NIGHT-TABLE Reading

THE TALK-SHOW HOSTS

CONAN O'BRIEN

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Random House)

"I'm enjoying this book because it confirms just about everything I have learned after 20 years of working in television: humans have bad brains, and nobody— especially anyone in a position of authority— knows what the hell they are talking about. I also like the pretty bird on the cover."

JAY LENO

Equations of Motion: Adventure, Risk, and Innovation, by William F. Milliken (Bentley)

"Bill Milliken is an engineer, and he wrote the book at age 95. He was practically there when Lindbergh took off. It's just a fascinating look at motion through the 20th century."

MARTHA STEWART

Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson (GraywolJ)

"I am currently reading a fabulous novel that I can't put down, by Norwegian novelist Per Petterson. The book is beautifully written, different, heartbreaking, and evocative."