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A.J. Jacobs is on a quest to become the smartest guy in the world by reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. Under the letter "S," he's learned about the often-amusing history of sexuality -- from randy King Solomon to the misguided contraceptive measures of the Middle Ages. Jacobs shares some of the more interesting tidbits he's gleaned with NPR's Scott Simon.

Britain's Guillemots are a young band that fuses unique sonic textures with catchy, uplifting music. The end result is completely modern-sounding pop: The band challenges the listener while also paying homage to a rich songwriting history.

Historian Douglas Brinkley, a New Orleans resident and professor at Tulane University, talks about his new book, The Great Deluge. Brinkley left the city just after Hurricane Katrina hit last year, but returned to help with rescue efforts and began collecting oral histories about the catastrophe.

Nicholas Wade, science reporter for The New York Times, examines what we've learned about our human ancestors using the latest techniques in DNA analysis in his new book, Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors.

Religion scholar Bart D. Ehrman, who chairs the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, talks about his new book, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend.

The Supreme Court rules that Texas may keep its Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the state capitol in Austin. The majority opinion said the installment treats the commandments as history. But the court also ruled that two Kentucky counties' displays unconstitutionally promote religion.

Hurricane Jeanne sweeps through much of central Florida, killing six people and leaving millions without power. President Bush has declared the state major disaster area. FEMA is now coping with the largest relief effort in its history. Hear NPR's Anthony Brooks.

NPR's Robert Siegel and NPR's Melissa Block read from listeners' letters in response to stories we aired on the theft of Edward Munch's "The Scream," Mike Shuster's final installment of the history of the Middle East and the West, and our point and counterpoint commentaries on the Swift Boat Veterans anti-Kerry TV ads.

The war in Iraq has polarized voters like no other issue in this presidential election year. With U.S. fatalities in Iraq continuing to rise, the volatile situation in Iraq is likely to make the election outcome as unpredictable as any in history. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

Novelist Alan Hollinghurst is awarded this year's prestigious Man Booker Prize. Hollinghurst won for The Line of Beauty, the first gay-themed novel to win the British literary honor in its 36-year history. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and Rebecca Jones of the BBC.