Books

Michael Eric Dyson is considered one of our most important black intellectuals. He's also an ordained Baptist minister who once struggled as an 18-year old father in Detroit. His work has appeared in "The New York Times," "Rolling Stone," "Vibe" and other publications. His new book is "Between God and Gangsta Rap" (Oxford University Press) about contemporary Black culture. Dyson teaches at the University of North Carolina where he is a Professor of Communications Studies.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Jamaica Kincaid's novel "The Autobiography of My Mother."

Journalist and professor Todd Gitlin. His new book is a liberal's criticism of the "culture wars" that have destroyed the notion of common good in our country. It's called "The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars," (Metropolitan Books). Gitlin is also the author of "The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage." He teaches culture and communications , journalism, and sociology at New York University.

Personal Health columnist for the New York Times Jane Brody. Her new book is a timely one: "Jane Brody's Cold and Flu Fighter" (W.W. Norton, in paperback). In it she gives advice on how to tell if you are suffering from a cold, the flu, or an allergy, and the best treatment for each.

Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University Mary Jo Weaver. Her previous book is "Springs of Water in a Dry Land: Spiritual Survival for Catholic Women Today," (Beacon) about women who are Catholic and feminist. Her book, "New Catholic Women: A Contemporary Challenge to Traditional Religious Authority," (Indiana University Press) has a new 10th anniversary edition. Weaver's latest book (edited with R. Scott Appleby) "Being Right: Conservative Catholics in America" is a collection of essays (Indiana University Press).

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews British writer Pat Barker's The Ghost Road. (Dutton). It won Britain's Booker Prize. The book is the third part of a trilogy of novels about World War I. (Her others are Regeneration and The Eye in the Door.)

Jerry Yang is co-founder of Yahoo, a directory to the World Wide Web. Yahoo has an on-line site, as well as a companion book. Yahoo is one of the most popular sites on the Web. Users can access Yahoo, once in the Web at http://www.yahoo.com. Their new book is Yahoo! Unplugged (IDG books).

Writer Rebecca Walker. She's a contributing editor to Ms. Magazine, and is cofounder of Third Wave, a national, multicultural organization devoted to encouraging young women's activism. She has edited a new book of writings about feminism today, To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism. (Anchor Books).

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his daughter Amy Carter. The two have collaborated on a new children's book, The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer (Times Books). The story is one that Cater made up, and told his children when they were young. Amy Carter illustrated the book.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg has some gift suggestions for the language lovers on your gift list.