This week, Leah Cohen talks about her new novel, “The Grief of Others”; Adam Gopnik and Pamela Paul discuss the art of children’s books and the art of writing about them; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman, co-author of “That Used to Be Us,” talks about America’s decline and possible recovery; Bill Keller surveys the career of Christopher Hitchens; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman, co-author of “That Used to Be Us,” talks about America’s decline and possible recovery; Bill Keller surveys the career of Christopher Hitchens; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, Harvard scholar Randall Kennedy discusses racial politics in America in his new book, “The Persistence of the Color Line”; columnist Ginia Bellafante talks about the new Big City Book Club at the Times; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, Harvard scholar Randall Kennedy discusses racial politics in America in his new book, “The Persistence of the Color Line”; columnist Ginia Bellafante talks about the new book club she’s starting at the Times; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, conversation with Tom Perrotta about the fictional Rapture in his new book, "The Leftovers"; Erica Heller reminisces about her father, Catch-22 author, Joseph Heller; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week: a conversation with Amy Waldman about her 9/11 themed novel, "The Submission"; and the Times's Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, Holland Cotter, discusses the Los Angeles art scene in the 1960's. For our back-to-school issue, we have a discussion with James Patterson and Rick Riordan about young reluctant readers; Patricia Cohen with interesting new data on public education; and Jennifer Schuessler on first read programs for incoming college freshmen. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week: Sam Lipsyte on Nicholson Baker’s “House of Holes”; Deborah Soloman on the letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz; Julie Bosman with notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler with best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, author Brook Wilensky-Lanford talks about the search for the Garden of Eden in her new book, "Paradise Lust"; Toni Bentley reviews "A Book of Secrets" by Michael Holroyd; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has bestseller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.

This week, Helen Schulman on her new novel, "The Beautiful Life"; the linguist Ben Zimmer explains how computers reveal the jargon of fiction; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; and Jennifer Schuessler has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.