Terry Gross

Bill Russell is considered the greatest defensive center in the history of the game. In the 1960s he helped the Celtics on to 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons. He was named the NBAs most valuable player five times. Hes written a new book, Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership From the Twentieth Centurys Greatest Winner

Hal Blaine's distinctive sound could be heard on thousands of recordings from the late 1950s and on for 25 years. He played on the hit records, Be My Baby by The Ronettes, Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys, I Got You Babe, by Sony & Cher, Mr Tambourine Man, by The Byrds, Monday, Monday by the Mamas and the Papas, Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra, and many many more. Last year Blaine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Epidemiologist and one of the world's leading experts on Alzheimer's disease, David Snowdon. In 1986 he began what he calls the "Nun Study," following a group of aging nuns to better understand why some of the sisters were able to age gracefully, retaining their mental faculties, and others were not. He studied 678 nuns who belonged to The School Sisters of Notre Dame. His study was published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Actor Colin Firth. Up until now, he was probably best known for his role as Mr Darcy in the BBC/A&E production of Pride & Prejudice. The film turned him into a heart-throb. He stars in the new film Bridget Jones's Diary based on the book of the same name which borrows from the storyline of Pride & Prejudice. He plays hate/love-interest Mark Darcy. His other films include Valmont, Another Country, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, and Fever Pitch. Firth shows off his writing in the new book edited by Nick Hornby, Speaking with the Angel. (Riverhead Books).

Ruth Reichl is editor in chief of Gourmet magazine and a former restaurant critic for The New York Times. Her book Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table, described her lifelong passion for food. She continues her story with Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table.

Attorney and former Deputy Commissioner of Baseball, Stephen Greenberg. Hell discuss his father, legendary baseball player Hank Greenberg, who faced bigotry in the 1930s and 40s as Americas first Jewish baseball star. Greenberg played first base and outfield for the Detroit Tigers from 1933-46 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947. He helped the Tigers win the penant four times. The documentary about him, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (by Aviva Kempner) will air on Cinemax this month.

She was nominated for an Academy Award this year for best actress in the film You Can Count on Me. Shes currently starring in Further Tales of the City, the third installment of Armistead Maupins saga of San Francisco life in the 1980s. Linney also starred in the previous Tales of the City and More Tales of the City. Her other films include The House of Mirth and The Truman Show. Linney got her start in the theatre when she was 12 years old.

Iranian filmmaker Bahman Farmanara. He began making films 30 years ago in his native country. Recently he returned to Iran after many years living in Canada, running a film festival and teaching. He's also returned to filmmaking. His new film Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine is his first in 20 years. He also stars in the film about a fictional film director making a film about his own death.

Journalist Mark Bowden's new book is called Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the Worlds Greatest Outlaw (Atlantic Monthly Press.) Its an investigation into the US government's role in bringing down Colombian cocaine kingpin and terrorist Pablo Escobar. BOWDEN will talk about Escobar, the world of drug trafficking and US/Colombia relations. MARK BOWDEN is a reporter with the Philadelphia Inquirer. His previous book was the award winning bestseller Black Hawk Down. A film adaptation is in the works.

Writer Michael Chabon (SHAY-bon). Chabon won a year 2001 Pulitzer prize for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (Random House). His other books include The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and a collection of stories called Werewolves in Their Youth. Last year his book Wonder Boys was adapted into a film starring Michael Douglas. He has also written for many publications including The New Yorker, Harper's, and Esquire.