Books

Author and professor Padraig O'Malley's most recent books is called "Biting At the Grave," about the IRA hunger strikes in 1981 that ended in 10 deaths. O'Malley challenges conventional wisdom on each side of the conflict. Formal talks between Protestant and Catholic political leaders over the future of Northern Ireland are to begin next Monday.

Journalist Gerald Posner's new book, "Hitler's Children," examines the lives of the sons and daughters of leaders of the Third Reich. It includes the accounts from the children of Dr. Joesph Mengele, Rudolf Hess, and Karl Saur--whose son joins the interview.

Lax has written a new biography of the prominent New York actor and director. Lax first interviewed Allen in 1971 during the filming of "Bananas," and over the next 20 years they kept up an on-going conversation.

We talk with the Village Voice's food writer. He was diagnosed as a diabetic as a child, an experience that he credits with making him more aware of the role of food in life and family. His new books is called "Learning to Eat.

John Richardson's new biography, "A Life of Picasso," has been hailed as the best book about the great artist. He's joined by Picasso's daughter, Paloma Picasso.

Garbus recently defended Peter Matthiessen's controversial book, "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse," against two separate libel suits. Among many other projects, Garbus is currently helping to write a new constitution for Czechoslovakia.

Pollan is executive editor of "Harper's Magazine." He's written a new book, "Second Nature: A Gardener's Education," in which he examines the relationship between Americans and their lawns and gardens.

Brown delivers what he calls "The Big Picture," a tongue-in-cheek political commentary on Saturday Night Live. He's just collected those commentaries in a new book, also caled "The Big Picture."

Michael Jackson (No, not THAT Michael Jackson). He's a beer expert who's written the "Pocket Guide to Beer (The Connoisseur's companion to over 1000 Beers of the World)," by Simon & Schuster. He lives in England and has also written "The New World Guide to Beer.

Amy Scholder and Ira Silverberg are the editors of "High Risk," a new anthology of writings that challenge the authors' self-imposed censorship concerning topics like unsafe sex, drug use, and sadomasochism.