"Booknotes" debuted on April 2, 1989. The first guest was former United States National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, discussing "The Grand Failure: The Birth and Death of Communism in the Twentieth Century". The fifth anniversary was marked on April 10, 1994 with a special two-hour show featuring over 50 of the 300 authors previously featured on the program. For the tenth anniversary of "Booknotes" in 1999, Brian Lamb compiled and edited an anthology of stories on 78 people who influenced American history from the 18th century to 1999. Titled "Booknotes: Life Stories", each contributed story was written by a well-known biographer.