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John Rizzo, who guided the CIA through more than three decades of crisis and controversy, has written a new memoir called Company Man. He talks with NPR's Renee Montagne about the origins of the infamous "enhanced interrogation techniques" that emerged after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Many of these "empathy games" focus on smaller, more personal stories about everyday people. Today's developers grew up with the medium, says one designer. For them, it's "natural to consider that you can have a game about anything."

Also: Zola Books has bought Bookish; Gary Shteyngart goes on a walking tour of Queens, N.Y., for The Wall Street Journal; Costa Book Awards are announced.

Whether famous or obscure, dozens of artists, producers, documentarians and others who contributed to the music's growth left us last year. Here's a thorough list — and 12 who didn't make all the headlines.

The Hong Kong entertainment magnate and philanthropist Run Run Shaw, who died today at 106 or 107, isn't that well known in the West. But his fans, from Quentin Tarantino to the Wu-Tang Clan, sure are.

Ben Marcus' new book, Leaving the Sea, is an experimental and challenging collection of stories. Reviewer J.P. O'Malley says there's not much of a through line to the stories, but that it doesn't matter: "If you enjoy writers like Samuel Beckett," he writes, "I'm sure you will love this collection."

The punter says his outspoken support of same-sex marriage got him fired, but adds that he has no regrets. He tells NPR's Michel Martin: "If you're not willing to speak out for the rights of other people, then who do you expect to speak out for you when it's your turn?"

For hundreds of thousands of adult students, the General Educational Development test is a good way to finish their education. LaGuardia Community College in New York is going a step further, by tailoring prep courses for jobs in particular fields. Host Michel Martin speaks with Gail Mellow, the president of LaGuardia Community College to learn more.

The famous sleuth has discovered that U.S copyright law is anything but elementary. A federal judge recently ruled that elements of the Sherlock Holmes characters are now both licensed property of the Doyle estate and in the public domain. The Doyle estate plans to appeal the decision.

The polar vortex putting much of the U.S. in a deep freeze may have you reaching for the comfort cookies. But in Antarctica — where the coldest temperatures on Earth have been recorded — 5,000 calories a day isn't a bad idea. One thing the continent's history teaches us: When life is stripped down to man versus the most brutal elements, bring plenty of snacks.