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06-13-12 UPDATE: Podcast Update: Time to Read Episode 48: Leonard Mlodinow, 'Subliminal'

Click image for audio link.

Here's the forty-eighth episode of my new series of podcasts, which I'm calling Time to Read. The podcasts/radio broadcasts will be of books worth your valuable reading time. I'll try to keep the reports under four minutes, for a radio-friendly format. If you want to run them on your show or podcast, let me know.

My hope is that in under four minutes I can offer readers a concise review and an opportunity to hear the author read from or speak about the work. I'm hoping to offer a new one every week.

The forty-eighth episode is a look at Leonard Mlodinow, 'Subliminal.'

Here's a link to the MP3 audio file of Time to Read, Episode 48: Leonard Mlodinow, 'Subliminal,'




06-11-12: A 2012 Interview with Richard Ford

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"Every book just has to have some fun parts for the guy who writes it."

— Richard Ford

I spoke with Richard Ford six years ago, in 2006, about his novel 'The Lay of the Land.' That's a long time, but given the quality of his latest novel, 'Canada,' it was clearly worth the wait. As we sat down to talk in the studio at KQED in An Francisco, we realized that we were in the same room where we had spoken so long ago. That sense of familiarity permeated the conversation. It made discussing the book even more pleasurable.

'Canada' is a fascinating example of The Great American Novel. It's a straightforward narrative about an American family that does not deal well with the travails that life puts in their path. The narrator may not thrive, exactly, but he does get on, and make a good life for himself.

Novels of this stature can be difficult to discuss, simply because the process of creation is almost entirely internalized, but Ford and I explored both the themes and the means of making 'Canada.' His research was unexpected, but when you read the book, you'll see precisely how it plays out. It's so interesting to hear him talk about this, because it will inform your reading experience in a manner that will, I trust, provide even greater pleasure as your read.

The interview begins with a reading by Ford; he talks in the interview about reading his work aloud, and one wishes that he would record it for the audio version of the book. For that matter, that particular reading should be recorded for posterity. We have the technology, and it is clear that generations to come will want to hear this voice. Follow this link to hear Richard Ford read from and talk about his latest book, 'Canada.'



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08-22-15: Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 212: Felicia Day : You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

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Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Robert Repino : "...an even bigger threat. which is us, the humans..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Robert Repino : Mort(e)

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Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Michael Gazzaniga : "We made the first observation and BAM there was the disconnection effect..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 208: Michael Gazzaniga : Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience

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Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Neal Stephenson : "...and know that you're never going to se a tree again..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 207: Neal Stephenson : Seveneves

06-03-15: Commentary : Dan Simmons Opens 'The Fifth Heart' : Having it Every Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Dan Simmons : "...yes, they really did bring those bombs..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 206: Dan Simmons : The Fifth Heart

05-23-15: Commentary : John Waters Gets 'Carsick' : Going His Way

Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with John Waters : "...you change how you would be in real life...”

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 205: John Waters : Carsick

05-09-15: Commentary : Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD and 'Shrinks' : A Most Fashionable Take on the Human Mind

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Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 204: Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD : Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry

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Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 203: Barney Frank : Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage

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Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 202: Kazuo Ishiguro : The Buried Giant

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Agony Column Podcast News Report : A 2015 Interview with Erik Larson : "...said to have been found in the arms of a dead German sailor..."

Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 201: Erik Larson : Dead Wake

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Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 200: Peter Bell : Strange Epiphanies and A Certain Slant of Light

03-14-15: Commentary : Marc Goodman Foresees 'Future Crimes' : Exponential Potential

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Agony Column Podcast News Report UPDATE: Time to Read Episode 199: Marc Goodman : Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It

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