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Book Talk

A DANGEROUS TIME ... Palo Alto author Keith Raffel's "A Fine and Dangerous Season" is set just a few days before the Cuban Missile Crisis when "JFK needs an old friend from his time in Palo Alto to come help him stop two countries hell-bent on nuclear war," according to Raffel. Raffel says he had "a great time researching" JFK's stay during fall quarter of 1940 at the Stanford Business School when he paid $60 per month rent for his place on campus. The book is available through Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com.

AT STANFORD ... Upcoming author talks at the Stanford Bookstore, 519 Lasuen Mall, include: Jory John, "K is for Knifeball" (Sept. 24, noon-1 p.m.); Nancy Singleton Hachisu, "Japanese Farm Food" (Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m.); Martha Collins, "White Papers" (Oct. 6, 10:30 a.m.); and Nancy Huddleston Packer, "Old Ladies-Stories" (Oct. 10, 6 p.m.). Information: stanfordbookstore.com or 650-329-1217.

GIVING AWAY $$$ ... Palo Alto resident Colburn Wilbur, a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation where he was CEO for 23 years, has co-written with Fred Setterberg "Giving With Confidence: A Guide to Savvy Philanthropy," which will be published by Heyday in October. The book deals with seven core principles aimed at helping people maximize the impact of their contributions. Wilbur currently sits on a variety of boards, including Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and the Stanford Theatre. He is the coauthor of "The Complete Guide to Grantmaking Basics." The book is available at Amazon.com and from the publisher at heydaybooks.com

AUTHOR ENCOUNTER ... Amy Tan, author of "The Joy Luck Club," "Saving Fish from Drowning," "The Bonesetter's Daughter" and "The Kitchen God's Wife," will talk about the intersection of science and creativity with interviewer Louann Brizendine, M.D., author of "The Female Brain" and "The Male Brain," on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Schultz Cultural Hall at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Tickets are $35 at the door, discounted in advance. Information: www.paloaltojcc.org.

MEET THE AUTHORS ... Upcoming author events at Kepler's Books at 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, include Salman Rushdie in conversation with Tobias Wolff, "Joseph Anton: A Memoir" (Sept. 25, 12:30 p.m., co-sponsored by India Community Center); T.C. Boyle, "San Miguel" (Sept. 26, 12:30 p.m.); and Carissa Phelps, "Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Streets, One Helping Hand at a Time" (Sept. 28, 7 p.m.). Tickets at $35 admit one person and include a copy of the book; $10 admits one person (without the book). Also, authors at Books Inc., #74 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, include: Stephanie Lucianovic, "Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate" (Sept. 27, 7 p.m.); Lynn Povich, "The Good Girls Revolt" (Oct. 1, 7 p.m., co-sponsored by the Palo Alto Library); Scott Hutchins, "A Working Theory of Love" (Oct. 4, 7 p.m.); Joshua Welle with Rachel Torres, "In the Shadow of Greatness" (Oct. 8, 7 p.m.); Jon Klassen, "This Is Not My Hat" (Oct. 11, 7 p.m.). Information: www.keplers.com and www.booksinc.net.

Items for Book Talk may be sent to Associate Editor Carol Blitzer, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 93202 or emailed to cblitzer@paweekly.com by the last Friday of the month.