Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

Boots!

Where would we be without boos?

Where would we be without good?

No, Zintuberg.

It's a rhetorical question, sir.

But where would we need without books?

From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Michael Silverblatt, and this is Bookworm.

Today I'm very excited. I've gotten to read Margaret Atwood's book early enough

for us to be airing this show right at the publication date.

The book is called Mad Adam.

How do you say it?

Exactly the way you did.

Thank you.

It's a palindrone.

It's spelled the same backwards and forwards.

It is the third book, the completion of the trilogy that began

with Oryx and Crake, moved on to the Year of the Flood, and now, Matt Adam. I am

astonished by it. I read it with great joy. It's an adventure and it's philosophical. I couldn't stop reading it. I always needed to know what would be happening next. And in addition, it's secretly about storytelling. How do we tell stories and how do we use stories to create a new civilization and to pass from an old civilization to a new civilization?

Margaret, tell me, how did you do it?

I never know how I do anything.

So, sort of like when you're not doing the laundry or doing this.

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