born to Run.

Born to Run.

Hip-Hop Is History Cover

Questlove

Hip-Hop Is History

The host noted that Questlove had authored several books about music, highlighting his most recent title, Hip Hop is History.

"

He's written several books about music, including his latest Hiphop is History.

— Episode: Jon Batiste, Holiday Edition / Questlove...

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Episode: Jon Batiste, Holiday Edition / Questlove Christmas

The host noted that Questlove had authored several books about music, highlighting his most recent title, Hip Hop is History.

"

He's written several books about music, including his latest Hiphop is History.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.