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This story was corrected on Nov. 10, 2009. An explanation of the correction is at the end of the story.

With Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame promising to sing and postulate on politics while hawking his newest children's book and CD "Day is Done," the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington's 40th Annual Book Festival promises to be interesting. He's not the only bigwig on board; Michael Jordan's hotshot agent David Falk plans to talk shop, but don't expect the Rockville resident to kiss and tell when discussing his book "The Bold Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Board Room." And as for gals, Jeffrey Zaslow offers up an intimate profile of 10 women in "The Girls of Ames: A Story of a Forty Year Friendship," and Deborah Tannen will address the complicated relationship between sisters she discovered in researching her book "You Were Always Mom's Favorite! Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives."

If these authors aren't enough to bring people to the book festival, another 21 writers will be mingling and signing in Rockville from Thursday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Nov. 15. Expecting some 5,000 attendees, festival committee members have spent months reading books, choosing authors and organizing the festival. It may be a thankless job, but there's a reason for the hoopla.

"Jews are all about education and the book," concludes book fair organizer Linda Gittleson.

And while plenty of JCCs hold book fairs, she points out, "Nowhere else can a person find a bookstore with some 6,000 books written by Jews or having Jewish content."

She also hastens to add that people of all faiths are more than welcome. Whereas many of the books are geared toward the religion and the culture, the retail shop is stocked with books on everything from dog training to healthy eating to immigration stories to a tribute to the late shoe designer Beth Levin.

Dreaming of the 1960s

With the book festival celebrating its fourth decade, inviting a 1960s icon to be the keynote speaker at the book festival's Patron's Party seemed mandatory. But before Peter Yarrow can discuss his newest children's books, he wants to talk of the recent death of his singing partner Mary Travis.

"I am still in the mourning process," he says, explaining that he grieves not only for Travis, but also for "the innocence of another time. Now we have a terrible reality."

For some five minutes, Yarrow recalls how soldiers going to Vietnam used the trio's song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" as their anthem, and "Puff the Magic Dragon" was about "yearning and not marijuana."

But it's not all about the olden days for the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter. He is also proud that his books and CDs for children have become bestsellers.

"What folk singer in the last decade has sold a million CDs?" he asks.

He has a point. Following the success of his children's storybook and musical CD "Puff the Magic Dragon," he made "Day is Done" into an illustrated children's book.

Girls just want to have friends

Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Zaslow knew he was on to something after his 2003 column on women and friendship garnered some 250 e-mails. In the midst of thinking about ideas for future books after co-writing the late Randy Pausch's bestseller "The Last Lecture," the column came to mind. Re-reading the e-mails, the women from Ames, Iowa, stood out.

"I was impressed how the women pulled together when one woman's daughter had leukemia and how the 11th member died mysteriously at age 22," he recalls. Most of all, he was taken by learning that "when they got together, they laughed so hard, it was hard not wetting their pants."

During the writing of "The Girls of Ames: A Story of a Forty Year Friendship," Zaslow read the women's letters and diaries, and spent a weekend with the whole group. As the father of three daughters, he became fascinated with women's relationships, noting that even after years of playing poker together, his male friends don't even know his children's names.

"We just talk cards," he admits.

Zaslow observed intimacy and loyalty among the women that helped define the stoic Midwesterners, regardless of where they lived or their lifestyle choices.

The author also will bring along the book, "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters," that he wrote with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

Momma's boy

David Falk is well-known in sports circles. As Michael Jordan's agent, he has worked deals for numerous National Basketball Association clients. While Falk doesn't want to call "The Bold Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Board Room" an autobiography, he uses stories from his life to make practical points about business. He speaks of loyalty and friendship, two words often forgotten as folks plunge, and at times plunder, into their careers searching for success. Sure, the guy is stuck on himself, yet he isn't afraid to write about the time he almost cried in a meeting or that he felt wronged by his agency. Best of all, he isn't embarrassed to admit the importance of his own mother in shaping his life. For sports enthusiasts, Falk offers a fascinating account of making deals for super stars like Alonzo Mourning and Jordan. And while the author insists that "success is not all about making money," he might have a hard time convincing the younger generation.

Sister, sister

When writing "You Were Always Mom's Favorite! Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives" Deborah Tannen learned that American women always begin by saying they are "different from their sisters." But for Asian-born women, it's all about respecting the oldest sibling or at least acting as if they do. Tannen interviewed hundreds of women from the Ukraine and Vietnam, as well as African-American women and even her own two sisters in what she calls an "anthropological study."

And while the relationships can be wrought with jealousy, Tannen found that the competition between sisters sometimes spurs each sibling to try something new. She also heard about some relationships so painful that one sister will cut off all contact with her sibling, often without an explanation. After reading this book, such sisters might feel compelled to pick up the phone.

The 40th Annual Book Festival is set for Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville. Hours are: Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday through Thursday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Friday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Peter Yarrow will perform at the Patron's Party at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Tickets are $225 for couples, $115 individual. Jeffrey Zaslow will discuss his books at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9; David Falk will sign and talk about his book at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, and Deborah Tannen will speak at noon Sunday, Nov. 15. Tickets are available for purchase online, by phone or in person at the JCC Book Festival box office. For more information, contact 301-348-3805 or visit Call 301-348-3805 or visit www.jccgw.org.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated admission to most author events are free; they are not.