October 7, 2009

Today on Word of Mouth, what you’re really buying when you order that triple-shot grande caramel macchiato. We’ll talk to an historian who spent five years visiting hundreds of Starbucks stores to figure out what the coffee giant’s success reveals about American culture. Also today, forget fiberglass – a pair of entrepreneurs has discovered a way to insulate our houses with mushrooms. And a stimulant called “chat” is driving up roadside fatalities in Ethiopia – and authorities are cracking down. Plus, writer Tao Lin has a cult following for his flat, unemotive writing style and his outrageous self-promotion strategies. He joins us to talk about his autobiographical novella, Shoplifting from American Apparel.

(Photo by miskan via Flickr/Creative Commons)