Shelf Life

We think it's cleaner and safer, and we'll pay any price to get it, even though it comes out of faucets for a fraction of a cent. Author Elizabeth Royte talks to Kai Ryssdal about America's obsession with bottled water.

Even in an era of economic downturn and the big box store, independent book store Skylight Books is expanding. Commentator Kerry Slattery says it's all thanks to growing shopper awareness for the impact of local businesses.

In his new book, Jeff Sharlet, a research scholar at New York University's Center for Religion and Media, writes about the fundamentalist Christian group at the center of U.S. economic evangelism. He talks with Kai Ryssdal.

In his new book "The Billionaire's Vinegar," Ben Wallace guides his readers into the shady, ultra-expensive world of vintage wines, where frauds expertly replicate rare bottles and "buyers beware" takes on a whole new meaning.

The Discovery Channel just started the third season of its hit show "Deadliest Catch," a wild ride with crab fishermen on the Bering Sea. Kai Ryssdal talks with the two stars, brothers Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand.

In their new book, "The Levity Effect," Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher contend that having a sense of humor in the office can actually help the bottom line. They shared that view with Kai Ryssdal.

Eric Lichtblau, author of "Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice," talks with host Kai Ryssdal about the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program and other covert tactics.

Best estimates are that about 15% to 20% of the world's economy happens off the books. Journalist Mischa Glenny takes a tour of the underground economy in his new book, "McMafia." He talks about it with Kai Ryssdal.

A bartender and former high school teacher has won a fiction-writing contest sponsored by Amazon.com and Penguin Books. The competition is part of Amazon's promotion of its new self-publishing business. Lisa Napoli reports.

A new division of publisher HarperCollins is trying to turn the old model of selling books inside out. Jeremy Hobson reports on a new chapter in a struggling industry.