Book Excerpt

Here & Now's bookshelf, which includes excerpts of books that we cover on our show.

Dr. Peter Hotez is the author of "The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science." (Agapito Sanchez)

In 'Deadly Rise of Anti-Science,' vaccine researcher Peter Hotez sounds the alarm on science denial

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently told constituents under 65 not to take the new COVID-19 vaccines, despite CDC and FDA recommendations that everyone older than 6 months get the shots....

10:54Sep 19, 2023

The cover of "Wellness" by Nathan Hill. (Courtesy)

Oprah Book Club pick 'Wellness' by author Nathan Hill explores the nature of love

The novel looks at truth and art through the prism of one couple.

09:45Sep 19, 2023

An iron lung at Boston Children’s Hospital. (Courtesy of March of Dimes Archives)

'The Autumn Ghost' tells of innovation that saved lives during polio epidemic

The battle against the polio epidemic in the 1950s sparked a revolution in medical care. It led to the invention of the ventilator.

09:18Sep 18, 2023

"Whole Mama Yoga" encourages mothers to lean on the practice throughout every stage of motherhood. (Courtesy of Allie Mullin Photography)

'Whole Mama Yoga' book encourages moms to lean on the practice throughout parenting

The duality of emotions that comes with every stage of motherhood can be tough. Sometimes, it helps to simply breathe in and out.

08:56Sep 11, 2023

'Others Were Emeralds' novel recalls an immigrant-hostile Australia

Author Lang Leav's new book is set in Australia in the 1990s and centers around a group of teens who are the children of refugees who fled the Khmer Rouge.

09:36Sep 5, 2023

Stephen Trimble (left) at age 4 and a half and his brother Mike (right) age 12 in 1955. (Courtesy of Stephen Trimble)

'The Mike File' details the discovery of a family member lost to institutionalization

For decades, families would often institutionalize relatives experiencing mental illness.

09:41Aug 30, 2023

The cover of "Daughter of the Dragon" by Yunte Huang. (Courtesy of W.W. Norton)

'Daughter of the Dragon' reclaims Anna May Wong's story

Author Yunte Huang talks about anti-Chinese xenophobia, sexism and ageism toward women in Hollywood and the U.S.

09:45Aug 29, 2023

The cover of "This is Wildfire." (Courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing)

'This is Wildfire' book explores our relationship with wildfire

The book tackles how fires begin and spread, how a hotter climate amplifies the risk and whether we’re managing these risks the right way.

10:47Aug 28, 2023

The cover of "Middle School Superpowers" by Phyllis Fagell. (Courtesy of Hachette Book Group)

'Middle School Superpowers' book helps parents navigate the often-tough middle school years

The book gives tips, strategies and anecdotes for parents of middle schoolers.

10:47Aug 21, 2023

The cover of "The Border Simulator." (Courtesy of Penguin Random House)

'The Border Simulator' poetry book explores encounters at U.S.-Mexico border

English and Spanish versions of the poems are side by side in the book.

10:58Aug 17, 2023

Sola Mahfouz (left) and Malaina Kapoor (right) are the authors of "Defiant Dreams." (Courtesy of Mark Wilson Images and Opened Shutter Photography)

'Defiant Dreams' memoir tells of Afghan woman who risked everything to get an education

"Defiant Dreams" tells the story of a young Afghan woman who grew up in Kandahar and studied English and math secretly. She became a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University...

11:02Aug 15, 2023

The cover of "A Child's Introduction to Hip-Hop." (Courtesy of Hachette Book Group)

'A Child's Introduction to Hip-Hop' teaches kids the rich cultural history of the genre

The book takes middle school readers on a journey through 50 years of music history.

10:35Aug 10, 2023

The cover of "Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice" by Sonali Kolhatkar. (Courtesy)

Sonali Kolhatkar's new book promotes 'Rising Up' to change narratives about race

In "Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice," she explores the narratives about race that we encounter in the news media, where they came from, and how...

05:48Aug 3, 2023

The cover of "I Will Greet The Sun Again" by Khashayar J. Khabushani. (Courtesy)

In 'I Will Greet the Sun Again,' Khashayar J. Khabushani explores racial and sexual identity

The debut novel centers on K., a young Iranian-American boy living in Los Angeles.

09:36Aug 3, 2023

The cover of "Loot" by Tania James. (Courtesy)

'Loot' explores issues of colonialism, art and plunder in 18th-century India and Europe

The novel follows the fortunes of Abbas, a young wood carver in 18th-century Mysore, India, as the sultanate falls to British forces.

09:40Aug 1, 2023

The cover of "Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong. (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press)

Romance and revenge: 'Immortal Longings' is a bloody reimagining of Shakespearean tragedy

Chloe Gong’s adult fantasy debut “Immortal Longings” is a knife at your back. It’s a story full of bloodshed and betrayal. And as you turn the pages, you’ll quickly learn...

The cover of "Poverty, by America." (Courtesy)

New books — one fiction, one fact — tell same story of poverty, desperation and society's complicity

"Such Kindness" by Andre Dubus tells the story of a one-time building contractor whose injuries launch a spiral of bills, addictions, depression and shame. And Matthew Desmond's "Poverty, by America"...

10:48Jul 13, 2023

Tekosha Seals, a tourist visiting from Georgia, walks with a tower over her head at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles during a heat wave. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

'The Heat Will Kill You First': How extreme heat will change the world

Heat is the most direct and perhaps most deadly effect of climate change.

09:19Jul 3, 2023

Sweet tea peach pie. (Courtesy of Alanna Hale)

'50 Pies, 50 States' is a baking ode to America's ingredients and people

Stacey Mei Yan Fong created a wild Alaskan salmon and halibut pie for Alaska, and prickly pear and apple for Arizona. For New Jersey, there's a one-of-a-kind Jersey breakfast sandwich...

09:39Jun 29, 2023

From Left to Right: Ashirah Knapp, author Shannon A. Mullen and Gov. Janet Mills. (Courtesy of Thomas Petzwinkler)

'In Other Words, Leadership' chronicles a year of letters between Maine's governor and constituent

Maine Gov. Janet Mills had been in office only a year when the pandemic struck. Amid the chaos, a mother named Shirah Knapp sent her a letter of support —...

10:45Jun 29, 2023