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Kevin Clash is the man behind Sesame Street's Elmo character. Clash has written a new book called My Life as a Furry Red Monster.

Men and women have long made music to accompany their labor, and musician Ted Gioia says that work songs are more than a musical genre, they're a transformational tool. The author of the new book Work Songs, shares some of his favorites with us.

F.X. Toole wrote fiction all his life, but didn't see his stories in print until he was 70. Now, four years after his death, his first novel — Pound for Pound — has been published.

In his book, The Holy Vote, veteran journalist Ray Suarez explores the politics of faith in America. Suarez writes about gay marriage, intelligent design and other aspects of a fault line that often divides religious people from other religious people.

Fouad Ajami supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq. In a new book, The Foreigner's Gift, he says that the war went wrong because of the Arab world's prejudice against Shia Muslims and against the Americans who expected to help them lead Iraq.

Commentator Rod Dreher lives in Dallas. He's been driving back and forth to work in a car without air conditioning all summer long. And while it hasn't been comfortable or easy, it's made him appreciate the AC in his home and office. Dreher, a writer at the Dallas Morning News, is the author of Crunchy Cons. He blogs at Beliefnet.com.

Author and journalist Vijay Vaitheeswaran discusses the relative merits of alternative energy sources. He says spending on hybrid cars is an investment in the future, more than a way to save money now. Vaitheeswaran also says there are parts of the country where solar is price competitive with fossil fuels.

A forthcoming book by journalists Michael Isikoff and David Corn suggests that Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State in 2003, may be the missing link in the story that has been called "Plamegate."

Alan Cheuse reviews The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud. It's a novel about a group of young New Yorkers and their struggles with family, work, and love.

In India, several states have banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi after a group called The Center for Science and Environment said the soft drinks contain unacceptably high levels of pesticide. The national government of India has said the Center's data is flawed. But the state governments continue to ban the products.