Shelf Life

What makes Guinness beer such an integral part of pubs worldwide? Writer Bill Yenne talked to everyone from its master brewer to pubgoers and put their thoughts into a new book. He shared some of them with Kai Ryssdal.

Paul Krugman's new book, "The Conscience of a Liberal," considers a group determined to take over the Republican party and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Doug Krizner discusses a gamut of issues with the author.

Car makers could help solve a lot of problems such as global warming and U.S. reliance on foreign oil. Vijay Vaitheeswaran has a new book on that very topic -- cars of the future and how they'll be fueled. He talked with Kai Ryssdal.

Author and social critic Naomi Klein's new book argues that disasters or major events provide an opening for governments to make changes in economic policy that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. She talked with Kai Ryssdal.

Even with a modern, global economy, slavery can still be found in the U.S. Doug Krizner talks to John Bowes, who has a new book out on contemporary slavery, about how and why it's still around.

Religion may seem to be on the rise in the U.S., but a new book called "Shopping for God" says it may have more to do with marketing than spirituality. Lisa Napoli talks to author James Twitchell.

Alan Greenspan is on tour in support of his memoir, "The Age of Turbulence," in which he describes how he managed market crises over 18 years. But some economists think he may have encouraged the tumultuous ride. Jill Barshay reports.

If you thought O.J. Simpson's new book had been abandoned in the face of public outrage, it had. Now one of the leaders of that protest will be profiting from the book instead. Tim Rutten of the Los Angeles Times explains.