title: About the Author: The Passionate Reader's Guide to the Authors You Love, Including Things You Never Knew, Juicy Bits You'll Want to Know, and Hundreds of Ideas for What to Read Next
author:  Alfred Glossbrenner 
description: Who was the inspiration for the character of Rhett Butler? Where can I find Terry McMillan's tips for a book-promotion campaign? How old was Issac Asimov when he graduated from high school? With its entertaining blend of trivia, biographical facts, and reading recommendations, <I>About the Author</I> provides information on all your favorite writers and their books. Arranged alphabetically, the authors get a full two pages each, including dates of major life events, related Web sites and fan clubs, a full list of titles, and personal inspirations that can give you new ideas for other books to discover. Is Wally Lamb your favorite author? Since some of his favorites are Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, and John Updike, maybe you should give some of their books a try. Several generations are covered here, and all genres, including C.S. Lewis, Zora Neale Hurston, Mario Puzo, and Patricia Cornwell. You say you've worked your way through all these books already? Well, check out the "What Else to Read" section at the back--these pages cover award-winning titles, bestsellers, and "Top 25" lists assembled by universities, fan Web sites, and professional organizations devoted to specific genres. College students who consider themselves well-read will be surprised at how many Pulitzer Prize winners they're unfamiliar with. The list of banned books may be just the thing to get your teen reading regularly. A terrific guidebook for literature lovers, it even has a listing of regional events related to books and reading, as well as contact information for major publishers and booksellers. Read this book with pen and paper in hand; you're sure to have a reading list several pages long by the time you've finished. <I>--Jill Lightner</I>
zlib_text: _**Praise for**_  
   _ **the bestselling classic**_
  
   **T** **HE**  
   **Plains**  
   **O** **F**  
   **Passage**
  
  > “Auel brings alive a world that has been irretrievably lost to us.”
  
  >  _—Chicago Sun-Times_
  
  > “Thrilling … This magical book is rich in details of all kinds … but it is
  > the depth of the characters’ emotional lives … that gives the novel such a
  > stranglehold.”
  
  >  _—Cosmopolitan_
  
  > “Pure entertainment at its sublime, wholly exhilarating, best … Auel, a
  > superb raconteur, has crafted a consistently engaging adventure story with a
  > solid historical underpinning.”
  
  >  _—Los Angeles Times_
  
  > “A gripping story … A major book that truly has something for everyone and
  > can only enhance her high reputation as a writer, storyteller, and
  > historian.”
  
  >  _—Boston Sunday Herald_
  
  > “An admirable job … exhilarating, exciting and believable.”
  
  >  _—Miami Herald_
  
  > “As welcome as letters from a long-lost friend … Impeccably researched … as
  > warm and inviting as its campfire mi