NPR

The business meeting, often composed of a stale snack, far-from-witty banter and inane blathering, is a test in unspoken social tact. Commentator Alain de Botton attempts to explain what true purpose business meetings serve.

There's a hot personal accessory out -- one reviewer uses it for e-mail; another for sushi. It's being called a timesaver -- even "the greatest thing ever invented." It's called the Laptop Steering Wheel Desk. We'll let you be the judge of when it's safe to use.

The grunge scene was a medley of wayward youth, largely left to its own devices. It was documented heavily by now-renowned photographer Michael Lavine. His photos from the '80s and '90s grunge scene now form the content of a new book, aptly named "Grunge."

Judges in Italy are expected to hand down a verdict Wednesday in the first-ever trial examining the practice known as extraordinary rendition. Twenty-six Americans, mostly CIA agents, are being tried.

Democrats are playing down Tuesday's gubernatorial losses in Virginia and New Jersey as far less than a referendum on President Obama and his agenda. But the losses do offer Republicans a model for victory in the 2010 midterms.

NPR bloggers Ken Rudin and Frank James offer their observations and analyses from 7 to 10 p.m. EST. They're watching races in Maine, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, Texas and beyond. You can join the conversation as they live blog the results on the "Political Junkie" blog.

The Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand province are pursuing a counterinsurgency strategy of "hold to build" — pushing out the Taliban and helping the Afghan government bring a sense of normalcy to villages in a region known as the "snake's head."

A new weekly feature spotlights staff picks of standout books. This week, new novels from Barbara Kingsolver, Philip Roth and Paul Auster. Jonathan Safran Foer makes the case against Eating Animals, and Ken Auletta's Googled profiles one of the world's most significant companies.

Jones' new album, The Fall, maintains her jazzy, sultry sound while pushing into more contemporary pop territory. It's a different direction for the singer, but suitable for old fans and newcomers alike. Hear the album in its entirety two weeks before its release.

A new feature that has been quickly embraced by users of Twitter is "Lists," which allows you to organize Twitter users into groups and share that list with others. But apparently the news hasn't gotten all the way to the North Pole.

The economy looms large Tuesday as an issue in New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election bid and the other elections around the country. But President Obama's record on job creation will be front and center once again a year from now, when many more races will be on the ballot.

In January 2010, NPR will launch a year-long exploration of 50 great voices in recorded history. You nominated thousands of options. Help us narrow down the list to the final 50 by voting for your top five favorites.

Author Jonathan Safran Foer grapples with the morality of meat and the brutality of the factory farm system in his new book, Eating Animals. The book is part memoir and part investigative report.

In an NPR interview, former Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah says it was "a painful decision" to abandon the fraud-marred election in advance of a scheduled runoff vote.