Short Stuff: What's the oldest book?

Once upon a time there were these things called phone books. Inside you could find the phone number and address of just about everyone in your town. Can you imagine?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

To call beans and rice a staple is to undersell the importance of beans and rice. Today we break down the ubiquity of this beloved food combo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

No food is more all-American than peanut butter – 80 percent of homes in the country have a jar of it in the pantry right now. And while the rest of the world might find peanut butter peculiar, maybe even gross, the rest of the world is wrong. Enjoy a smooth ride through one of o ... Show More

<p>Although most people might assume that the Bible has always existed in its present state, that answer couldn't be any further from the truth. Tune in to this classic episode to learn more about how the bible has changed over time -- including what got added in, taken out and w ... Show More

Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old seeks a more positive term to describe how she feels about her age. And: a linguist helps solve a famous kidnapping case, using the vocabulary and spelling in a r ... Show More

<p>For their annual summer reading episode, Caroline and Cristen discuss the impact of gendered book covers, the viral "cover flip" challenge, and whether books written by women are taken as seriously by publishers and critics.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a h ... Show More

What are the most commonly banned books? In this classic episode, Cristen and Caroline read between the (banned) lines of history, from a legal timeline of book banning to the primary reasons books are banned in the first place: sex, language and the occult.See omnystudio.com/lis ... Show More

The ol' gang gets together to discuss the debates! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

These are episodes that we’d love to do as a full-length episode, and we’ve gotten listener quests for most of them. But there’s a book that’s so central to the subject that the book is really the place to go. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c ... Show More