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British writer Will Self has a new novel, The Book of Dave. It's the worldly testament of a London cabbie. The ideal man to review it is Will Grozier, a London cabbie who frequently chats with Scott Simon about books.

Brothers Chip and Dan Heath examine why some ideas spread around the globe, while others are forgettable, in their book, Made to Stick. They say most people don't know how to frame their ideas in a clear and compelling way.

NPR's John Ydstie interviews Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, a novel set in World War II Germany with Death himself as the narrator. The book tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who lives with a foster family in a tough, working-class neighborhood of Molching, Germany.

Ken Lloyd, author of Jerks at Work: How to Deal with People Problems and Problem People, discusses what to do when your boss is a bully. It's an issue that's been in the news as a result of the John Bolton confirmation hearings.

Cara Black's crime novels explore the gritty underbelly of the City of Light, neighborhood by neighborhood. She draws on a longtime network of contacts — including private detectives and police officers — for inspiration.

Two recent contributions to the horror genre, Drood and the Twilight saga, have breathed new life into old thrills and chills. Maureen Corrigan has a review.

Louise Erdrich's new novel, Shadow Tag, is the story of a woman who writes two diaries — one that she knows her husband is reading, and one that she keeps secret. As she manipulates her husband, their marriage falls apart.

The 2008 presidential election was the longest and most expensive in U.S. history. The campaign is now the subject of a book, Game Change, by two political reporters, John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. The book has been making headlines with some of its revelations, but critic John Powers wonders whether that's a good thing.

The Postmistress, a new novel by Sarah Blake, tells two stories set during the early days of World War II. In the first, an American radio reporter sends back dispatches from London during the Blitz, and in the second, two residents of a small Massachusetts town respond to those reports.

A first novel by a much-honored short-story writer imagines a financial system wracked by risk and on the verge of collapse. Yet Adam Haslett wrote Union Atlantic before the current financial crisis exploded, making him seem more prescient than he will confess to being.