Books

Critic John Leonard reviews a new novel by Josephine Herbst, "The Starched Blue Sky of Spain."

In the wake of Baltic independence, we examine the history of the region with professor Walter Clemens, who's just published the book, Baltic Independence and Russian Empire (St. Martin's Press).

Professor and educator E.D. Hirsch, Jr. He's the author of the best selling book, "Cultural Literacy," (paperback published by Vintage Books) in which he argues that children in the United States lack "cultural literacy," or the basic grasp of background information that allows them to be literate and to function effectively in society. He has put his theories to work in an elementary school curriculum, The Core Knowledge Series.

The age of the big three networks is over. Ten years ago, ABC, CBS and NBC monopolized 90% of the television audience. Now they attract a bit over sixty. Reporter Ken Auletta has written about the impact of the decline of the networks and the rise of cable and home video. His new book is called Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way. (Random House)

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews two books about sisters: "A Very Close Conspiracy," by Jane Dunn, and "The Dark Sister," by Rebecca Goldstein.

Journalist Jane Bryant Quinn. Her finance columns appear in "Newsweek," and "Woman's Day." 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.)

Biographer Diane Wood Middlebrook. She's written a controversial new book about the troubled writer Anne Sexton. The controversy surrounds Middlebrook's source material: she had access to transcripts of Sexton's psychiatric sessions with the approval of Sexton's daughter and psychiatrist. Sexton killed herself in 1974. She began writing poetry in 1956 following a suicidal breakdown and after her therapist suggested she try writing poetry. ("Anne Sexton: A Biography," published by Houghton Mifflin).

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Coming Into the End Zone," by novelist and critic Doris Grumbach. It's a journal of her 70th year.

Political Science professor Ehud Sprinzak (A-houd Sprin-zack) of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He talks with Terry about how the radical right in Israel is no longer a fringe group but a growing force in Israeli politics and life. His new book is, "The Ascendance of Israel's Radical Right," (Oxford University Press).

Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews "The Book Wars" by James Atlas. It's the latest book in the growing debate over whether or not students should be required to read a set curriculum of "great books." Maureen says the more interesting thing about the book is that it's filled with ads for Federal Express.