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In her first book, author Mara Hvistendahl explores why parents in several Asian countries are choosing to have boys rather than girls as birth rates are dropping. The trend of sex-selective abortion is yielding broad impacts on the economy, culture and stability of those nations.

As Father's Day approaches, writer Jim Axelrod turns to literature to probe the relationship between fathers and sons — and make sense of his own. His three selections portray fathers and sons at their best, and at their heartbreaking worst.

Ron Hansen's latest novel, A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion, fictionalizes an infamous crime of sexual transgression. In 1927, Ruth Snyder killed her husband, Albert, after falling in love with a lingerie salesman. Hansen's sexy fictionalization of the real-life murder sizzles with the spirit of the Roaring '20s.

Welcome to Temple Stage School, a place for child actors. At Freddie's by Penelope Fitzgerald stars proprietress Freddie, her misfit students and her troubled teachers as they try to save the school. Author Ben Dolnick encourages you to take a front row seat with this bittersweet comedy.

Drinking didn't stop in the United States from 1920 to 1933 — it just went underground. Author Daniel Okrent discusses the lasting cultural and political impact of Prohibition in his book, Last Call.

The company that introduced the world to the Walkman reported its biggest annual loss in more than 15 years — partly due to a major hacker attack and the Japanese tsunami. But Sony just unveiled its newest products, and company executives and analysts agree that Sony must make a few changes to improve its prospects.

To make the electric car viable, manufacturers need to create better batteries. But the road to creating a better, long-lasting battery has not been easy. Science writer Seth Fletcher explains why in his book, Bottled Lightning: Superbatteries, Electric Cars and the New Lithium Economy.

If you're in search of a genre-bending, perspective-shattering read, look no farther than Victor LaValle's crime thriller Big Machine. Author Dolen Perkins-Valdez says the kaleidoscopic novel deftly weaves crime with dynamics of race, class and religion in an explosion of utter originality.

Housing prices have been falling for years now, and aren't likely to turn around for a long time. While some economists say renting makes more sense, others insist it's a great time to make a home purchase in many U.S. cities.

Daily Beast and Newsweek editor Tina Brown highlights a novel and a pair of articles about travel to and from places we've recently come to identify with the "Arab spring" — getting in and getting out of countries where daily life can be a struggle.