BOOKS OF THE TIMES
A Challenge for the U.S.: Sun Rising on the East
By MICHIKO KAKUTANI
Fareed Zakaria contends that the age of unipolar American power is over, writing that "we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people."


BOOKS OF THE TIMES
Hard Sell, Soft Touch and the Right Question
By JANET MASLIN
Barbara Walters's "Audition: A Memoir" is a legitimately star-studded autobiography.

BOOKS OF THE TIMES
Little Pieces of Los Angeles, Done His Way
By JANET MASLIN
James Frey stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park with his new book.


BOOKS OF THE TIMES
A World of Stories From a Son of Vietnam
By MICHIKO KAKUTANI
Whether it's the prospect of dying at sea or being shot by a drug kingpin or losing family members in a war, Nam Le's people are individuals trapped in the cross hairs of fate.