An adaptation from "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama" by Gwen Ifill.
How a reformer claimed to discover the effects of undeserved charity.
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."
The greatest predictor of desertion in the Union army was socioeconomic and demographic diversity.
Alexander Masters's biography of Stuart Shorter explores how someone ends up on the street. (Discuss)
The first authorized sequel to "Winnie-the-Pooh" is expected to give the book industry a needed jolt this fall.
Bernhard Schlink on the war-torn past and the movie version of his bestseller, "The Reader."
Donald E. Westlake, who died on New Year's Eve, was the funniest mystery writer who ever lived. Fans will miss his comic gifts.
The debut author talks about her novel set in World War II.
These chronicles of high society belong to a very exclusive crowd, says Meryl Gordon.
When the father of Social Darwinism came to America, the place where the fittest were supposed to thrive.
Before bold new proposals invade Washington, a close look at the thinking behind the old ones.
The housing market was overheated, but Countrywide executives thought they would benefit as other lenders collapsed.
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.
The dangers of a demogogue who is too often depicted as a savior of the poor.
Why struggling publishers will keep placing outrageous bids on new books.
With "The Shameful Peace," author Frederic Spotts lifts the lid on the role of artists and intellectuals in occupied France.
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.
These books are invaluable expressions of Cold War culture, says Daniel Johnson.
A strong religious faith and a love of country and family helped him survive six years of torture, isolation and neglect.
"The Uncrowned King" offers a sympathetic account of William Randolph Hearst as someone far different from the megalomaniacal Citizen Kane-esque brute of legend.
From short stories to a murder mystery, Cynthia Crossen runs down the best books she read in 2008.
The best books that came across Laura Landro's desk in 2008 were those that illuminated the experience of being ill in America today.
What's a bigger employment threat, outsourcing or improved technology?
Year after year, the Bible is the best-selling book in America. The tremendous sales volume is largely driven by the ultimate niche marketing.
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.
How secular newsrooms handle stories with a religious component.
Rare is the leader who can actually write well, but those who do offer a window into their governing style. Jonathan Raban on the best presidential writers, and what Barack Obama's memoirs say about how he'll lead.
In "Bright Young People," the profligate British bunch who succeeded only in frittering away their youth in the 1920s is brought back to life.
How a president must manage his 'rivals' at the Pentagon and State Department.
Jayne Anne Phillips's "Lark and Termite" is an almost mystical interweaving of two very different places and times, and an original examination of the strange durability of family ties.
Repelling the Germans with brave airmen and, no less important, keen foresight and careful preparation.
Author Colson Whitehead offers a visual tour of his new book, "Sag Harbor."
The case for seeing Ireland and its literature in a fresh way -- free of Celtic lore.
Reducing poverty, improving lives -- maybe 'philanthro-capitalism' is just another name for capitalism.
Publishers hope John Grisham and other bestselling authors will pump up sales.
Like the stock market, English-language books about Asia had a down year. Nevertheless, here are our top picks.
How Sony inadvertently helped a competitor and lost position in the videogame market.
G.K. Chesterton's phantasmagorical spy thriller, "The Man Who Was Thursday," celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
Self-help books tend to be released in January for the New Year's-resolution crowd. But this season, high-profile books will hit stores on Dec. 30 and Jan 6. to capitalize on gift-card purchases.
The debates, controversies and effects of one of the 20th century's most significant religious events.
In "Gastropolis," what should be a book about the food melting pot in New York City sometimes morphs into an academic pot luck.
Indelible portraits of secret agents are found in these titles from memorable fiction series, says Jeffrey T. Richelson
Books of photographs can help to soothe or instruct, a process that begins every time you pull one down from the shelf and hold it in your hands.
This holiday season, Charles Dickens is more relevant than ever, says Les Standiford, author of "The Man Who Invented Christmas."
How the battle against one crippling genetic disease has come to serve as a model for battling others.
A Ford ad in 1936 pitched one car's 'fingertip' gearshift and an enamel finish that required no 'complexion care.'
The environmental case for nuclear power is strong; its political support still weak.
Books can seem less powerful on a second read, but John le Carré's "A Perfect Spy" holds up to Cynthia Crossen's fond memories.
Writer Aleksandar Hemon talks about his craft and his cities by birth and adoption.
Between covers of a book, great art comes close -- and commentary can bring it even closer.
Stuck at home for the holidays? A bookstore buyer picks travel photo books that bring the world home.
In his last years, philosopher George Santayana continued studying, thinking -- and mailing.
—Join the Journal Community's WSJ Reading Group to discuss books and authors.“What books are you reading now?”
Supervalu is labeling which products meet government health recommendations.
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How a sedate museum created a home for a sumptuous costume collection.
The enforcement of airline rules dropped sharply last year with fines levied against airlines and travel companies falling to the lowest level since 2001.
Cars used to be trendy accessories, but the scarcity of attractive terms for financing and leasing means that more people are keeping their cars longer.
The Kennedy Center celebrates Martin Luther King's Birthday and Obama's inauguration with a concert that explores how "America's triumphant music" fought Jim Crow.
A look at who deserves to win the industry's top honors, including the "Tom Hanks" of commissioner products.
Cynthia Crossen answers readers' questions about books on Chicago and good inspirational picks.
An excerpt from "The Wall Street Journal Complete Home Owner's Guidebook: Make the Most of Your Biggest Asset in Any Market" by David Crook.
The dozen books that Journal reviewers found most memorable this year, including Richard Price's "Lush Life," a history of Pixar and Jackie Wullschlager's biography of Marc Chagall.
—From "Bright Young People"“Young -- at twenty-seven, Elizabeth Ponsonby was the oldest by a year -- louche, irregularly employed, they were all indefinably glamorous, well-connected, and, as such, had been a fixture of newspaper society columns for the past three years.”
See an interactive chart showing the Wall Street Journal's list of best-selling books, week by week.
“What books are you reading to help you through the financial crisis?”
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