Night-Table Reading

Arnold Scansi, designer: An Uncommon Woman, by Hannah Pakula (Simon & Schuster), andAfter All,by Mary Tyler Moore (Putnam). "I try to read two books at a time; otherwise, how can you ever read as much as you'd like to? Both books are about very strong women who had really difficult lives."

Tipper Gore, Second Lady, photographer: Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art, by Jodi Cobb (Knopf). "In this stunningly beautiful book, Jodi Cobb unveils the mysteries of the geisha life at the heart of Japanese society, and vividly captures the ceremonial and private world of these human works of art."

Jimmy Buffett, musician, novelist: The Unknown Shore, by Patrick O'Brian (Norton). "I think he is the best seafaring storywriter I've read sinceJoseph Conrad."

Jada Pinkett, actress: Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black, by bell hooks (South End Press). "This book is enlightening because it offers a more sophisticated view of the world through the eyes of a mature black woman."