This Week in Reading September 7 -13

There are a few famous names of prolific authors this week. There are the well known novelists Leo Tolstoy, D. H. Lawrence, and Sherwood Anderson, as well as children's favorite Roald Dahl. Several storywriters of note are here, today's Michael Ondaatje and yesterday's O Henry. Famous popular novelists include James Hilton, Phyllis Whitney, and Ann Beattie.

It's also a week for authors who critique social mores, from America's great skeptic, H. L. Mencken to investigative journalist Jessica Mitford and from social philosopher Theodor Adorno to political blogger Markos Moulitsas. For a different take on a type of social mores there's also etiquette maven Judith Martin and spiritual adviser Neale Donald Walsch.

This Week's Question: A (minor) planet was named for one of the authors born this week, whose work often transcended genre expectations. Who was it?

Answer to Last Week's Question: It was indeed a trick question. While Robert M. Pirsig wrote his famous Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, an inquiry into values to discuss philosophical issues that were brought up on a cross country motorcycle trip with his son, psychologist "Dr. Phil" McGraw also has spent many of his free hours on motorcycles as it was his hobby for a long time.