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In his new book Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods, Michael Wex explores the history and culture of Yiddish: its complaints, curses and codes. A novelist and lecturer, Wex previously translated The Threepenny Opera into Yiddish.

The new Medicare prescription drug plan is complex, confusing, and irrational, according to health policy expert Jonathan Oberlander. A month after the rollout of the new Medicare prescription drug plan, many seniors are finding it difficult to get the drugs they need.

Some feminists have had a hard time accepting Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as a symbol of women's empowerment. But political science professor Ronnee Schreiber argues that conservatism and feminism are not mutually exclusive ideologies.

An emblematic story of the conquest of the West is told in Hampton Sides' new history Blood and Thunder. He focuses on the 20-year battle for control of Navajo country, a tale of bloodshed and deceit.

He's been a mad scientist, a gun-slinging cowboy, a twisted chocolate maker and other zanily hilarious characters. But actor Gene Wilder still doesn't consider himself a funny man. He speaks about his career and his new autobiography Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art.

Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl returns with another set of titles you should be reading but haven't (yet). The latest batch features the story of three royal cousins, tales of wild animal adventures and a pun-filled picture book for younger readers.

Writer Mark Vaz's new book is Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong. Cooper was an explorer, war hero, filmmaker and cinema pioneer. A new biography tells of this larger-than-life personality.

Lewis Black is a playwright, stand-up comic, actor, and a commentator on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He's been described as having the mouth of a shock-jock and the heart of a liberal. His new book is entitled Nothing's Sacred.

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr moves into Najaf in southern Iraq Tuesday, surrounded by supporters. In a statement, Sadr promised more violence unless U.S. troops pull out of populated areas and release all Iraqi prisoners. American officials have branded Sadr an outlaw. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

U.S. military officials say American Marines will go into Fallujah, Iraq, "sooner rather than later" in response to the deaths of four U.S. security contractors. U.S. forces are studying tapes of the televised incident to identify those responsible. NPR's Philip Reeves reports on the latest developments from Iraq.