The man who’s got an answer for oil spills

Listen to this.

By Diana
May 22, 2015 9:00 am

Because the average Angeleno spends 56 hours a year in traffic, and you can’t spend that entire time scowling at people who drive just as poorly as you do, we present Wheel Talk: an occasional series that recommends the best audibles for the drive.


Local

That oil spill in Santa Barbara is no bueno. But if any one man can help us take our minds off oil, it’s Elon Musk. His electric car, Tesla, has made it cool to go green. And Ashlee Vance’s new biography on Elon Musk is well researched, drawing from years of interviews to recount his journey from a difficult upbringing in South Africa to his present (and future) quest to save the world. Seriously. God bless him.

International

IS? ISIL? The Islamic State? Whatever its moniker of the moment, the terrorist organization formerly known as ISIS is an enigma, from its murky inner workings to its dubious long-term goals. In ISIS: The State of Terror, two journalists gain high-level clearance to research the group, shedding light on its ascendance to Public Enemy no. 1 while offering cogent suggestions on how to deal with it.

Entertainment

Good recipe for a great movie: adapt it from a great book. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year and hits theaters this June. It’s about a girl diagnosed with leukemia and the boy who reluctantly befriends her. The trailer looks great, but the book is better. Isn’t it always?

Nota bene: Heal the Bay recently released some info on how to help with the Santa Barbara Oil Spill. Do your part, comrade.

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