As its name implies, Benjamin Busch's stunning new memoir Dust to Dust is largely a meditation on life and death. Although Busch is a decorated Marine Corps officer who served two tours of duty in Iraq, Dust to Dust is much more than a war memoir...

Controversial political comedian Bill Maher, whose digs can strike the funny bone while hitting a nerve, wants to stimulate critical thinking through the gateway of humor. Once the benign host of Comedy Central and ABC’s “Politically Incorrect,” the libertarian found himself on shaky ground after Sept. 11, when there was . . .

Controversial comedian Bill Maher, whose digs can strike the funny bone while hitting a nerve, wants to stimulate critical thinking through the gateway of humor. The fearless if not ruthless cynic, host of HBO’s Emmy-nominated series “Real Time,” will perform at the Riverside Theater on Thursday, July 24. We spoke with Maher by phone in early June, discussing politics, religion and the war on drugs. We began by probing about the relevance of his profession. “Too many people, especially the younger generation, don’t get their news from real sources but comedy shows, which is a little like reading the CliffsNotes instead of the actual book,” he says. “I guess it’s better than watching ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ At least . . .

A good joke takes time to set up. Comedians can’t just rush the punch line; they have to finesse it, tease it. For Flight of the Conchords, the New Zealand musical comedy duo turned HBO stars and, subsequently . . .

No program highlights the disparity between critical opinion and commercial success better than “The Wire,” HBO’s fervently acclaimed but largely unwatched crime epic. The Chicago Tribune and Entertainment Weekly have crowned it the best show . . .