And a Mercedes.

MONDAY
>> Monday welcomes the Fictionista Book Tour to Washington, D.C., featuring readings from Josie Brown (True Hollywood Lies), Kayla Perrin (Gimme an O!) and Stephanie Lessing (She’s Got Issues). Good gravy! All that chicklit in one place? Does it get any better? Oh, people. It does. The event is taking place at the Hard Rock Café — and that means Aerosmith-themed quesadillas. 999 E. St NW., 7 p.m.

TUESDAY
>> In her book, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich made her name by immersing herself into the world of minimum wage workers. But when she shifted her focus to the world of white collar employment to write Bait And Switch, she never ended up landing a job. The lack of resulting “insider” reportage has even fans of Nickel and Dimed shrugging. Bad premise, or bad process? Hear Ehrenreich’s side of the story when she reads from and signs copies of Bait and Switch at Politics and Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 7 p.m.

Also Tuesday, area gourmands have the opportunity to meet Emeril Lagasse as he discusses and signs copies of Emeril’s Delmonico. But, bam! It’ll cost you $22! George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 21st & H Sts. NW., 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
>> At the end of the first Gulf War, former Marine Scott Ritter went to Iraq to disarm the Hussein regime. By the time Operation Iraqi Freedom rolled around, he was one of Bush, fils’, biggest naysayers. Ritter drops bombs of his own in Iraq Confidential: The Untold Story of the Intelligence Conspiracy to Undermine the UN and Overthrow Saddam Hussein, which he’ll discuss at Olsson’s Books & Records. One thing is for sure, Iraq Confidential is not likely to spawn the sort of spry prime-time sitcom Anthony Bourdain’s book did. 418 7th St. NW., 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
>> Donald Earl Collins comes to Howard University to talk about his new book, Fear of a Black America: Multiculturalism and the African American Experience. Why all the backtracking from the ambitious goals set forth in Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet LP? Well, we imagine it’s hard to televise the revolution when Flavor Flav’s two channels over sucking face with Brigitte Nielsen. Howard University Bookstore, 2225 Georgia Ave. NW., 4 p.m.

FRIDAY
>> Authors John Barry and Mike Tidwell are Gulf Coast veterans whose own works (Barry’s Rising Tide and Tidwell’s Bayou Farewell) offer insight into the vulnerability of the region that predated Hurricane Katrina. Poltics and Prose has invited these two authors to co-chair the Hurricane Katrina Fundraiser Panel. They’ll bring perspective on how and why Katrina was so destructive, as well as help pinpoint how the region can be helped right now. 7 p.m.

SUNDAY
>> Slow Food DC is bringing Lisa Yockelson, author of ChocolateChocolate, to Clyde’s of Chevy Chase to teach would-be bakers a thing or two about “The Anatomy of Chocolate Cookie Dough.” For $45, attendees will get the lesson straight from Yockelson, as well as a delicious four-course dinner featuring desserts taken straight from her book. (Slow Food DC members get a five-dollar discount.) To reserve a place at the table, get in touch with Alexandria Greeley by e-mail at cookasia@earthlink.net or call (703) 471-6454. (Copies of ChocolateChocolate provided by Politics and Prose.) 5441 Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, 5 p.m.

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