Amy Stewart's books are naughty by nature. She's also the only way to use "best selling author" & "Eurekan" in the same sentence. Currently sitting at number eight on the New York Times' Best Seller list (Hardcover/Advice), The Drunken Botanist is Stewart's latest foray into the devilish side of nature. 

Whether you prefer beer or bourbon, you're drinking plants. And these plants prove far more complicated than you might think: the humble apple has more complicated DNA than our own.

The Drunken Botanist explores over 150 flora and fungi, as well as the botanists and scientists who pioneered your favorite cocktail. From ancient farmers who domesticated yeast to present-day scientists, their stories really make you appreciate your beverage. Stewart's comprehensive research, sober and otherwise, makes for a breezy and fun read for any gardener or recreational boozehound. 

Stewart spoke on KHUM today about her Google lecture, what your bartender gets wrong, party archeologists, and her upcoming presentation at the Eureka Theater (Saturday, 4/6/13, 5pm).

AmyStewartAudio

Keywords to listen for: fermentation archaeologist, artisanal potatoes, Hysterical Water, bisexual strawberries

There is no more enigmatic document in modern government than the US Constitution. Since ratification, its authorial intention has been appropriated by both progressives and conservatives to further their own agendae.

In his new book "Constitutional Myths", historian/Humboldter Ray Raphael examines the Constitution in the context of the framers' day, and how it relates to American life in a changed world.  

He spoke with KHUM about fusty old book smell, framers' views on income tax, and if we should take Thomas Jefferson's advice and routinely rip up the Constitution. 

Raphael audio 

Raphael will present Constitutional Myths at Northtown Books on Friday at 7pm.

“In his latest populist reality check, Raphael demonstrates how objectively studying the original broken political system lends insight into ours. Take off your rose-colored glasses, people: The Founding Fathers embraced a strong federal government, at the risk of falling into anarchy and disintegration. Therein lies the kernel of the author’s readable demystification of some of the ongoing crusades by conservatives touting the supremacy of “originalism.” … With documents amply provided at the close of the text, Raphael provides a truly accessible teaching tool.” – Kirkus Reviews

Cliff Berkowitz talks to Jeanine Kitchel, Author of "Maya 2012 Revealed, Demystifying the Prophecy." The former Bay Area journalist and publisher who spent several decades in Mexico getting the know the Mayan people and their culture, debunks and explains the "end of the world" prophecy based on the end of the Mayan calendar and much more.  The book is available on Amazon.com and soon in area bookstores.

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