Call Them the Ishmaels

How a reformer claimed to discover the effects of undeserved charity.

The Origins of Their Ormolu

Ryan D'Agostino knocked on doors of fabulous houses in the nation's wealthiest ZIP Codes and interviewed the owners for tips about how to become "rich like them."

Why Soldiers Fight -- or Flee

The greatest predictor of desertion in the Union army was socioeconomic and demographic diversity.

Understanding the 'Rough Sleepers'

Alexander Masters's biography of Stuart Shorter explores how someone ends up on the street. (Discuss)

New Pooh Book Due in October

The first authorized sequel to "Winnie-the-Pooh" is expected to give the book industry a needed jolt this fall.

A Writer Ponders His 'Reader'

Bernhard Schlink on the war-torn past and the movie version of his bestseller, "The Reader."

• Video clip

From Laughter to Tears

Donald E. Westlake, who died on New Year's Eve, was the funniest mystery writer who ever lived. Fans will miss his comic gifts.

Just Asking: Janice Y. K. Lee

The debut author talks about her novel set in World War II.

• Read an excerpt from "The Piano Teacher"

Books About High Society

These chronicles of high society belong to a very exclusive crowd, says Meryl Gordon.

Darwin in the New World

When the father of Social Darwinism came to America, the place where the fittest were supposed to thrive.

Think Again

Before bold new proposals invade Washington, a close look at the thinking behind the old ones.

Marketing into a Meltdown

The housing market was overheated, but Countrywide executives thought they would benefit as other lenders collapsed.

Diet Books for the New Year

The latest crop of diet books has a few twists on the typical weight-loss formula. The skinny on some of the top new diet books for 2009.

• Discuss: Has a diet worked for you? | Mailbox

Abuse of Power

The dangers of a demogogue who is too often depicted as a savior of the poor.

Blockbuster or Bust

Why struggling publishers will keep placing outrageous bids on new books.

Collaborative Artists

With "The Shameful Peace," author Frederic Spotts lifts the lid on the role of artists and intellectuals in occupied France.

• Excerpt: 'A Shameful Peace'

Mao and Me

With "Mao and Me," young readers get a child's-eye view of the Cultural Revolution that raged in China from 1966 until Mao's death a decade later.

Books About the Cold War

These books are invaluable expressions of Cold War culture, says Daniel Johnson.

From Combat to Captivity

A strong religious faith and a love of country and family helped him survive six years of torture, isolation and neglect.

The Making of a Mogul

"The Uncrowned King" offers a sympathetic account of William Randolph Hearst as someone far different from the megalomaniacal Citizen Kane-esque brute of legend.

Another Exceptional Year of Reading

From short stories to a murder mystery, Cynthia Crossen runs down the best books she read in 2008.

• Discuss: What were the best books you read?

Health Books You'll Want to Read

The best books that came across Laura Landro's desk in 2008 were those that illuminated the experience of being ill in America today.

On Misdirected Workplace Worry

What's a bigger employment threat, outsourcing or improved technology?

The Good Book Is the Best Seller

Year after year, the Bible is the best-selling book in America. The tremendous sales volume is largely driven by the ultimate niche marketing.

The Poetry of Politics

Elizabeth Alexander is writing the most important poem of her life, a work she'll read Jan. 20 at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

God Is a Problem, Sources Say

How secular newsrooms handle stories with a religious component.