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Horses drive traffic on London's Oxford Street in 1890. According to author Lee Jackson, by the 1890s, the city's horses produced approximately 1,000 tons of dung a day.

'Dirty Old London': A History Of The Victorians' Infamous Filth

In the 1800s, the Thames River was thick with human sewage and the streets were covered with horse dung, the removal of which, according to Lee Jackson, presented an "impossible challenge."

Mortician Caitlin Doughty says she romanticized working in a crematory, like this one in Watertown, Mass. But the reality is that modern crematories are "really industrial environments and the body goes into large industrial machines." And, she says, "oftentimes I was the only one there."

A Mortician Talks Openly About Death, And Wants You To, Too

"You're never going to be completely comfortable with it," says mortician and author Caitlin Doughty. "But it's an important process." Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is her new memoir.

'Winding Up' As The Mets' Knuckleball Pitcher

New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey is currently the only knuckleball pitcher in the major leagues. His new memoir, Wherever I Wind Up, explains how his life — and career — have mimicked the unpredictable trajectory of the difficult pitch he throws game after game.

Excerpt: 'Jamestown: A Novel'

Matthew Sharpe's Jamestown is "a brilliant, bloody and blisteringly comic chronicle of the near future," recommended by Glen Weldon. After civilization's collapse, refugees journey to Virginia, where characters find themselves unwittingly replicating the historical founding of Jamestown.

Jimmy Fallon says he spends almost 12 hours each day at the <em>Late Night </em>offices, which makes the rest of his life difficult. "If I want to play video games now, I have to schedule it," he tells Terry Gross.

Jimmy Fallon's Giant List Of 'Thank You Notes'

Fallon is thankful for slow walkers, people named Lloyd and the word "moist." The comedian and host of Late Night collects more than 100 nuggets of gratitude in his book Thank You Notes. He talks with Terry Gross about giving thanks and doing impressions.

Yogurt is produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk. "Bacteria in our gut enable us to live," says author Sandor Katz. "We could not survive without bacteria."

'Fermentation': When Food Goes Bad But Stays Good

Self-described "fermentation revivalist" Sandor Katz says "the creative space" between fresh and rotten is the root of most of humanity's prized delicacies. His new book, The Art of Fermentation, explores the ancient culinary art form.

A man stands in a sewage-filled street in Fallujah in 2010. The Fallujah wastewater treatment system was left unfinished more than four years past the initial deadline. The sewage facility is among hundreds of projects funded by U.S. taxpayers that remain abandoned or incomplete, wasting more than $5 billion, according to auditors.

The Greedy Battle For Iraq's 'Hearts And Minds'

In 2009, Peter Van Buren joined a team working to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure and economy. For the next year, he encountered comically misguided projects, greedy contractors and oblivious bureaucrats. In his new book, We Meant Well, he recounts the ground-level waste and corruption he saw.

Biden says his Tel Aviv trip was a gamble. Tonight, he has another high-stakes moment

Biden says he knew he had a lot on the line during his 31-hour dash to Tel Aviv. Now he'll follow that with an Oval Office speech to push for foreign spending, another gamble he can't afford to lose.

Jimmy Fallon's Tribute To Neil Young

Fallon talks with Terry Gross about listening to the radio and doing impressions of people like Neil Young.

Healing the 'Invisible Ache' behind the suicide crisis among Black men and boys

Rates of suicide among Black men and boys in the U.S. are increasing faster than among any other group. Actor Courtney B. Vance and Robin L. Smith (aka "Dr. Robin") address the crisis in a new book.

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