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David Remnick has a nearly impossible task in his new biography of Barack Obama: writing "the most complete account yet" of the most famous man on the planet. The well-written and well-researched book may be ahead of its time; the events in it are so familiar right now that its scholarship may resonate better in 20 years.

Thousands of Americans fall victim to e-mail scams each year, according to the U.S. State Department. But an online community of people called scambaiters found creative — and hilarious — ways to get revenge.

Heat author Bill Buford finds "his McGee" indispensable — that is, Harold McGee's essential tome On Food and Cooking. "McGee is the most important person alive writing about food," Buford says.

Can inspiration hit too close to home? Author Alex Gilvarry chronicles the challenges of trying to emulate famed writer Norman Mailer — while staying in Mailer's old house.

George Orwell's dystopian vision offers such devastating political commentary that it's rarely described as a suspense novel. But author and former CIA operative Barry Eisler says the book simply proves just how powerful a thriller with a message can be.

Slaughter is a master of the thriller genre; her latest book, Broken, is full of twists and turns and technical details. In the latest installment of our "Thrilled to Death" series, Slaughter talks with NPR's Michele Norris about the stories that keep her in suspense.

In James' Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer is wise enough to understand that if you're not happy without a man, you certainly won't be happy with one. Writer Rhoda Janzen loves the book because it shows what a woman does once she acknowledges her own complicity in the life she has chosen.

Based on The Count of Monte Cristo, Alfred Bester's saga The Stars My Destination will transport you off the couch and into a roiling world of futuristic teleportation. Author John Baxter says the book injects new life and energy into a classic tale.

The stopgap bill keeps federal agencies funded at current levels through mid-December. But a fight over reforming the permitting process for energy projects is bumping against a Friday deadline.

Sacred Hunger, a brutal portrait of human ruthlessness and redemption set on an 18th century slaving ship, inspired Ethan Canin to expand his ambitions as a writer.