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In the spring of 1970, a daring new product hit American newsstands. It was called National Lampoon, and it made its name with sex- and drug-laden satire of everyday American life. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is Lampoon contributor Rick Meyerowitz's account of the magazine's best years.

The humorist, who made his name with personal essays and other nonfiction, tells Steve Inskeep that his return to fiction kept taking him to surprising places. But the unhappy endings? Those he could have predicted.

Emma Donoghue's captivating novel Room is narrated by a 5-year-old boy named Jack. The setting is an 11-by-11-foot room where he lives with his mother — and when the book begins, it is the only world he has ever known.

How do you talk people out of truly desperate situations? Gary Noesner, who spent 30 years as a hostage negotiator for the FBI, details some of his most noteworthy cases and explains the techniques he used to defuse tense, potentially life-threatening encounters.

Fall of Giants is the latest doorstop from author Ken Follett. The massive tome is the first in a three-part series that follows five families through the tumultuous events of the 20th century.

Egypt uses more Nile River water than any other country, citing colonial-era agreements as proof of entitlement. But upstream, Ethiopia has begun asserting its rights and has visions of harnessing the river to produce more electricity and irrigation.

Highway safety officials are considering whether to recommend banning all cell phone use by drivers. Such a ban would include hand-held and hands-free devices. Eight states and the District of Columbia now ban hand-held cell phone use; 30 states ban texting while driving.

The Colombian politician was on her way to a remote village when she was abducted by members of the FARC in 2002. At first she thought she'd be held for only a few weeks — but then six years passed. She says she didn't want to make it easy on her captors despite being tortured, underfed and forced to march through the rain forest.

Author and screenwriter Nick Hornby joins Fresh Air host Terry Gross to discuss his novel, Juliet, Naked, and his screenplay for the movie An Education.

For most of his life, music critic Tim Page felt like an outsider. Restless and isolated, he was uneasy around others. Finally, when he was 45, Page was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.