Biography & Memoir

O'Toole is the star of "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Lion in the Winter," and "My Favorite Year." He has a new autobiography about the start of his career, called "Loitering with Intent.

Larry Colton has a new memoir called, "Goat Brothers." it's about he and his faternity brothers at the University of California at Berkeley in the early 1960s and what happened to them. They were superjocks who are unprepared for life after college. One reviewer writes, "a gripping, often painful look at lives that went right and awry in about equal measure."

Crowe was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Reagan and Bush. He's now chair of Clinton's foreign intelligence advisory board. In the late 1980s, Crowe developed an unusual friendship with his Soviet counterpart, Marshal Sergei F. Akromeyev, who later committed suicide after being accused of taking part in the Soviet coup. Crowe urged Bush to delay the start up in the Gulf War. And later, he endorsed Clinton for president. His new book is called, "The Line of Fire"

A reading by Gary Paulsen from his new book, "Eastern Sun, Winter Moon." It details a harrowing story of the violent way his mother protected him from a potential predator.

Dillinger is a longtime peace worker, editor and author. He was jailed for civil disobedience a generation before Daniel and Philip Berrigan. He was part of the "Chicago Seven," the group of seven antiwar demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic National Convention which erupted into violence between demonstrators and police. Dellinger has written six books. His latest is an account of his spiritual journey, "Fram Yale to Jail."

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Remembering Denny," the new book by Calvin Trillin. It's about the passing of Trillin's friend who was a middling social scientist and troubled homosexual.

Kim Rich has written a new memoir, "Johnny's Girl," about growing up in Anchorage, Alaska during the oil boom years. Her father was a notorious underworld figure in the city who operated illegal gambling houses and massage parlors all over the city. He was eventually murdered.

Carlisle is the granddaughter of renowned Russian writer Leonid Andreyev. She grew up in Paris, but travelled to Russia in the 1960s, where she befriended that country's most prominent writers. For 20 years she was exiled from Russia because of her friendship with Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose work she published in the west. She returned to her native country in 1989 to find it vastly changed. Her new memoir is "Under A New Sky: A Reunion with Russia."

Rollin's 1976 best-selling book about surviving breast-cancer, "First, You Cry," is being reissued. She lost one breast to cancer in 1975; in 1984, she had the other breast removed. Rollin also wrote the book, "Last Wish," about helping her mother -- who was dying from ovarian cancer -- to die.

Wu Ningkun, author of a new personal and political memoir, A Single Tear, talks about surviving three decades of Communist rule in China. Wu was born in China, went to college in the United States, and returned to China in 1951 with hopes that the new Communist regime would benefit his country. Instead, he was labeled counter-revolutionary for teaching works by Western authors and sentenced to serve time at various labor camps and prisons. He now lives in the United States with his family.

The daughter of Marlene Dietrich, Maria Riva. Dietrich died last May at the age of 90, with her mystique still intact. Riva has written a memoir, "Marlene Dietrich," which relies on Riva's memories and on Dietrich's letters and diaries. It's been called a "sympathetic" book about a woman who is "uncaring," and who had a complex relationship with her own sexuality. Riva also describes her mother's decline into alcoholism.

Johnston's memoir, "Shooting the Boh," is not only an account of her adventure going down the river dealing with leeches, waterfalls, foot rot, and moldy clothes -- it's about her onset of menopause during the trip. One reviewer writes, "A powerful adventure of the head as well as the body: not to be missed."

Chancellor of the New York City school system, Joseph Fernandez. He's been a controversial figure: he's made condoms available in the public schools, and approved a multicultural curriculum, called "Children of the Rainbow," that teaches respect for gays and lesbians. Fernandez is Puerto Rican and grew up in Spanish Harlem. He was a gang member and a heroin addict. Late,r he joined the Air Force, where he kicked the habit, and attended college on the G.I. bill.

Novelist, journalist and columnist Pete Hamill. He's written seven novels, including "Flesh and Blood," and "Loving Women." Most recently he was editor-in-chief at the New York Post. He's latest book is a memoir of the years he spent drinking, "A Drinking Life: A Memoir," (Little, Brown & Co.) Hamill quit drinking twenty years ago. One reviewer in Publishers Weekly writes about Hamill's new memoir, "This is not a jeremiad condemning drink, however, but a thoughtful, funny, street-smart reflection on its consequences."

Author Lorenzo Carcaterra is managing editor of the CBS weekly series "Top Cops." He's written a memoir, "A Safe Place," about growing up, the son of a violent, loving, murderous, and generous father. They lived in New York's Hell's Kitchen during the 50s and 60s. Lorenzo found out at the age of 14 that his father had murdered his first wife when she threatened to leave him. Lorenzo's father went on to terrorize his second wife, beating her and Lorenzo. Yet his father also could be warm and affectionate to his family.

Former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the former Editor-in-Chief of "Connoisseur," Thomas Hoving. He's written a new book "Making the Mummies Dance: Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met is probably the richest museum in the world, with three million works of art, and artifacts that span 50 centuries. Hoving was with the Met for ten years and has been credited with transforming it from a somber monolith into a friendly and exciting place.

Writer and Vietnam veteran Lewis Puller's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Fortunate Son," is now out in paperback. His father, Chesty Puller, was a famous Marine. Lewis also joined the Marines in 1967, and was badly wounded in Vietnam.

Tharp studied ballet with George Balanchine, and modern dance with Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor. In 1965 she formed her own company, Twyla Tharp Dance, which she ran for more than 20 years with over 70 works created and performed. She's collaborated with Mikhail Baryshnikov and David Byrne. She has a new autobiography, "Push Comes to Shove."

Williams grew up in an abusive family; they didn't know she was autistic. Williams has been labeled "deaf," "retarded," and "crazy." She ran away from home at a young age, lived on the streets, and managed to put herself through college. When she was 25, she learned the word "autistic," and set out to articulate to others her experience living in "a world under glass." Her autobiography is called "Nobody Nowhere."

Caine has made over 70 films, from Alfie to Sleuth to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to Hannah and Her Sisters. He has a new autobiography called "What's It All About?," and will be appearing in the upcoming Muppet's Christmas movie.