NPR's Book of the Day

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is out with a new book – but he wants to clarify that he’s not running for president (often an assumption when politicians write books). Off Ramp: How To Be A Peacemaker In An Age Of Contempt is an extension of a plea he made following the killing of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. In the book, he argues Americans need to learn to disagree better in order to restore the respect that once existed between political adversaries. In today’s episode, Cox tells NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer why he’s the “worst possible spokesperson” for his message.

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Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel opens in the first spring after the collapse of the United States – and her protagonist, Ari, is on her way to a party. Exit Party is set in a new world emerging out of the chaos of a second American Civil War, one shaped by climate catastrophe and populated by doppelgangers. In today's episode, Mandel chats with Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon about counterlives, recognizing “good moments” amid disaster and how the painting “Swan Dive” helped the author maintain narrative cohesion.

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In her 2016 book Grit, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth argued that willpower and determination were keys to success. A decade later, her new book signals a change of heart. In Situated, Duckworth says – while grit still matters – changing the situation you’re in is the most helpful thing you can do to meet your goals. In a conversation with Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan, Duckworth shares four practical ways to take situational agency, including lessons she learned from a snorkeling accident, Oprah and Taylor Swift.

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Conclave author Robert Harris has returned to Rome with a fictional memoir of Agrippa, a military genius and trusted ally of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. In the memoir, the general doesn’t have much time left and is ready to divulge a life story filled with battles, vows and betrayals. In today’s episode, Harris joins Weekend Edition’s Scott Simon for a conversation about Agrippa’s origins, the many other historical figures that populate the book, including Octavia Caesar and Pompeia, and why Harris says ancient Rome is in “our DNA.”

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Ten years ago, Colin Kaepernick – then the quarterback for the 49ers – took a knee during the national anthem in a preseason game in order to protest racial injustice. His new memoir The Perilous Fight reflects on that decision. In a conversation with Morning Edition’s Michel Martin, the former NFL player spoke about the lifetime of experiences that led him to that moment. They also discussed the NFL’s engagement in “paid patriotism,” Kaepernick’s views on the relationship between work and personhood, and why, even at 38, he still maintains NFL ambitions.

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