Last night, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart interviewed Nikolas Kozloff, author of Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Palgrave, $14.95), which PW found “a thoughtful, well-researched alternative to the majority of information available on Chavez in the English-speaking world.”

Later tonight, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart hosts science writer Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us (Thomas Dunne, $24.95; Audio Renaissance CD, $39.95). PW starred its review, calling it an “imaginative hybrid of solid science reporting and morbid speculation. Weisman's enthralling tour of the world of tomorrow explores what little will remain of ancient times while anticipating, often poetically, what a planet without us would be like.”

Authors on today’s Leonard Lopate Show:

New York Times reporter Margalit Fox raised Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind (S&S, $26), which pubs today. From PW’s review: “Fox takes readers on a fascinating tour of deaf communication, clearly explaining difficult concepts, and effortlessly introducing readers to a silent world where communication is anything but slow and awkward.”

Ian Jackman, former managing director of the Modern Library, served up Eat This! 1,001 Things to Eat Before You Diet (HarperCollins, $14.95). PW found it “an informational tour-de-force, a guidebook suitable for everyone from the couch potato to the frequent flyer.”

Chef Peter Berley set The Flexitarian Table: Inspired, Flexible Meals for Vegetarians, Meat Lovers, and Everyone in Between (Houghton Mifflin, $30). PW’s starred review deemed it a “stylish collection of recipes… Berley's savvy tips on technique and flavor-pairing make this an affable and informative guide for any chef—regardless of diet affiliation.”

On The Diane Rehm Show, veteran journalist Mike O'Connor endured Crisis, Pursued by Disaster, Followed Closely by Catastrophe: A Memoir of Life on the Run (Random House, $24.95).

Tonight, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts tennis champion James Blake, whose memoir is Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life (HarperCollins, $25.95).

On Last Call with Carson Daly: philanthropist David de Rothschild, author of The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook (Rodale, $14.95).

Due to the nature of live programming, scheduling is subject to change. For more detailed information about author appearances on these shows and others as well as listings of book mentions and book reviews, visit TitleSmart.

Booksellers can order these titles through Ingram at ipage.

Authors on the Air is compiled by Diane Patrick. To be included in the compilation, email DPatrickPW@aol.com.