On The Gist, don't lick people you work with.

In the interview, reading a whole book is great, but sometimes all you need is the introduction. Author Elisa Gabbert thinks so, and joins us to talk about intros and other "front matter"; a novel that unfolds over the course of an escalator ride; and how sitcoms have thrown our beauty barometers out of whack. Gabbert is the author of The Word Pretty.

In the Spiel, the Green New Deal needs more scrutiny before it moves forward.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices