Talk: NPR's Susan Stamberg Considers All Things.

• Author: Fischer, Raymond L.

In Talk, Susan Stamberg, the first lady of radio," has collected an assortment of her best interviews and reports. The subtitle indicates that the majority of the interviews are from National Public Radio's award-winning news magazine 'All Things Considered," a program she hosted for 14 years beginning in 1971. Although the show required her to bring the daily news to the listening public, very little daily news appears in the book, since "today's news analysis is tomorrow's dull reading." Instead, it details the best of some 20,000 interviews and reports she did for "All Things Considered," Weekend Edition/Sunday,' and, since 1989, Morning Edition."

Seventy-five sections of interviews (some multiple ones), reports, and tributes include Stamberg's philosophical comments on the times, some history of 'All Things Considered' and public radio, advice to beginning newscasters, and a little about Stamberg herself. Across the top of each page, a timeline notes the important events and people of the corresponding year. Notes on many pages include interviews with others, comments by the interviewee, or quotes from pertinent books or speeches. The format is interesting, but somewhat distracting.

Even more interesting than the interviews are the comments about Stamberg herself. With a dislike of economics and little interest in politics, she much prefers to interview artists. She has articulated to editors and producers that there is a need to include the arts among daily events; a new novel, dance, or film vitalizes the culture. She also admits that many of her interviews and reports concerned personal phases in her own...