Joan Rivers' plastic-surgery adventures are as well-known as her penchant for joking about them. And her new book, Men Are Stupid... And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery, doesn't hold back any details.

Author Noah Andre Trudeau's book, Southern Storm, is about Sherman's March and what actually happened during this famous Civil War event.

Host Liane Hansen talks with NPR's Eric Westervelt, who was at the Israel border with Gaza, about the latest on the Israeli ground attack in Gaza.

What Palestinians on the West Bank say about the Israeli ground offensive and what needs to be done to reach a cease-fire. Are Palestinians blaming Hamas for the conflict?

Israeli troops overnight took control of a substantial portion of the northern Gaza Strip. Backed by tanks and warplanes, they appear to be attempting to surround the dense population center of Gaza City and to divide the territory in half.

A genre-bending indie-rock band with a bluesy twang and country-fried riffs, Blitzen Trapper wears its influences proudly. The group's latest album, Furr, has been a favorite of critics, who've placed it on many "Best of 2008" lists.

Amid prospects of a prolonged economic downturn, startup companies are having far more trouble finding cash. In the first three quarters of 2008, only six venture-backed companies held initial public offerings, compared with 86 IPOs in 2007.

The book Hometown Appetites tells the story of Clementine Paddleford, an anthropologist who traveled the country to chronicle how America ate in the early to mid 20th century.

Most artists struggle financially during the best of times and now they face an economy that's bad for everyone. But one Denver artist is confident he'll weather the current economy the same way he's thrived for 40 years.

Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach tells the story of the Astors of New York, a storied philanthropist family. Shortly after the death of Brooke Astor in 2007, her only child, Anthony Marshall, was indicted on charges of looting her estate. Author Meryl Gordon talks to Scott Simon about the book.