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In November 1979, gunmen in Mecca seized Islam's holiest shrine to proclaim the arrival of the Muslim messiah. It took Saudi forces, aided by French commandos, two weeks to flush the rebels out of Mecca.

In a new book, two British investigative journalists dig into the story of Pakistan's clandestine nuclear network — and America's role not just in condoning its ally's nuclear ambitions, but aiding them. Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark are senior correspondents for the Guardian newspaper; their book is titled Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons.

The travel season — for people and for sweets — is approaching. Dorie Greenspan, author of the cookbook Baking, shares with Michele Norris her advice on how to pack your baked goods so they arrive tasty and intact.

Judith Jones appreciates the finer things in life, especially good cooking. Credited with discovering Julia Child, Jones celebrates food. Her new memoir is called The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food.

In This Republic Of Suffering, historian Drew Gilpin Faust reveals that the rate of death during the American Civil war was six times that of World War II — a fact which created a shared sense of suffering that helped the nation reunite after the war was over.

Awkward over hors d'oeuvres? A mess with martinis? Knowing what to say at a cocktail party can be overwhelming — but these three books will have you culturally informed in no time.

The 1950s insult comic Don Rickles made a name for himself by poking fun of audiences and public figures. His new book, Rickles' Letters, is a collection of imaginary correspondences to a variety of historical and contemporary figures.

Set in the 17th century, Toni Morrison's new novel A Mercy is the story of a slave girl whose mother gives her away to a stranger in a desperate attempt to secure her a better future. Maureen Corrigan hails the book as a prequel (of sorts) to Morrison's earlier novel Beloved.

Comedian Robert Schimmel has suffered tragedies, including the death of his child and his own battle with cancer. But throughout it all, Schimmel managed to find strength in humor. His recent memoir is Cancer on $5 a Day.

Sergio Vieira de Mello was the United Nations' envoy in Iraq when he was killed by a terrorist attack on the Canal Hotel in August 2003. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power has written a book about Vieira de Mello's life.