'Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy' tells the inspirational story of a former Microsoft executive's quest to build libraries and promote education around the world. -- In his new book, Wood tackles the challenges of managing expansion while maintaining integrity; raising money in a collapsing economy; promoting gender equality through scholarships for girls; and changing the mission to include not just building libraries but publishing books for children who literally have no books in their native language. -- In 1999, at age 35, John Wood left a lucrative career at Microsoft to found "Room to Read", an award-winning nonprofit that promotes education, gender equality and literacy worldwide. He brought the lessons of the corporate world to the nonprofit sector, and told the story of the start-up in his first book, 'Leaving Microsoft to Change the World.'

In her recently-released memoir, 'Radical,' Michelle Rhee recounts her own experiences in the trenches as a teacher and administrator. -- Michelle Rhee is the founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, a political advocacy organization for education reform. She served as chancellor of the Washington D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010. She is also the founder of The New Teacher Project and a former Teach for America corps member.

Lewis George Clarke published the story of his life as a slave in 1845, after he had escaped from Kentucky and become a well-regarded abolitionist lecturer throughout the North. His book 'Narrative of the Sufferings of Lewis Clarke, During a Captivity of More Than Twenty-Five Years, among the Algerines of Kentucky, One of the So Called Christian States of North America' was the first work by a slave to be acquired by the Library of Congress and placed under copyright. -- Clarke lived in the Cambridge, Mass., home of Aaron and Mary Safford. There he encountered Mary's stepsister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, along with Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and other abolitionists. His experiences are evident in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' published in 1852, and Stowe identified him as the prototype for the character George Harris. -- Clarke's great grandson, Carver Clark Gayton, authored the introduction to a new facsimile edition of Clarke’s book. Gayton was director of Affirmative Action Programs, University of Washington; corporate director of educational relations and training, The Boeing Company; lecturer at the Evans School of Public Administration, University of Washington; and executive director, Northwest African American Museum.

Colleen McElroy, award-winning writer of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, reads from her newest poetry volume, 'Here I Throw Down My Heart.' -- McElroy's poems look at how borders between countries, or between genders and class, have deepened the lines between the haves and have-nots. -- Colleen J. McElroy is a professor emeritus of English and creative writing, University of Washington. She served as editor-in-chief of the Seattle Review from 1995-2006. McElroy has published nine collections of poems, recently, 'Sleeping with the Moon' (2007), for which she received a 2008 PEN/Oakland National Literary Award. Her creative non-fiction includes 'A Long Way from St. Louie' (travel memoirs), and 'Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar.'

When Marcus, once called M1k3y, receives a USB flash drive containing evidence of corporate and governmental treachery, his job, fame, family and well-being, as well as his reform-minded employer's election campaign, are all endangered. -- Cory Doctorow is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing (boingboing.net), and a contributor to The Guardian, the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wired, and many other newspapers, magazines and websites. He was formerly Director of European Affairs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties.

Aaron Dixon, author of 'My People Are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain,' will read from his book and answer questions about his experiences and the history of the Black Panther Party in Seattle. -- Dixon has dedicated his life to the struggle for change, founding the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968 at age 19. His memoir begins with the story of enslaved ancestors, taking us on a journey throughout American history to the life of a foot soldier in the Black Panther Party. Readers will learn about the courage of a generation and the unforgettable legacy of Black Power. -- Since that time, Dixon has founded Central House, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing for youth, and was one of the cofounders of the Cannon House, a senior assisted-living facility. Dixon also ran for the U.S. Senate on the Green Party ticket in 2006.

Humanities scholar and Chautauquan, Clay Jenkinson, presents a debate between Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, and Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States, as part of the McLellan/O'Donnell Living History Series. -- This podcast features a three-part Chautauqua performance. First, Jenkinson appears in costume in the persona of his characters, speaking as Presidents Jefferson and Roosevelt. Next he opens the floor to questions from the audience. Finally, he breaks character and answers questions as a scholar, based on his research. -- Jenkinson, a former Rhodes Scholar, is one of the nation's most popular humanities scholars and the host of the syndicated radio program, "The Thomas Jefferson Hour." -- Jenkinson is one of founders of the modern Chautauqua movement. He has portrayed Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert Oppenheimer and other historical characters in first-person interpretations. -- Jenkinson lives in his native North Dakota. He is director of the Dakota Institute of the Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, a columnist for the Bismarck Tribune, and Theodore Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University.

'Hendrix on Hendrix' includes the most important interviews from the peak of Jimi Hendrix’s career, carefully selected by one of the world’s leading Hendrix historians, Steven Roby. -- In Roby’s book, Hendrix recalls for reporters his heartbreaking childhood. He explains that his concept of "Electric Church Music" is intended to wash their souls and give them a new direction. And in his final interview, just days before his death, he discloses that he wants to be remembered as not just another guitar player. -- 'Hendrix on Hendrix' (released near what would have been Hendrix's 70th birthday) includes new transcriptions from European papers, the African-American press, and counterculture newspapers; radio and television interviews; and previously unpublished court transcripts. -- Steven Roby is a respected Hendrix historian, archivist and author. His previous books include 'Becoming Jimi Hendrix' and 'Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix.'

Thomas Ricks explores why history has been kind to the American generals of World War II and less kind to the generals of the wars that followed. -- This is the story of a widening gulf between performance and accountability. During World War II, scores of American generals were relieved of command simply for not being good enough. Today, as one American colonel said bitterly during the Iraq War, "As matters stand now, a private who loses a rifle suffers far greater consequences than a general who loses a war." -- "Combining lucid historical analysis, acid-etched portraits of generals from 'troublesome blowhard' Douglas MacArthur to 'two-time loser' Tommy Franks, and shrewd postmortems of military failures and pointless slaughters such as My Lai, the author demonstrates how everything from strategic doctrine to personnel policies create a mediocre, rigid, morally derelict army leadership ... " Publisher's Weekly starred review. -- Ricks is a fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a contributing editor of Foreign Policy magazine. He is the author of several books, including 'The Gamble' and The New York Times bestseller 'Fiasco.' He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who has covered the U.S. military for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Mark Bowden presents a gripping account of the hunt for and elimination of Osama bin Laden. -- With unprecedented access to key sources, Bowden tells about the highest profile special-forces operation ever to have been undertaken. 'The Finish' is his page-turning narrative of how the man behind 9/11 was finally brought to justice. -- Bowden is a national correspondent for The Atlantic and the bestselling author of 'Black Hawk Down,' which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the basis of the film of the same name His most recent book is 'The Best Game Ever,' about the 1958 NFL championship game.