Bob Schieffer talked about his book Bob Schieffer’s America (Putnam; September 9, 2008). Mr. Schieffer, who has been the anchor of “Face the Nation” since 1991, decided in April 1994 that his show that week on the death of Richard Nixon needed a few closing words to put the subject into context. He has made on-air closiing commentaries ever since then. This book collects 168 of his essays that range from the personal to the political, including human stories and revelations of cultural change. Mr. Schieffer talked about the current state of American politics, his role as the moderator of the upcoming presidential debate, and his career in journalism. The guest interviewer was Rita Braver.

Bob Schieffer has been covering the news for forty-five years, first as a newspaper reporter and, since 1969, as a correspondent for CBS News. At CBS, he is one of the very few correspondents who have covered all four major Washington beats: the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and Capitol Hill. He has been CBS’s chief Washington correspondent since 1982, and became the anchor and moderator of “Face the Nation” in 1991. For twenty years he anchored the Saturday edition of the “CBS Evening News” and, for a year and a half, the weekday broadcasts. He has won six Emmy awards, and in 2002 was named Broadcaster of the Year by the National Press Foundation.

Rita Braver is a senior correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning. Ms. Braver has been at the network since 1972 and has been the chief White House correspondent and law correspondent. She is the recipient of five Emmy Awards.