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On May 19, 1989, a tearful Zhao Ziyang, one of the Communist Party's top officials, addressed student protesters in Tiananmen Square. After that speech, Zhao was put on house arrest, where he remained until his death in 2005. Editor Bao Pu talks about a new book of Zhao's memoirs.

Richard Posner is one of the county's leading libertarian thinkers. He and his compatriots at the University of Chicago have put their trust in free, unfettered and barely regulated markets. But the title of his new book suggests a recent change of heart. It's called A Failure of Capitalism.

In a colorful new cookbook, Alabama chef Frank Stitt shares moutwatering recipes from his award-winning restaurant Highlands Bar and Grill. He talks with NPR's Debbie Elliot about the tradition of food in the South.

In January 1811, 500 armed slaves rose up from the plantations and set out to conquer the city of New Orleans. Host Guy Raz speaks with Daniel Rasmussen, author of the new book American Rising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt.

Famed photographer Walker Evans shot dozens of Depression-era images of New York subway passengers. They're collected in a newly reissued book, Many Are Called. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden and book contributor Jeff Rosenheim.

Matthew Crawford was on what most people would think was the "right track." Then he left his job as executive director at a think tank in Washington to open a motorcycle repair shop. In his new book, Shop Class as Soulcraft, he makes the case that our society has placed too great a value on white-collar work and not enough value on the trades.

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.

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 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.

Every one of his novels is "a lie that tries to sound like the truth," says Brad Meltzer. The Book of Fate is a thriller about a presidential aide and a 200-year-old code invented by Thomas Jefferson.

In 1851, two chess masters sat down for a practice game in London. What should have been a throwaway game intensified and was quickly dubbed "the immortal game." David Shenk, author of a new history of chess called The Immortal Game, describes the historic match.

She wasn't born when civil war broke out in her native Nigeria. But Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — now 29 — flawlessly chronicles the Ibo people's efforts to create the short-lived nation of Biafra in her novel Half of a Yellow Sun.

Beppe Severgnini is a newspaper columnist who's been helping fellow Italians make sense of U.S. culture for years. Now, he is turning his wisdom and wit toward his homeland, exploring the nuances of life in modern Italy. For instance, Severgnini says, traffic laws are interpreted a bit different in Italy.

Danny Meyer has built an empire of 10 restaurants in cutthroat New York City. In his new book, Setting the Table, Meyer explains that more than good service, hospitality is what sets his eateries apart from others.

Memories, and how to capture them, are a tricky proposition, says The New Yorker's Roger Angell. He talks about the art of writing, what he learned from his stepfather, E.B. White, and his new memoir, Let Me Finish.

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.

You can tell a little bit about what part of the country you're in by the sundaes on the menu. From Maine's fruit-salad sundae to New Mexico's green chili variety, there are frozen desserts to suit just about every taste bud.

The executive producer of the new film, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the editor of the series' late author, Douglas Adams, talk about the new film, the legacy of the series and, of course, the answer to everything.

For more than 30 years, photographer Christina Patoski has been documenting Americans' holiday displays. Her images appear in the new book "Merry Christmas, America: A Front Yard View of the Holidays."

In January, the National Book Critics Circle announced the nominees for this year's awards — among them, five poets. J.D. McClatchy, a professor of English at Yale University, talks through some of the nominated verse.

French-born Helene Grimaud is busy this season. She has a new CD, Reflection, and her autobiography, Wild Harmonies, has been published in English. The works explore the pianist's different loves, in both her musical and personal life.

Jane and Michael Stern travel America's byways and backroads in search of the perfect meal. But they don't look in places with linen napkins and long wine lists. They prefer Mom-and-Pop joints, diners and roadside barbecue stands.

Dealing with the country's problems puts an awful strain on U.S. presidents. Kenneth Walsh's book looks at where presidents go to replenish their minds and spirits and what those places reveal about these leaders.

On Monday, Oprah Winfrey announced that Elie Wiesel's Night will be the next selection in her book club. Commentator Peter Manseau says that Night and the memoir A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, another book club selection, have more in common than first glance might suggest.

Bill Buford worked for a year as a low-level "kitchen slave" for chef Mario Batali in one of New York's most famous restaurants, Babbo. His book is a fascinating look at Italian food, restaurants and kitchen magic.