TALK: NPR’s Susan Stamberg Considers All Things...

TALK: NPR’s Susan Stamberg Considers All Things by Susan Stamberg (Perigee: $15; 384 pp.). The first woman to anchor a nightly news show, Stamberg offers comments and excerpts from more than two decades of interviews. Her subjects range from Rosa Parks, who explains her decision to challenge the segregated Montgomery bus system with quiet dignity, to Ethel Merman, who clearly grows annoyed at Stamberg’s questions. Harold Stassen’s earnest commitment to aiding humanity will chasten anyone who’s joked about his perennial campaign for the presidency: It contrasts starkly with John Ehrlichman’s icy lack of repentance for his efforts to obstruct justice. Fans of “All Things Considered” will recognize many of these stories (including Stamberg’s dubious recipe for cranberry relish); others will find an engaging introduction to one of the most intelligent news programs in America.