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A billion people worldwide live in slums, largely invisible to city services and governments — but not to satellites. A global movement is putting mapping technology in the hands of slum dwellers to persuade governments and the residents themselves to see these shadow cities in a whole new light. NPR's Gregory Warner visits one slum in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

A new website offers a different perspective on the ruins of Spain's construction bubble. Called Nación Rotonda, or "Roundabout Nation," the site displays before-and-after aerial photos of Spanish towns, documenting how quickly half-built condos and urban sprawl have replaced open land in recent years.

More bodice unbuttoner than bodice ripper, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton DiSclafani, is nonetheless an ode to a young girl's sexual awakening. The novel follows Thea, a 1930s teen whose family banishes her to an equestrian boarding school after a mysterious transgression.

What hath the Bard wrought? A legacy of words and idioms you'll recognize from pop culture and even your own speech. On the occasion of his 450th birthday, Ask Me Another presents this handy glossary.

Only 75 of the 323 students aboard the ferry Sewol survived after the ship sank in April. Some bowed their heads and wept as they walked into Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea.

Apple's iPhone, Webkinz and Hollywood starlets topped Google's most searched-for terms in 2007. The Internet giant's annual list of top queries included ponderous searches about the divine and basic "how-to" questions on kissing and knitting, among other things.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a major Chinese holiday when families gather to light lanterns and eat mooncakes. An NPR producer waxes nostalgic about the hockey-puck pastries at the center of celebrations.

Nearly two months after the disaster in South Korea, the death toll now stands at 289 and 15 people are still unaccounted for.

New research from San Diego State University looks at how pronoun usage in books reflects changing gender roles and other cultural shifts over the last century.

In southern California, Hollywood howls over "piracy" and is pushing for legislation. In the north, Silicon Valley cries foul over what it sees as restrictions on a free and open Internet. The most pressing issue for both may be the huge sums of money each stands to lose.