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Beginning Jan. 1, World Trade Organization quotas restricting the amount of textiles North America and Europe can buy from any individual country will be lifted. India is expected to emerge a winner from the shakeup, but analysts say the effects could be devastating for Bangladesh. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Violent conflicts that have continued through the holiday season have left many seeking solace. Rabbi and author Harold Kushner says one source that could help people of different faiths is Psalm 23, the famous "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" psalm. Hear Kushner and NPR's Jacki Lyden.

From kitschy miniatures to priceless gem-studded figurines, charm bracelets reveal a lot about the people who wear them. In her new book, Charmed Bracelets, jewelry designer Tracey Zabar explores the enduring appeal of the jingly adornment. Zabar talks with NPR's Jacki Lyden.

Author Paul Auster reads "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story." The short story has no Santa Claus, no Christmas tree, and no brightly wrapped packages. And yet there's plenty of giving.

The book "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" has become a reference tool for many cooks. Now author Harold McGee has revised and updated the book. It's an exposition of food and cooking techniques, delving into technology and history.

Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael Chabon's new book follows the sleuthing adventures of an elderly Sherlock Holmes. It's called The Final Solution: A Story of Detection. Chabon explains how the Sherlock Holmes mysteries inspired him as a child and how writing a mystery novel is similar to creating his other works. Hear Chabon and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

On Dec. 23, 1954, Boston doctors gave a kidney to a 23-year-old man in the first successful long-term transplant of a human organ. Transplants have since saved more than 400,000 lives. Dr. Joseph Murray and his first donor recall the event.

In her latest book, best-selling humor writer Jill Conner Browne — better known as the Sweet Potato Queen — shares her insights on men, classifying them into handy spud categories (Mr. Right is a Spud Stud.) NPR's Debbie Elliott caught up with the Queen and her sparkling, tiara-wearing fans.

One of the last novelty-item factories in the country, the S.S. Adams Company in Neptune, New Jersey, manufactures joy buzzers, whoopee cushions, and cans of jumping snakes. Mark Newgarden, author of Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item, and NPR's Petra Mayer take a tour.

With guidance from his mother and grandmother, chef Alton Brown developed an flair in the kitchen early. In the final installment of our holiday baking series, he offers some last-minute tips. And NPR's Jennifer Ludden gets some kitchen wisdom from her own grandmother, Marion Otte.