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American Red Cross President Marsha Evans announces she is stepping down from her post, effective at the end of December. During her tenure, the charity faced criticism over its response to Hurricane Katrina. Evans characterizes her departure as a long-planned retirement, though others at the agency cite problems with communication and coordination.

Leisure suits, big hair and the Bee Gees are just part of the draw of a new book, Bar Mitzvah Disco. Essays from Jonathan Safran Foer, Sarah Silverman and others document bar and bat mitzvahs from the 1970s through the '90s.

In Pakistan, authorities are looking for a missing reporter. Hayatullah Khan was kidnapped on Monday by militants after reporting the death of a top al Qaeda commander.

The prospect of holiday parties fill some with dread. But mastering the art of small talk can make conversations with strangers more enjoyable. Debra Fine shares her tips for getting through holiday parties unscathed.

Political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson are the authors of the new book Off Center. In it, the two professors examine the tactics of far-right Republicans — and how they've changed the system for years to come.

Rock journalist Bob Spitz's new biography of the Beatles is decidedly not prettified: venereal disease, drugs, and bad business are all part of the story of the Fab Four. The book is The Beatles: The Biography.

The hardy tamarisk, which arrived from Asia, is crowding out native plants in many Western states. It chokes small streams and rivers and sucks up scarce water. And it's hard to get rid of it.

After the fall of the Taliban, California teen Said Hyder Akbar returned to the home country he'd never known: Afghanistan. His audio diaries of summer trips there form the basis of his book, Come Back to Afghanistan.

Throughout November, hundreds of people are lining up to peer through the telescope at Lowell Observatory in northern Arizona. What they'll see: Mars in close opposition with the Earth. This is the nearest the red planet has been to Earth since 2003. If you miss it this month, you'll have to wait until 2018 for such an incredible view. Sadie Babits has this postcard from the observatory.

For writer Anne Dimock, the iconic pie is much more than a dessert. She says a hearty, homemade pie can hold a family together through even the most difficult times. Her new book is called Humble Pie: Musings on What Lies Beneath the Crust.