The Best of NPR Books for April 9, 2015

This week: Chen Guangcheng, Philip Glass, Bryan Voltaggio, Jon Cryer and the history of matzo balls. View this email in your browser update preferences

This week, the great escape of China's blind "barefoot lawyer," Philip Glass reflects on life, legacy and thrown eggs, and Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio juggles home and career. Plus, Jon Cryer dishes the dirt (yes, even that dirt) in So That Happened, and we celebrate Passover with a look at the history of matzo balls. Parallels China's 'Barefoot Lawyer' And His Great Escape In his new book, exiled Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng tells the story of growing up blind, being beaten under house arrest and finding refuge in the American Embassy in Beijing in 2012. Read this story Food Busy Chef Strives For Balanced Mix Of Home Life, Culinary Ambitions Restaurant owner and Top Chef finalist Bryan Voltaggio tries to find the right recipe for blending work, family duties and the pressures of being on the road. Read this story Deceptive Cadence Philip Glass On Legacy: 'The Future ... It's All Around Us' For the composer, life is how the past and the future connect. Glass' new memoir, Words Without Music, looks back on his childhood, travels through Asia and when his music provoked violence. Read this story Book News & Features 'So That Happened': Confessions Of A Duck-Man Actor Jon Cryer's new memoir details his life in show business, including, of course, co-star Charlie Sheen's meltdown. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says Cryer's a smart guy who's often been overlooked. Read this story The Salt Celebrating Passover: The History And Symbolism Of Matzo Balls Matzo balls are at the center of any Passover seder. Cookbook author Joan Nathan, known as the "grande dame" of Jewish cooking, explains the history behind this culinary tradition. Read this story

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