things but i'm also a heart transplant recipient. the idea that question is a recurring one what is next and i don't know right now what is next. i still feel obligated to little league. we have practice on friday and seeing karen tonight when i drive home and those are things that i think i need to focus on bialso need to recognize that this book does not end the chapter 4 me and it doesn't allow me to say that i was a torture through diet now close that a moved on. the important part of the book like this is that identifies me as someone who is a torturer and who is able to do these things in the past and if i'm not careful moving forward and not listening to voices and surrounding myself with the right people that i'm capable of falling into these things again. i think as a nation we cannot think we did this and now we are okay. we have john brennan director of

the cia saying -- which is admirable but we can't walk away from the suggesting that is not who we are anymore. it is who we are. we did this is a nation that we need to address it as something that we are capable quite frankly doing again. >> host: eric fair thank you for sitting down and talking with me. >> guest: thank you for the opportunity. ..

a so, that is what would happen over and over again. i have not. >> any time in the military and i don't have family. my father, my father was very old. he was 65 when i was born. he actually enlisted in world

war i he was born in england and lived here and made it as far as basic training where he got a hernia and that was that for the illustrious road to the military career. >> so in terms of your being kind of this person who wanders into the situations until much about them come the last one i was a little bit similar perhaps was packing for mars where you worked with the nasa space program. was it harder to get access to the military or to the space program? >> you would think the military but in fact, it wasn't as difficult as nasa. the military, it was very straightforward. it was either is this project classified and if so then no, right up front no and that it wasn't classified people were very helpful and willing to help me. the difficulty was it wasn't

that people were saying no it was nobody felt they had the authority to say yes then you can have 15 people, i can't say yes but you have to ask these people and these people would ping-pong back and forth great it took a year and a half to try the submarine and again it was just trying to find a way on there. in that case partly because i wanted to only be on for a few days and not months to be out there. you know i do like to immerse myself in reporting. >> the good news is you can get out of the bad news is you'll be out in 12 months. so the beauty in all of your books is in the details and they are details that are unprepared unprepared -- unforgettable. in your chapter about military uniforms you mentioned the united states government specification, the buttons

specification guide is 22 pages long and i was amazed to read that the army closed designers have a fashion design degree. is that sort of an oxymoron? >> yeah you would think so. i was surprised as well and they were men that i was talking to in the design labs where they design accessories of being a soldier the clothing of things you carry and they tends in the sleeping bags whatever they have a design lab for the uniforms and this woman had a fashion degree and her background was in swimwear designed to the thought that makes no kind of sense to me to choose it actually to think about it does because a bathing suit is for a specialized activity athletic activity in a specialized environment, its water so it has to give and it has to react with the water in a certain way so

herb at grand and swimsuit design was a fairly appropriate one. the other woman there had worked for a boston high-end wedding gowns. she said here again what's the wedding gown? its is layering of specialty fabrics. as for mike roddy armor. ..

you are one of those guys who are going out to the small unit and they are doing counterinsurgency work. they are eating but the locals eat. the rates of diarrhea are very high

so i feel so sorry for guadalajara. because the godfather of diarrhea research this man has done more for counteracting diarrhea that any man on the planet. you dressed up as this. so strategic operations where you have to play a role in the

theatrical scene. they are really good at violence and loud noises. it is perfect for setting up these and have actors come in. it is hyper realistic. so the medics that were in training they are coming in and they are immersed in the scenario that is very intense.

then they had dust hits. it looks like a rifle fire is actually happening. there are actors and amputees who had a latex sleeve on the stump in the backpack with stage blood that is pumped at the accurate rate and there is a remote control for the bleeding. the bleeding well slow and if it is not put on it continues to bleed and the actor gets very quiet the instructors are screaming. it is a very intense scenario. in order to get close enough so i can see what is going on i requested that. i suggested that i just play a journalist to gets in the way. that is what i did. >> how did they do they do in that situation?

was a reason to feel confident about their abilities in the field? >> it was a big difference between the two day course. versus a last there was a tremendous difference but the first one was a guy who would go to pick up a stretcher and you would have to coordinate that the other guy that doesn't know this one guy he did it twice. the other time we stood the wrong way. it was backing up. they are just yelling at him. there were a lot of words that i can't use here. >> were you terrified in the spirit of that. >> does probably from the loud noises and the gunfire even though it's not real and that

is part of what is important. it is great if you need to fight but if you need to cut that in the playa turned kit or do i decompression that is not helpful for you. you need to be practicing the skills in the worst possible scenario and that makes you shaky. that is kind of what goes on. i was afraid for my life but you definitely don't have a relaxing afternoon. you became a method actor at that point. >> one thing i love about your box is you get to meet all of the scientists you another year of the obscure form of research. what are the qualities that attract you when you do these books? >> i don't know what they're

going to be until i go and meet them. it is desperate to find them. they tend to be really interesting people. i have no idea what he would be like. he was the maggot guy. kind of what i expected a philosophical soul who loved nature in all of its forms. maggots are used i should explain, they perform this amazing function they eat the dead tissue which encourages the growth of the new tissue and fights infection in that way. it is simply done surgically by world war ii the critters would come in with these wounds.

he was looking into using maggots as a treatment at walter reed. two weeks ago at a talk jeff totally said mary when you talk about soldiers and you talk about iuds. anyway, when it goes off because it is a explosion that blasts all the debris, sand and dirt deeply into the wind there is a lot of problem with infection. he was looking at bringing maggots and to the to the armory of the surgeon and trying to get people okay with that. he have me over to dinner he

said i will raise a clutch of maggots for you especially for you and when you arrive they will be the same age as that maggots we introduced into wounds. we have dinner and i got there. i was finishing my wine and george back when away and he came back with what looked to me like a cut glass bowl with chocolate pudding. it was actually wrought liver. with my clutch of maggots in there. they were happily ceding. they love to eat. george was saying look at this. he put a couple of them on my fingertip and he have me look at them. outside the context of the wrought liver when you take them out of the rotting body or the liver they are cute they're kind of like the factor of a cupcake.

they are very cute. those little creatures can do what no surgeon scalpel can do. they have the tremendous respect and passion for these little creatures. i love someone like that. i did not know that was what i was getting. >> have you heard from him since the book came out? >> just to think meet for the book. i did not get any feedback. >> him and his maggots are some of the most memorable characters in the book. among the strangest programs you report on in "grunt" is the army's attempt to create a stink bomb but it wasn't really a bomb what was it? >> the world war ii one or the more recent one. the more recent one is a non-

lethal weapon that is a horrible smell is to clear a room. when i had one here it's actually not. i did have an order. it was the most the stink that everyone loathed and feared. i have a sample and actually my idea where i not here tonight i would say that the place i should open was at the republican national convention. [applause]. metaphorically right now is open the stench soup and hold our noses. so, but it is interesting how it's made is with the chemical

senses center has a woman named pam dalton and she works with bad smells. i thought it's easy she said actually you want to have you start with that this particular soup she traveled around the world in her carry-on bag. smelly sheet. she traveled around and had people smell them and rate them were they were they pleasant or unpleasant. did you find it frightening or edible or it was very hard to find a smell that all around the world someone would say i find that universally it universally horrible. 3% of caucasians find the smell of vomit horrible.

though one that fear and hated all over the world this is a compound developed in world war ii for testing deodorizers. they have to have a standardized compound that really smelled rank and smelled like a large open air. that was the starting point. because to have an effective mount order it you don't want anything familiar

you tend to be tentative. i don't know what it's can be. the top note is fruity and lovely and that encourages you. if you are writing like a wine description how would you describe it? >> the top note the robust latrines into her. and the product was called stench soup. you said when you are on fresh air you said that you're not easily disgusted. that is clear but were there any moments during the writing of this book when you wish for a moment you are writing about the wine country of napa or something?

>> no. not really. i think probably the closest would be pam dalton sent a bunch of these to me while named vials and those were gag worthy. i'm not a dagger in general. it takes a lot for me to gag. that sounds like fun. >> i hope your husband and it was not grilling at the time. what was the most fun you had working on this book? >> ever since have you ever seen the film i love that film and i had been fascinated by

submarines and the opportunity to go on board out at sea it took a long time to set it up but it was really interesting and fascinating. i think that was the most fun for me. how are you on the submarine. >> four days. >> there are parts that are often limits. if you go into the enlisted crew lounge at one point on a table in the corner there is a printer it was labeled secret printer. i kept hanging out hoping someone would come in and print on the secret printer. i can go in the that by that nuclear reactor the idea is to state a long time.

the idea is not to be seen or heard at all. it is strategic defense. they are just being un- trackable down there under the water. they didn't have to refuel. never having to refuel anyway, they could stay down a long time. i was only down for five days. i went out with a group of prospective commanding officers during a practical exam. i could come back when they were coming back. that worked out well. >> where did you sleep? did you have your own room? >> the closest the thing to deluxe are the people who sped , bunks the mattress pan is a

bunk on the floor and they are set up in between the nuclear missile silos. it's kind of like the stacks in the university library. four levels and very quiet. not much going on other than armageddon. it's either armageddon or nothing. so the people who sleep there get a good night sleep. otherwise you are pack for a five to a rack. if you get out. if to get back in. you've sort of go in the other way. >> you got to see a lot of different faces phases of how the military operates.

if you were the chief of the armed forces and could suggest one change from what you've seen in the military what would you tell the president. what would you say that you saw that you would really like to see changed? >> the look of leah's idea i came across it was suggested in a brainstorming session of the right laboratories in the '90s it was a brainstorming weapon. there was a guy there who have an idea that if you have a compound that created feelings of brotherly love what i saw and thought he meant it something that you could spray over the whole front. then you would go why are we

here. we are all people i love you. that's how i interpreted it. i meant it would be something that you would be worried about someone making untoward advances. but in my have the first version i thought that was lovely. in israel which it's one of those supposedly things you can buy it. they will buy it. it creates fondness. he said we all tried it once. we all went out to dinner. we were kind of looking into each others eyes.

and then we had have some wine too. we thought just let's go spray it over the west bank. do you think anybody knows that we are pumping and right now. if you could add one more chapter to the book what would it had been? >> i wanted to have that and been accepted by the u.s. with the units. in the mine clearing vehicle. and because they are right in there with the unit i thought it was interesting, they have an ability to empathize i thought that was interesting. i really wanted to do that. there is a chaplain that doesn't care.

and i was wondering that. i was going to go out with them but the coalition group. it's not just the united states. it was just afghanistan. right now because it's during the drive down they weren't supporting supporting. i would have liked that. i wanted to embed with the dental battalion. the marine corps but they weren't deploying anytime soon. they are doing some humanitarian work. if they are firing them. logistically challenging and

life or death challenging i would have like to include that. we will spend about 15 to 20 minutes on q&a. when you see these films you rarely see any of them carrying rolls of toilet paper how do soldiers wipe their butts? >> i'm glad you asked that question actually what they do this is a one serving toilet paper from combat rations. i had have these stickers made. that it was a lovely kind of thing. anybody who buys the book will get some of that.

i head about 2000 of these and i can't get rid of them i should bring them there. this is how we will do the russian an answer. you can sadly take as many as you want. i just want to make a statement. a lot of people talk about what you do and the gift you head for being funny. very few people talk about how hard it is to be a great writer. it is really beautiful. it is your best written book the final paragraph of the book and what my opinion is

the most unlikely antiwar book ever written literally moved me to tears. we will take questions. i will pick who tells the question. and please stand up. what is your next book? >> i don't know what the next one is. i'm always open to suggestions. if you have something you think would be very mary roach a bow i am open to ideas. >> carlton with to get the mic. what is the oddest thing you had found.

>> i had one. i learned that maggots breathe through their butt. that is pretty weird. among their many lovely features they go had down and immerse themselves kind of the buffet tables. they breathe through their butt. thank you for asking that. >> my question is not as funny as that. i read several of your books. some of it takes time to do the research. do you write your books simultaneously or do you do

them one at a time. >> each book is 15 little books. i have a new topic for every chapter and i'm always starting from zero as i don't know anything about it. i love to do it if i could but i'm one at a time. one at a time. are there any questions from the back of the room? >> i want to say thank you that book is fantastic. leading to some very strange dreams. i'm wondering if there something that was so disgusting you couldn't even put it in the book?

>> not something that was too disgusting no. there are a few dings where my editor just crosses it out and says no. and sometimes it is too gross. it is not appropriate. she did some of that there were a couple of descriptions when i was in the operating room there were a couple things that she felt were too graphic so yeah there were a couple. but never anything i have a good the good sense to take out. the sections were pretty disturbing. it's good i'd i left the other parts out then.

>> mary, would you say that your greatest shortcoming as an esteemed and highly successful science writer is that you work too hard or are you just a little too smart? speemac that's the best question ever. i deftly work too hard. get a life mary. we had one more question. >> what is your educational or experiential background that led you to have such a skill in science writing.

i have a ba in psychology. my skill is in making a past of myself and making them and treating them like unpaid tutors for hours at a time. i don't have a background in that. sometimes they would say wait a minute. >> you did some interesting jobs before you became a writer. you are in the communications department. >> at the zoo. at the san francisco animal society. i'm a sucker for a chimp.

do we had one last question before we get onto the signing part of the evening. >> that is the best question. so the military is not aware. it's like in the letter. it is a pretty hard-core topic. i think that's what a lot of people carry that. this would be even better and faster. if there are no more questions i think we will get onto the signing part of the evening. i want to thank you all for coming. and ladies and gentlemen mary roach.

[applause]. [inaudible conversations] book tv is live with best seller. on august 7. he is a senior legal analyst for cnn. his coverage of the o.j. simpson trial became the basis for his book the run of his life.

the people versus o.j. simpson. his other titles include the nine which looks at the politics and personalities of the supreme court and too close to call. a chronicle of the legal battle to determine the winner of the 2000 presidential election. his most recent book is american eras. in 2012 he appeared on book tv to discuss his book the oath the obama white house into the supreme court. >> i don't really think that the presidential importance of the federation of that is all that great. i don't think they are going to suddenly start evaluating laws like that. i don't think that the argument is gonna be all that important. having followed the stuff for a long time now i'm getting pretty darn cynical.

they followed when they want to and they don't follow it when they don't want too. i think what is really important about the obama care case is that obama care has been upheld and 35 million people would get insurance. the other stuff is just conversation for lopp professors mostly. that's what i think. >> taking your calls and e-mails on book tv in depth on sunday august 7. >> you are watching book tv on c-span two. joining us now from chicago and the publishers convention is ron charles. the editor of the washington post book world. what do you do for a living. >> i assign most of the daily reviews and every wednesday i wrote my own review.

howdy books a week? we review 70 books a week. most of those go into the flames i'm afraid. why isn't there a book section. there is an online book section but we decided about four years ago to spread the reviews out through the paper. it seemed like a disaster at the time to me but i've had to admit that we do in fact had more readers now. we just put them in places that people read more. the supplements are much beloved. that time never came. never in the early day in style. the alec every sunday. people see our reviews more. i tend to review only literary

fiction. we were you a lot of political books. we do a lot of arts coverage. about history in film and theater. about history in film and theater. stick to fiction quacks. >> because i don't have to know anything. you have to be an expert in five days on this subject. i can just sit back and say whatever i want. do you want to have them reviewed in the washington post. i think they do. there are fewer outlets than they used to be. it was syndicated across the country. i think it's one of the important things. >> jonathan we lost him he retired. one of my colleagues for many years.

every week sometimes twice a week before i got the post but now we still have michael every thursday. another one of our book readers. ron charles, how did you get into this. it is so my favorite job. the paper grading was just wearing me down. i thought if i graded one more paper i would kill someone. the student's mother i just went to a bookstore and bought a book off of a new fiction to. how long were you at the monitor. >> seven years. can a good review or a bad review sell or hurt book sales. there some research that i've read it as a matter of the

review was positive or negative. it was just getting the cover and the name out there. i know they have very positive reviews. once you get there that's all it is. will the coast -- post continue to print book reviews quacks. >> i know we well for the first time in many years and that the book section. it will be cold about the underground railroad. during the civil war was an actual rail word underground. everybody took it. and they have a huge novel

coming out in a few weeks. people are very excited about it. it reaches back to his vietnam war days. it's must be wonderful also. what are some of your go to authors. i love jonathan. in the novels are always wonderful. i just couldn't believe it. i am amazed by the number of really fine authors we head in this country and the number we keep producing every year. the programs are really good. there are many more books being produced that we want to review than we had room for. i will say that everyone is a recommendation but more and more i think we are turning that way because people need

direction. it's just overwhelming. there are so many books. what should i read. it's getting harder and harder to justify using our limited space to tell people. there is no danger of them finding that book anyhow. i don't want a lot of pants in the paper. i want to save people time. i want books that they will enjoy. >> in washington do you feel like you need to review political books quacks. >> i think we have a lot of expertise in that area. there are a lot of political books. it's right on the history books. any books that would infringe on law and government. we specialize in this.

>> how do you develop the best seller list quacks. >> they take from maryland virginia. that information was just given to us. we filter out things like textbooks and other things that might show up shop at certain times of the year. they want to adhere to the judgment. what are some of the best-selling books in washington right now. it doesn't tend to meet differ that much. that will push books up on the list. someone will come to our great bookstore. they all move 300 copies that week. in general the list tracks pretty much the national list. if we switch and we kind of like bead here.

ron charles you are here at the publishers convention in chicago. what is the importance of this. i get to meet a lot of them that we talk to my e-mail. trusted friends even. it's probably the biggest benefit. i can set up future interviews with them. get an autograph or embarrass myself that kind of thing. do you do anything electronic or with the book review. >> we treat them, we facebook them. we have a comic series about books that i do once in a while. you may know me as the book critic. not that one. in the previous episode there

was a dozen of messages. clearly we are meeting and need in this hectic time. people often ask me how long can you keep this up. it's a good question. here we are but still that attention and challenging. this week's new book is a blockbuster. it's called freedom. it was long before anyone could actually buy it. they ran their great review back in 1834. >> what does it mean paul i don't reckon anybody knows. do you realize what a big deal that is.

before it even came out. president obama was fighting for freedom. >> was all about. the whole story follows the rise and fall. they take on suburban life. we are trying to figure where readers are. any kind of a platform. like everybody else. >> are you finding success. >> i don't know what the numbers are yet. but people have enjoyed them. i meet them all over the country and that's great fun. facebook also. and it's weird to have relationships of people over several years and people that i will never ever meet. it's enjoyable.

a lot of washington post writers also authors with that. a lot of my colleagues do write books. we got her a very strict process. they're not trying to pass back soft pedal review. it's the worst part of my job. they're not always positive. it's agonizing. but we think is important to our independence. to put up with it. i can honestly say they've all been supportive. what book reviews do you read. the la book review is a great set up online.

but i am very impressed. i read all of the trade reviews. i'm trying to figure out what to assign three months out. it's just a great section. i'm full of envy for their book section. ron charles. the editor of the washington post book club. ..