The Boy Who Lived takes his final bow, in what proves to be a majestic, engrossing, proper fantasy conclusion. Critic David Edelstein approves of the film's steady aura of doom and will be sad to see the now-grown boy wizard hang up his wand for good.
Constantly having access to our cellphones is changing the way we interact with the world, says technology writer Brian X. Chen. In a new book, he explains how being "always on" will affect law enforcement, the medical community and higher education.
Neuroscientist Dean Buonomano explains why our brains make mistakes when we try to remember long lists of information or add large numbers in our heads. Humans live "in a time and place we didn't evolve to live in," he says.
Dr. Jennifer White is a retired orthopedic surgeon diagnosed with dementia — who cannot remember whether or not she killed her friend. Alice LaPlante's debut novel is a fearless and compassionate investigation into the erosion of her main character's mind.
Sherwood Schwartz, who created the TV sitcoms Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 94. Fresh Air remembers the TV producer and writer with excerpts from a 1988 interview.
New York Times financial reporter Louise Story explains how guidelines issued by the Justice Department in 2008 have allowed prosecutors to take a softer approach to corporate crimes. To this day, no high-level executive has been charged in a case related to the 2008 financial crisis.
New seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Torchwood premiered over the weekend, and three other cable shows return to prime time starting Wednesday. Never mind that it's the height of summer — TV critic David Bianculli says this week will be a TV fan's Christmas.
The physician and anthropologist has spent 30 years treating patients in Haiti. In Haiti After The Earthquake, he details what it was like on the ground in the days after the 2010 quake — and why the country is still struggling to recover.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says that Beyonce's new album, titled 4, is something of a risk â it's not merely a collection of new songs, but a personal reassessment of the kind of pop star she wants to be.
Sally H. Jacobs' new biography, The Other Barack, follows the troubled life of Barack Obama Sr. — from Kenya to Hawaii and back. Jacobs believes that if Obama Sr. had played a larger role in his son's life, Obama probably wouldn't have become president.
A new version of the British sci-fi series and a new season of the Larry David comedy begin this weekend on Starz and HBO, respectively. TV critic David Bianculli says while the broadcast networks are taking it easy, these competitors are serving up excellent, unusual television.
Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, recently revealed he has been living in the U.S. illegally since he was 12. "This country is not going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants," he says. "What are we supposed to do with them?"
Documentary filmmaker James Marsh recounts the efforts of a Columbia University psychology professor to teach a chimp sign language in Project Nim. Critic David Edelstein says the brilliant documentary reveals more about humans than it does about the animal kingdom.
Mark Krikorian runs the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates for "low immigration" and "high enforcement" of current laws. He explains why the journalist who recently came out as an undocumented immigrant in the New York Times Magazine should return to the Philippines.
Rosemary's Baby, Night of the Living Dead and Targets all came out in 1968. Theater critic Jason Zinoman says the three films redefined Hollywood horror in the aftermath of the Vietnam War — and influenced the genre for the next several decades.
Romano recently picked up a Peabody Award for his TNT show Men of a Certain Age, which co-stars Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher. Romano explains why he returned to TV after taking a few years off when his hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond ended in 2005.
It all started one morning in 1949, when White discovered a beautiful web in his barn, glistening with dew. In The Story of Charlotte's Web, Michael Sims explores how White wrote his magical meditation on time, mortality and friendship — for children.
The Singing Cowboy was one of the country's most popular and prolific film stars during his career; he also gained fame as a radio star, producer and TV personality. Biographer Holly George-Warren traces Autry's lengthy career in Public Cowboy No. 1.
Since releasing her first solo album in 1967, Parton has become a star in movies and on television. But rock critic Ken Tucker says that her new album, Better Day, returns the focus to Parton's singing and her frequently underestimated songwriting.
