NPR’s Book of the Day – January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, NPR’s Book of the Day explores two new books that invite listeners to break free from mundane routines: “Live to See the Day” by Mark Medley, which profiles people pursuing seemingly impossible or far-off goals, and “Humor Me” by Chris Duffy, which argues for humor as a practical tool to shift our outlook in daily life. Through author interviews and memorable anecdotes, the episode encourages embracing patience, persistence, and laughter—even when the odds of success or a perfect life seem out of reach.

Segment 1: Pursuing the Unattainable with Mark Medley

“Live to See the Day: Impossible Goals, Unimaginable Futures, and the Pursuit of Things That May Never Be”

[02:12] The Spark: Profiling “No Hope” Candidates

• Origin Story: Mark Medley explains the book’s origins: A profile of Liz White, perennial federal candidate in Canada who never expects to win but runs anyway, led him to seek more dreamers chasing unlikely victories.
  • “She would run in every single election. And it wasn’t like over the years she was getting better results. After watching this continue for like a decade, it struck me this had the makings of a book.” — Mark Medley [03:16]

[04:08] Case Study: The Search for Oran Pendek

• Profile: Jeremy Holden, a British photographer, has spent over 30 years in Sumatra searching for the mythical ape Oran Pendek.
  • Despite seeing the creature in 1994 and dedicating his life to proving its existence, he was unable to capture a photograph.
  • “He was so dumbstruck by what was in front of him that he was just in a state of paralysis.” — Mark Medley [04:44]

[05:03] Patience vs. Delusion

• Where is the line? The interviewer probes whether this kind of persistence is determination or delusion.
  • Medley rejects “delusion” as negative, reframing it as a source of initial motivation.
  • “Delusion can actually help you start something. Because if you willingly knew from the outset that you were not going to achieve this goal, a lot of us wouldn’t start in the first place.” — Mark Medley [05:16]
  • He relates this to his own experience writing the book, knowing it likely won’t reach bestseller status.

[06:21] Pop Culture Parallel: “Contact” Movie Clip

• Inspiration: The film “Contact,” inspired by SETI scientist Jill Tarter, is cited as illustrative of the challenges faced by obsessed visionaries.
  • “Contact’s one of my favorite movies. It’s one of the reasons I became interested in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.” — Mark Medley [06:59]

[07:25] The Pink-Headed Duck Quest

• Profile: Richard Thorns — A UK menswear worker-turned-amateur naturalist devotes his life to seeking the pink-headed duck, which hasn’t been seen in the wild since 1935 but isn’t officially extinct.
  • “For the last 15 odd years, he has been like a one-man search party for the pink-headed duck.” — Mark Medley [07:38]

[08:27] Lessons Learned: Persistence and Embracing Failure

• Personal Growth: Medley reflects on how reporting these stories taught him to embrace patience and failure.
  • “If I realize ... there’s something I want that I’m never gonna get, then that’s okay. That’s part of life, that’s part of the journey and that actually might lead me somewhere better, somewhere more interesting.” — Mark Medley [08:38]

Segment 2: Using Humor to Transform Daily Life with Chris Duffy

“Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy”

[10:22] Rediscovering Joy in the Everyday

• Backstory: Comedian Chris Duffy describes losing his sense of humor while working as a teacher in tough circumstances.
  • A fifth grader’s hilarious cafeteria food column rekindled his joy.
  • “It reconnected me to the idea that we can still be joyful ... and laugh even while we are in tough times.” — Chris Duffy [10:38]

[11:14] Can Humor Be Learned?

• Humor as a Muscle: Duffy insists anyone can develop humor, likening it to a muscle or a practiced skill.
  • “A lot of humor is actually a practice. ... The more that you do it, the easier it gets.” — Chris Duffy [11:26]

[12:10] Overcoming Routine with a “New Bathroom Mindset”

• Breaking Autopilot: Duffy advocates adopting the perspective of a visitor—pay attention as if seeing your surroundings for the first time.
  • “The more we can walk through the world with a little bit of that new bathroom mindset, the more that we’ll find the delightful, strange quirks that make us laugh…” — Chris Duffy [13:03]

[13:30] Finding the Funny in Tragedy: The Funeral Home Story

• Anecdote: Duffy shares a friend’s experience of laughter breaking through grief due to a comically inapt “Hope to see you soon” printed on a funeral home receipt.
  • “It made them, for a moment, have this release. ... Humor can snap us out of how we’re feeling.” — Chris Duffy [13:43]

[14:21] Is It Wrong to Laugh When the World Is Bad?

• Guilt and Humor: Duffy acknowledges the feeling of guilt that can come with laughter amid hardship, distinguishing humor from toxic positivity.
  • “Humor, to me, doesn’t say, actually it’s good, but it lets you laugh at it sometimes.” — Chris Duffy [14:40]

[15:43] The Powerful Social Impact of Humor

• Connection and Health: Research shows connections matter for health; humor is a powerful catalyst for forming bonds.
  • “The big power of humor is that it makes all of that work feel fun. It makes it feel like play, and it makes you magnetic.” — Chris Duffy [15:59]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Delusion as Motivation:
  • “Delusion can actually help you start something ... because if you willingly knew from the outset that you were not going to achieve this goal, a lot of us wouldn’t start in the first place.” — Mark Medley [05:16]
• On Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary:
  • “The more we can walk through the world with ... that new bathroom mindset, the more we’ll find the delightful, strange quirks that make us laugh.” — Chris Duffy [13:03]
• On Humor Amid Hardship:
  • “Humor, to me, doesn’t say, actually it’s good, but it lets you laugh at it sometimes.” — Chris Duffy [14:40]
• On the Magnetic Power of Laughter:
  • “Everyone loves to spend time with someone who’s laughing and who’s joyful and who makes them laugh and have joy.” — Chris Duffy [16:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:12] Mark Medley — Impossible goals, origin of book
• [04:08] Jeremy Holden and the Oran Pendek quest
• [05:03] Patience, determination, and useful “delusion”
• [06:21] “Contact” movie & SETI’s Jill Tarter
• [07:25] Richard Thorns and the hunt for the pink-headed duck
• [08:27] Medley: Life lessons from his subjects
• [10:22] Chris Duffy — Losing and rediscovering humor
• [11:14] Humor as a skill and mindset
• [13:30] The funeral home story: laughing through grief
• [14:21] On feeling guilty for laughing in tough times
• [15:43] Humor’s surprising power for forming connections

Takeaways

• Pursuing the impossible can be noble and transformative, even (or especially) if success seems unlikely.
• Humor is not just a trait, but a skill and mindset that anyone can cultivate to make daily life richer and more connected.
• Laughter has a uniquely powerful role in forming bonds, breaking habits, and letting us cope with adversity.

Both books ultimately argue for a shift in how we approach life—be it through chasing long-shot dreams or intentionally seeking out and exercising our sense of humor.