By the Book

Sixty-five of the world's leading writers open up about the books and authors that have meant the most to them
Every Sunday, readers of The New York Times Book Review turn with anticipation to see which novelist, historian, short story writer, or artist will be the subject of the popular By the Book feature. These wide-ranging interviews are conducted by Pamela Paul, the editor of the Book Review, and here she brings together sixty-five of the most intriguing and fascinating exchanges, featuring personalities as varied as David Sedaris, Hilary Mantel, Michael Chabon, Khaled Hosseini, Anne Lamott, and James Patterson.
By the Book contains the full uncut interviews, offering a range of experiences and observations that deepens readers' understanding of the literary sensibility and the writing process. The questions and answers admit us into the private worlds of these authors, as they reflect on their work habits, reading preferences, inspirations, pet peeves, and recommendations.
For the devoted reader, By the Book is a way to invite sixty-five of the most interesting guests into your world. It's a book party not to be missed.
Featuring Conversations with . . .
Lena Dunham
John Irving
Elizabeth Gilbert
Ira Glass
Junot Díaz
J. K. Rowling
Ian McEwan
Jared Diamond
Alain de Botton
Katherine Boo
Sheryl Sandberg
Isabel Allende
Anna Quindlen
Jonathan Franzen
Dan Brown
James McBride
Jhumpa Lahiri
Christopher Buckley
Malcolm Gladwell
Donna Tartt
Ann Patchett
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Chang-Rae Lee
Gary Shteyngart
. . . among others

Foreword by Scott Turow xiii
Introduction by Pamela Paul xvii
David Sedaris 2
Lena Dunham 6
Neil Gaiman 10
Mary Higgins Clark 16
Drew Gilpin Faust 20
Carl Hiaasen 24
John Irving 28
Elizabeth Gilbert 32
Richard Ford 36
Colin Powell 40
Dave Eggers 44
Sylvia Nasar 48
Ira Glass 52
Junot Díaz 58
Joyce Carol Oates 64
Nicholson Baker 70
Emma Thompson 74
Michael Chabon 78
Jeffrey Eugenides 82
J. K. Rowling 86
David Mitchell 90
John Grisham 96
P. J. O'Rourke 100
Anne Lamott 104
Ian McEwan 108
Lee Child 112
Arnold Schwarzenegger 118
Francine Prose 122
Jared Diamond 126
Alain de Botton 132
Dave Barry 136
Katherine Boo 140
Marilynne Robinson 144
Sheryl Sandberg 148
Caroline Kennedy 152
Isabel Allende 158
Anna Quindlen 162
Jonathan Franzen 166
Hilary Mantel 170
Walt er Mosley 176
Khaled Hosseini 182
Jeannette Walls 186
Dan Brown 190
Dan Savage 194
Christopher Buckley 198
Curtis Sittenfeld 202
James McBride 206
James Patterson 210
Jonathan Lethem 214
Jhumpa Lahiri 218
Richard Dawkins 222
Sting 228
Andrew Solomon 232
Malcolm Gladwell 238
Scott Turow 242
Donna Tartt 246
Ann Patchett 250
Amy Tan 254
Bryan Cranston 260
Michael Connelly 264
Neil deGrasse Tyson 268
E. L. Doctorow 274
Chang-rae Lee 280
Gary Shteyngart 286
Rachel Kushner 290
acknowledgments 295
index 297