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NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Randa Slim, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, about the history of Hezbollah, and the groups their current role Lebanon and the region.

Nowadays, most of us regard candy as a guilty pleasure, but during the Great Depression, sugary confections were marketed as healthy and inexpensive meals. That's just one of the interesting tidbits author Beth Kimmerle shares in her new book, Candy: The Sweet History. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Kimmerle.

Two new books shed light on the often misunderstood heritage of an impoverished region rich in culture: The United States of Appalachia and The Encyclopedia of Appalachia.

In his new book, reporter and author Peter Bergen paints a portrait of Osama bin Laden by stitching together oral and written accounts of those who knew him well.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with John Green, political scientist and director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, about "527" groups. They've been a powerful and wealthy force in the presidential campaign so far, despite the fact that the soft money they thrive on was to be outlawed by the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform in 2002.

Renewed interest in the poinsettia's colonialist roots have led to some people calling the flower by its native name.

During the Halloween season—a trip to a cemetery can be part of a spooky adventure. But in one Kansas City cemetery, volunteers work to clean markers and tombstones in order to preserve history.

A five-part series looks at South Africa's half-century-long struggle for democracy through rare sound recordings — the voices of freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, and those who fought with and against him.

The roots of gospel music are not well-documented. Early recordings were lost. Stories behind the songs weren't written down. A new book recounts the history of the beloved American art form. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Robert Darden, author of People Get Ready!.

Mooncakes are known as an Asian pastry, but the cakes have a revolutionary history, and a current role in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Bernice Chan of the South China Morning Post discusses.