Which Way, L.A.?
Talking Points: Our Favorite Author Interviews of 2013
On this special end-of-the-year edition of To the Point we’re rebroadcasting some of our favorite author interviews from 2013.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenAlmost every day, To the Point ends with a "Talking Point," about something interesting that’s not leading the news. Today, a collection of favorite conversations with the authors of unusual books. One writer describes the dirt — and the dignity -- of global recycling. That Nike shoe box you just threw out might be the same one you threw out last year. We hear how Chinese movie-goers affect what’s at your local theater, and peek inside the fully furnished — but unoccupied -- house of an eccentric millionaires. Finally a tale of recovery and redemption. What did one Jewish writer buy for the children of the terrorist who tried to kill his wife?
In this episode
6 storiesUnderstanding the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife
In October, we spoke with David Harris-Gershon, whose wife, Jamie, was almost killed by a Palestinian bomber several years ago in Jerusalem. Others were killed. When the bomber was tried, neither Jamie nor David wanted to go to the courtroom. But after they'd moved back to the US and had two children, David was still haunted by the event.
Read the story8 minWhere Recycled Stuff Goes: Inside the Global Trash Trade
Last month, we spoke to Adam Minter, Shanghai correspondent for Bloomberg World View and a familiar voice on this program. He's also the author of Junkyard Planet , a book about an industry that supported generations of his own family: the recycling business.
Read the story8 minSalt, Sugar, Fat and Stomach Share
Michael Moss is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. In his latest book, Salt, Sugar, Fat : How the Food Giants Hooked Us, he describes a meeting in 1999, in which the heads of 11 major food companies discussed America's growing weight problem. Should they change their formulas to prevent increased obesity?
Read the story8 minHow the Biggest Real Estate Sale in History Went from Boom to Bust
When New York's massive middle-class apartment complex Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village was sold in 2006, it was the biggest real estate deal in history: $5.4 billion — most of which came from outside investors. But from Day One, the purchase had problems.
Read the story8 minThe Storied Life (and $300 Million) of Heiress Huguette Clark
We recorded a story in September about extraordinary wealth that's led to a courtroom fight over one of America's great, but often forgotten, fortunes. Bill Dedman is a reporter who was looking for a house outside New York City. He and his wife were amusing themselves with real estate listings so big they boggled the mind.
Read the story12 minThe New Abnormal Movie Business in Hollywood
In our final Talking Point segment today involves a conversation back in July about a sea change in the movie business. Former reporter Linda Obst became a novelist, then turned to producing more than 16 feature films, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Fisher King, The Seige and One Fine Day.
Read the story8 min
