Tag: books
New book looks at role of Hoover in modern anti-terror culture
As director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover created the modern idea of counter terrorism. His tactics included measures which overruled the constitution and discarded individual freedoms. In Enemies: A History of the FBI, author Tim Weiner used recently declassified intelligence files to write a comprehensive history of the FBI....
Iranian officials aren't laughing about Funny in Farsi
The book Funny in Farsi first went on sale in Iran in 2005, but it wasn't until this month that Iranian officia went after the person who translated the book from English into Persian. Soleimani Nia was arrested two weeks ago after being questioned in November....
In Spain, legislation to crack down on online piracy draws protests
As American grapple with SOPA and PIPA, and Wikipedia and Reddit use a blackout to educate their users about their views on the legislation, Spain is also trying to get a handle on online piracy. The new conservative government has vowed to swiftly enact a bill artists say they need, but critics say is worthless — and dangerous....
New book draws on reality to make fictional portrayal of life in North Korea
Adam Johnson did tons of research before writing his fictional tale of a man's life in North Koea, The Orphan Master's Son. Though it's fiction, because of his research, it's a tantalizing look at what it's like to live in the isolated Communist country....
New book looks at 'extremely private' Queen Elizabeth II
Andrew Marr interviewed dozens of people inside and outside of Buckingham Palace to write a new book that tells the tales of Queen Elizabeth II, the long-time monarch of the United Kingdom — and her intensely private ways....
A heroic effort underway in Egypt to save damaged books, manuscripts
At the height of the Arab Spring in Egypt, protesters burned the little-known Institut D’Egypt. Inside were hundreds, thousands, of rare books and manuscripts. Many were burned or inundated with water as firefighters tried to extinguish the fire. Now preservationists are trying to save what's left....
Looking for a good book? Check out this list
It's the season for gift giving and who doesn't like a book. If you get one of these great gems, you might want to be extra thankful....
Computers now smart enough to write fiction, design snack foods
Computer programmers have built software that makes computers capable of increasingly creative tasks. They can do everything from write fiction novels to design snack foods. But whether it's truly creative remains a subject for debate....
Remembering an American contrarian: Christopher Hitchens dead of cancer
Christopher Hitchens, a man who wasn't afraid to take on anyone, died on Thursday of esophageal cancer. He was famous for his biting criticism of, well, everyone, from Henry Kissinger, "a war criminal," to Mother Theresa, "a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud,"...
For GOP presidential candidates, a plea for a vote and hawking a book
Many of the Republican presidential candidates are trying to sell a book while they're on the campaign trail. But, perhaps fnone more than Newt Gingrich, the current front-runner, who has a much newer book than all the rest and who has written an average of two books a year....
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