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Steve Martin is at the top of his game. He has just been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, at the same time that his newest movie, Shopgirl, is winning strong reviews around the country.

As a former counterterrorism official in the Clinton and Bush administrations, Richard A. Clarke often had to imagine worst-case scenarios. His first novel — a thriller — does just that: set five years in the future, it envisions the United States on the verge of another war in the Middle East.

Editor and writer Walter Kirn's latest novel, Mission to America, is about a fictional quasi-religious group, the Aboriginal Fulfilled Apostles, seeking new converts to help them survive. The topic is one Kirn has experience with: When he was 12, Kirn's family became Mormons.

This weekend, Pakistan raised its estimated death toll from last week's earthquake to nearly 40,000, with more than 60,000 injured. A severe shortage of tents is hampering rescue and relief operations in the mountains there, where's it's been raining. There is a serious risk more people will now die for lack of shelter.

TV chef Mario Batali is known for the creative Italian fare he serves at his popular New York restaurants, including Babbo. But his latest cookbook, Molto Italiano, gets back to the basics.

Rescue efforts continue in earthquake-damaged villages in the Himalayan foothills. Philip Reeves provides an eyewitness account of a helicopter relief-and-rescue mission -- to take food in and bring the injured out.

Britain's top literary honor, the Man Booker Prize, has been awarded to Irish author John Banville's 14th novel, The Sea. He beat high-profile competition including Julian Barnes, Kazuo Ishiguro and Zadie Smith.

In a new book, Louis Freeh blames President Clinton for not aggressively going after those responsible for the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia and says Clinton should have resigned.

13 Steps Down is the latest of 60 murder and suspense novels written by Ruth Rendell (some using the pseudonym Barbara Vine). She's also Baroness of Babergh, a member of Britain's House of Lords. She tells Debbie Elliott about her writing.

One-quarter of the way through the NFL season, there are already some surprising breakout teams and unexpected upsets. Renee Montagne speaks to Andy Benoit, author of Touchdown 2005: Everything You Need to Know About the NFL This Year, about the season.