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History buffs are accustomed to their favorite books having a certain heft to them. But the trend of micro-histories, books that explore specific subjects in depth, is changing that. Librarian Nancy Pearl lists her favorites.

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.

Marq de Villiers has written a chronicle of his favorite force of nature — its origins, its mythology and its temperamental side, too. Windswept: The Story of Wind and Weather is a personal exploration and a scientific guide. De Villiers tells Debbie Elliott about his book.

Nir Rosen is a journalist and blogger who has spent much of the past three years in Iraq, including trips to areas many of his media colleagues could not reach. A book emerged: In the Belly of the Green Bird. He discusses recent events in Iraq with Debbie Elliott.

Author D.T. Max traces the story of members of an Italian family who suffer from a deadly genetic disease that makes it impossible for them to sleep. The disease can be traced back in the family more than 200 years.

Every four years in January, Washington plays host to the country's biggest "prom." Inaugural balls bring out happy winners, administration bigwigs and a gown — on the first lady — that will become part of history. A Smithsonian exhibition displays some of those gowns.

Daniel Pinkwater and Scott Simon join cunning canine Lulu to discuss Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog. Lulu helps narrate Sara Swan Miller's book for kids, charmingly illustrated by True Kelley.

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Maria Garcia, host of "Anything For Selena." The podcast tells the story of Selena Quintanilla's life and Garcia's childhood spent on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

When Amish children turn 16, the rules change. They're encouraged to experiment and explore. The idea is that teens will come back to the church after tasting the modern world. A new book explores this ritual, called rumspringa.

Ed Gordon talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Taylor Branch about his new book At Canaan's Edge — the final installment in a trilogy of histories about the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Farai Chideya talks with British writer Gary Younge about his new book, a collection of essays based on his experiences touring the country and talking to a variety of Americans about politics. What he found was a nation deeply divided.

Thousands of men turned out for the annual "Real Men Cook for Charity" event last weekend. Allison Keyes has more on amateur and celebrity chefs sharing recipes and wisdom at what has become a summer ritual in several cities across the country — and has even inspired a book, Real Men Cook: Rites, Rituals, and Recipes for Living.

One of the members of a 1955, all-black little league baseball team from South Carolina will throw the first pitch at this year's Little League World Series. Fifty years ago, the Cannon Street YMCA team was barred, because of race, from playing for the championship.

Some top black Republicans have hinted they might switch parties to support Barack Obama this fall. Farai Chideya asks three black conservatives who they're supporting for president and why.

Is it possible to laugh about global climate change? New Yorker cartoonist Sidney Harris thinks so. Harris and his New Yorker colleagues have collaborated on a collection of cartoons that find the humor lurking behind impending environmental doom.

Michael Yon has spent years reporting on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — but not for a news organization. The American journalist posts his dispatches and photographs in his own online magazine. His book Moment of Truth in Iraq is a collection of his war coverage.

In a tense election season, candidates from both parties are courting the evangelical vote. But, within the evangelical community, there are differences of approach regarding issues of same-sex marriage, the environment and abortion. Two evangelical leaders — the Rev. Harry Jackson and the Rev. Jim Wallis — discuss faith and politics.

In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe's grip on power seems to be weakening. Election results show his party has lost control of parliament and his only course of action may be to accept a run-off vote to save his seat as president. Journalist Martin Meredith discusses the situation in the southern African nation.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs says that the world's population, climate change, poverty and resource use are all closely intertwined. In his book Common Wealth, Sachs discusses the intersection of economics and the environment and argues that humanity must address global problems on a global scale.

In Slavery by Another Name, Douglas Blackmon of the Wall Street Journal argues that slavery did not end in the United States with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. He writes that it continued for another 80 years, in what he calls an "Age of Neoslavery."

The Internet has fundamentally changed the nature of human interaction, says critic Lee Siegel. In his latest book, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob, Siegel argues for a more evolved online universe.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez angers and annoys a lot of people with his confrontational style. He often attacks the United States in general, and President Bush in particular. Author Bart Jones talks about his new biography on Hugo Chavez entitled, Hugo! and examines the politics of the controversial Venezuelan leader.

In the early 1990s, a quiet Colorado town was shocked by the abduction and murder of a local 13-year-old girl. Hello Charlie documents the letters exchanged between the killer and two law enforcement officials that slowly revealed his grisly, 30-year killing spree.

Not long ago, having a child out of wedlock made people — particularly women — social outcasts. Today, approximately one-third of all American children are born to unmarried parents. Unmarried Couples With Children takes a comprehensive look at unmarried parents. The book's editors discuss the recent trend.

McCain is a decorated war veteran who survived years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He's been a United States senator for 22 years. We know the facts of the Republican presidential candidate's life, but who is John McCain? We look beyond the policy and punditry to the experiences that shaped the man.