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Commentator Jack Staub rhapsodizes about his favorite herb, basil, which is abundant at this time of year. He also offers hints about what to do with all of it, including a recipe for handy and easy-to-use pesto cubes.

In the world of specialty farming, biodynamic agriculture goes beyond organic in its arcane rules. The basics are that a good grape begins in the compost heap. A growing number of California wineries have joined this international discipline — and they're producing critically acclaimed wines.

Episcopalian minister Barbara Brown Taylor's new book, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, describes her decision to leave her job after 15 years as a full-time minister. Taylor was named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University. After her ministry, she went to teach religion at Piedmont College in Georgia. She is also an editor-at-large and columnist for The Christian Century.

Bruce Knecht's book Hooked: Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish is the story of the Chilean Sea Bass. It's an ugly, oily fish that became a favorite dining option in upscale restaurants, until it was nearly fished out.

Edward P. Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Known World, a tale of black slave owners in the antebellum South. His latest work is the short story collection All Aunt Hagar's Children. Washington, D.C. — Jones' home town — is a major character in the stories.

Dr. Barry Lester runs what may be the nation's only colic clinic, located in Providence, R.I. He says parents need much more help than they typically get as they deal with colicky babies.

As India's economy grows and its society modernizes, the government faces a crucial question: How do you make a vast and diverse society more inclusive, so that the fruits of progress can be enjoyed by all? How do you raise up the two-thirds of the 1.1 billion members of the population who are lower-caste?

At a truck stop between Dallas and Waco, Texas, a little energy revolution has begun. Truckers at Carl's Corner fill up on BioWillie, biodiesel named after singer Willie Nelson. The fuel is made from farm crops and recycled restaurant grease.

Before most Americans had heard of the Taliban, Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid wrote a book about them. After the Sept. 11 attacks, it became a best-seller. Rashid's recent reporting for English-language newspapers involves Islamist militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Tom Ricks, a reporter for the Washington Post and author of the book Fiasco, says he's seen a persistent disconnect between U.S. strategy and U.S. tactics in Iraq. Ricks tells Steve Inskeep that the current U.S. strategy is being undermined by questionable tactics.