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When a student showed Alice McDermott a discarded library copy of Katherine Anne Porter's Pale Horse, Pale Rider, stamped "Low Demand," McDermott felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. The title novella in this collection, McDermott says, exhibits "intelligence, wit, heartache, profundity and marvelous prose."

If you see a body floating down the Ganges, it's usually safe to assume it's dead. Devout Hindus deposit the remnants of their dead into the river, as they believe it purifies the soul. But don't be too sure. Body-surfing has arrived in this, the holiest of waterways.

The premise for each story in Robert Olen Butler's new book is disturbing. Severance recalls the last thoughts of those who have been decapitated. St. George, Marie-Antoinette, Medusa, Anne Boyeln Sir Walter Raleigh, the Lady of the Lake ... In Butler's imagining, their last words are poetic and brief, and reveal what is most precious about being alive.

For centuries, an evening of dinner and the opera has been a popular combination. Food historian Francine Segan celebrates this combination with a new book of recipes inspired by beloved arias, overtures and composers.

Esther Schor, poet and professor of English at Princeton University, has written a biography of Emma Lazarus, whose verse graces the Statue of Liberty. Lazarus' life and work are worth a second look in light of the current debate on U.S. immigration policy.

Erik Larson's books weave together multiple plots based on actual events. Thunderstruck is the tale of a mild-mannered doctor who murdered his wife, a trans-Atlantic chase, and the inventor who created the wireless telegraph.

In his new book, The Audacity of Hope, Sen. Barack Obama shares his thoughts on "reclaiming the American Dream." He talks about living a public life, his conflicting feelings about fundraising, and speculation over possible presidential ambitions.

David Kuo is the author of Tempting Faith, a book about why he left his job as a special assistant to President Bush in the Office of Faith Based Initiatives. Kuo criticizes the administration for taking unfair advantage of conservative Christian voters.

Political parties and campaigns are increasingly turning to corporate tactics to win over voters. In a new book, Applebee's America, former presidential political strategists say successful candidates must make a "gut values" connection with voters.

Danny Meyer has built an empire of 10 restaurants in cutthroat New York City. In his new book, Setting the Table, Meyer explains that more than good service, hospitality is what sets his eateries apart from others.