From 2014: There aren’t many people, besides my mom, whom I could introduce by saying I’ve known them all my life. But that’s true of Glen Burtnik. Our moms were friends in the mid-1960s and remained so for many years to come, even as both families separately relocated to more suburban digs in North Brunswick, NJ. Glen was the first person to ever attempt to teach me how to play the guitar – the first of many to fail at that task, but the only one who went on to play Paul McCartney onstage in “Bea

From 2014: Whether you like crossword puzzles or not, it’s hard not to be fascinated by their construction and grace. That’s what drew me to Ben Tausig's new book, The Curious History of the Crossword. The bedrock of almost every major and minor English language newspaper around the world, the crossword celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013 and Tausig’s Curious History is packed with short, precise clues and even a number of full sentences. It also reproduces more than 100 classic crossword puzzles

From 2013: I asked New York Times technologist columnist J.D. Biersdorfer to come on the show today and talk about her book, iPad: The Missing Manual, now in its 6th edition from O’Reilly. Because no matter how smart you are and how many great tricks and shortcuts you know or great apps you’ve discovered, there is always someone like J.D. who can show you one more. Can you find anything missing?

From 2014: Joel Meadows and I met when I was in London and he thought I was somebody else and I thought I knew him, but didn’t. No matter. He told me about his long-running UK comics magazine, Tripwire, and about its upcoming digital debut on the iPad. I promised that once it officially published, I’d be delighted to feature him and it on Mr. Media. Tripwire Digital Magazine is now a downloadable reality and so...

From 2013: My favorite acting couple has been busier than ever of late. Let me run down their individual credits:

• America Olivo: Currently appearing in recurring roles in two NBC dramas, “Chicago PD” and “Defiance, plus recurring on “Degrassi: Next Generation.”

• Christian: Recently appeared on USA’s “White Collar” as well as a second season episode of CBS’s “Elementary.” He was also in the two final, fifth season episodes of “Haven” on Syfy.

From 2014: My guest today, Josh Alan Friedman, is my fourth Friedman male, following his brothers Drew and Kipp and father Bruce Jay. My original plan was to talk about Josh’s unique body of work, from his autobiographical novel Black Cracker and sordid but true collection, Tales of Times Square, to his sonic compositions, including a musical based on the life of the world’s worst film director Ed Wood (Plan B from Outer Space), appropriately titled The Worst.

From 1984: As is often the case with these old telephone recordings, the quality is not the best and I was a long way from being a confident interviewer. But this surviving Phil Everly interview is one of which I'm still proud. I'm just sorry it took his passing earlier today , January 3, 2014 -- at the age of 74 -- to remind me that I even had this

From 2013: You’re bound to be familiar with Chris Claremont's work—or at least his influence—if you’ve ever picked up a comic book or watched a superhero movie. Shortly after artist Dave Cockrum and writer Len Wein rejuvenated a dying Marvel Comics series in Giant-Sized X-Men, Claremont joined Cockrum for an extraordinary run on the monthly Uncanny X-Men comic beginning with issue #94. When Cockrum moved on a year later and John Byrne stepped in, Claremont provided continuity that lasted almost two

From 2011: Angela Crocker is the author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Creating a Social Network. She’s full of tips for where to set up a network, how to organize it, how to draw a crowd andeven how to make it profitable. She can also overhaul the transmission on a ’68 Mustang in 20 minutes flat! A unique talented gal, this one!

From 2013: There are a number of ways to approach Howard Sounes’ new book, "27: A History of the 27 Club," which investigates the deaths of rock ‘n’ roll music legends Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. What they all shared in common is the age at which they died, more or less at their own hands: 27. This is Howard's second time on Mr. Media.