Anthony Bourdain was the author of the bestseller "Kitchen Confidential", which exposed the underbelly of the restaurant business. His new book is "A Cook's Tale", which is a travelogue of his journey to find the perfect meal.

(Originally aired April 2002).

Chef Anthony Bourdain, of "Kitchen Confidential" fame, has compiled a cookbook of classic French bistro recipes. It is called "Les Halles Cookbook", Les Halles being the New York brasserie where Bourdain was once their executive chef. In the interview, he extols the simplicity of true bistro cuisine; stresses the importance of using a good stock when cooking and admits that the relevance of haute cuisine is fading. (Originally aired December 2005).

Political economist Robert Skidelsky has completed the third and final volume of his biography of John Maynard Keynes. It is called "John Maynard Keynes: Fighting for Britain 1937-1946". In it he paints a vivid portrait of this brilliant economist and his impact on economics and the world economy. (Originally aired January 2007)

New York Times journalist David Brooks has written a book called "The Social Animal". In this discussion, he talks about the power of the unconscious mind and its impact on our lives, also that the type of relationship a child forms with its mother is indicative of future relations a child will form. He also believes in the value of emotional, rather than logical, decisions, which be ascertains, form the foundation of who we are.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, completes his trilogy of memoirs which started with "Angela's Ashes", then "'Tis" and now finally "Teacher Man", which chronicles his life as a young teacher in New York. (Originally aired February 2006)

Forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs introduces her latest book "Death du Jour". Since this show, Fox television produced a series called "Bones" which is based on her novels. (Originally aired June 1999)

Dinesh D'Souza's book "The End of Racism" deals with the race question in the United States. One of his beliefs is that racism is not the main problem facing blacks in the U.S. but rather their own dysfunctional culture. He tells Allan that American society is not systemically racist, but often practices "rational racism", which he goes on to explain. He thinks government should be race-neutral but that private enterprise should be free to discriminate. (Originally aired January

1996).

Canadian environmentalist and activist Tzeporah Berman's new book is "This Crazy Time", which is a personal and political memoir of her environmental battles, from Clayoquot Sound, to her present challenges as co-director of Greenpeace International's climate and energy campaign.

Mind-body guru Dr. Deepak Chopra, has written a new book, "The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire". According to Dr. Chopra, coincidences are not merely coincidental. Coincidences helped form the universe and when recognized, can help humans to achieve their personal destiny. (Originally aired February 2004)

Jane Goodall, champion of the chimpanzee, talks about her ground-breaking work at Gombe, Tanzania. After spending many years observing chimpanzee behaviour in the wild, one thing that struck her particularly was their ability to form relationships between family members. She also witnessed the amazingly strong bonds between mothers and babies and that the experiences a young chimp faces in his early years, will determine its character as an adult. Jane also gives her views on teaching creationism alongside science. (Originally aired January 1996).