Books

Writer Patrick McGilligan. He's just written a new biography of film director George Cukor (KOOK-er), "A Double Life, George Cukor: A Biography of the Gentleman Director." (published by St. Martin's Press). Cukor's films included, "Little Women," "GasLight," "The Philadelphia Story," and "Dinner at Eight." This new biography reveals the part of his life that he kept private while he was alive, his homosexuality.

Biographer Robert Lacey. Lacey's new book, "Little Man" is an examination of the life of gangster Meyer Lansky. (It's published by Little, Brown). Lacey and Terry Gross will discuss how the movie's portrayal of gangsters differs from reality.

Columnist Cynthia Heimel ("HIGH-mel") tells us what the new year holds for her. Heimel writes about the perils of being a single woman in the 90s for both The Village Voice and Playboy. There's a recent collection of her columns, titled "If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" (It's published by Atlantic).

Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn discusses what the new lower interest rates mean to the economy, and the average consumer. Quinn's finance columns appear in "Newsweek," and "Woman's Day," and she's written a new guide to personal finance, "Making the Most of Your Money: Smart Ways to Create Wealth and Plan Your Finances in the '90s." (published by Simon & Schuster.)

Why does cross-dressing stir up so much anxiety in our culture? Harvard professor Marjorie Garber talks about where cross dressing has turned up in popular culture, and what it means to wear the clothes of the opposite sex. Garber's new book on the subject is "Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing and Cultural Anxiety." (It's published by Routledge).

Until the mid 1870s, most of Africa remained untouched by slave traders and explorers. And then, in a little over three decades of conquest, Western European countries carved up and colonized all of Africa. Thomas Pakenham ("packin-em") has written "The Scramble for Africa" (Random House), a comprehensive account of this period where the white man invaded the Dark Continent.

Financial reporter John Rothchild. Rothchild's new book, "Going For Broke," is the story of Canadian financier Robert Campeau ("camp-o" with a long "o"). In the space of a few years, Campeau became one of the most powerful retailers in the world, having bought Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor, Bonwit Teller, Jordan Marsh, Bloomingdales, and Filene's. He acquired his empire with seven billion dollars in loans and junk bonds, and when his empire collapsed, 50,000 creditors were after him and 8,000 workers lost their jobs.

Comic book artist Diane Noomin. She's the editor of (and a contributor to) a new collection of underground comics drawn by women. It's called "Twisted Sisters." It's published by Penguin.

Business consultant and professor Graef (rhymes with "waif") Crystal. Crystal spent many years telling CEOs of major corporations how to get bigger salaries. Now he's taking the exact opposite tack, speaking out against the astronomical salaries many executives receive, whether or not their companies do well. That's the subject of his new book, "In Search of Excess."

Medical anthropologist Andrea Sankar. She's written a new book that explains how to take care of a dying loved one at home. It's called "Dying At Home: A Family Guide for Caregiving." It's published by the Johns Hopkins University Press.