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Star writers gathered in New York City on Wednesday night for the National Book Awards ceremony. Books dealing with the events of Sept. 11, and war, were among the nominees. A graphic novel was also among the nominees, a first. Among the winners was Richard Powers' The Echo Maker, which took the prize for fiction.

Journalist Julian Dibbell talks about his book Play Money: Or, How I Quit My Day Job and Made Millions Trading Virtual Loot. He explores the world of online role-playing games, where hundreds of thousands of players log on to operate fantasy characters in virtual environments. One of the most popular games, World of Warcraft, has six million subscribers.

Former vice presidential candidate John Edwards has edited a book, Home, in which both public figures and lesser-known professionals reflect on the places where they grew up. The former senator currently lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., and campaigned for Democrats in advance of last week's midterm elections. He talks about the Kerry-Edwards campaign and his thoughts on his own possible presidential bid in 2008.

There are some parallels in the careers of Donald Rumsfeld and Robert McNamara, both high-profile secretaries of defense. Both men presided over controversial wars, and both were replaced as those wars began to appear unwinnable.

One rupee won't buy much in India these days. It's worth two cents, not enough even for a cup of tea. But this trifle of a coin can still cause a great deal of trouble in India's bureaucratic culture.

Mary Poppins, the star of the P.L. Travers books and Walt Disney movie, has followed the east wind from London and landed on Broadway, where her stories have been turned into a lavish $20 million musical. The show opens Thursday night — but if you're expecting a live-action replica of the Julie Andrews film, you're in for a big surprise.

Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent for The New York Times, was recently in Iraq. He discusses efforts to stem the violence in Baghdad, and the prospects for change in American policy. His recent book is Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq.

In his new book, Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine, Richard Sloan examines the claim that prayer and religion can heal the sick. Using the scientific method, he shows that there is no compelling evidence that religion can actually cure medical ailments.

Former athlete and president of the World Anti-Doping Agency Richard Pound talks about his new book, Inside Dope: How Drugs Are the Biggest Threat to Sports, Why You Should Care, and What Can Be Done About Them. Pound is also a 25-year member of the International Olympic Committee. In 1960, he participated in the Olympics as a swimmer from Canada.

TV and film director John Rich has directed some of the most well-known shows in TV history, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gunsmoke, All In the Family, Barney Miller Good Times and Newhart. His film credits include Wives and Lovers and Roustabout starring Elvis Presley. Rich's new memoir is Warm Up the Snake: A Hollywood Memoir.