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For anyone who has ever stepped foot on a boat and wondered, "If it sank, what would I do?" these three books about nautical disaster — and resourcefulness — offer a template for survival.

"Never leave a Marine behind." That tradition began in 1775, and continues today via officers like Col. Steve Beck, whose job it is to notify families of the loss of a loved one. Beck — and the families he contacted — is the subject of journalist Jim Sheeler's book Final Salute. Sheeler (pictured) and Beck talk to Terry Gross about a duty that's both an honor and a burden.

The Messenger tells the story of a man assigned to one of the toughest jobs in the military: notifying the families of the fallen. Col. Steve Beck does that job for the U.S. Marine Corps, and his story is at the center of Final Salute, a book by Jim Sheeler. Sheeler (pictured) and Beck join Fresh Air to talk about a duty that's both an honor and a burden.

The author talks about her blockbuster novel, The Lovely Bones, which features a surprising device: its main character, a young girl who has been murdered, narrates the book from the afterlife. Sebold's book is the basis for a new film by director Peter Jackson.

In the early 20th century, many of England's workers awoke to the tap, tap, tap of their town's "knocker-up." In her children's book Mary Smith, Andrea U'Ren follows a day in the life of a knocker-up armed with a pea shooter.

The best ideas don't always come from the loudest person in the room. Author Susan Cain urges us to listen to those who embrace quiet as a force for innovation.

People across the globe are turning to social media to connect with each other in new ways. Clay Shirky shows how our increasingly interconnected world is transforming news and politics as well as our roles as citizens.

An associate pastor at a Houston church who loved to cook, and whose outlook on life made an impact that will last a lifetime.

Black Americans are particularly vulnerable to the disease, one out of 365 Black newborns are born with it.

The memorial concert in London featured the likes of Paul McCartney and Queen, but the most special guest of the night was Hawkins' 16-year-old son, Shane, who took his dad's spot behind the drum kit.

The two incumbents, who both chair powerful committees for the House Democratic caucus, were placed in the same district after redistricting.

Author Steven Johnson says that ideas don't come in a stroke of genius — they emerge from a network of people, places and real-world constraints.