Bookshelf

• When Risky Is Right

  When evil or corruption are the status quo, what is it that moves some individuals—defying the pressure to conform—to do good deeds? Eyal Press considers four case studies in "Beautiful Souls." Ruth Franklin reviews.
• How the East Was Won

  Warring Indians, greedy settlers, merciless rogues: These weren't characters from the Wild West, but rural Pennsylvania circa 1750. Alan Taylor reviews "The First Frontier."
• Handmaidens to Censorship

  The threat to online freedom may come from governments, of course, but also from private companies doing the state's dirty work. Luke Allnutt reviews "Consent of the Networked."
• Special Agents and Otherwise

  An account of the FBI's counterespionage snooping over the past century. George Melloan reviews "Enemies."
• Now That the Sun Has Set

  Can America learn from the demise of the British Empire, avoiding the paternalism and self-doubt that led to disastrous decline? Andrew Roberts reviews "Ghosts of Empire."
• Gods and Monsters

  Booker prize-winning author A.S. Byatt blends myth and memoir in retelling the Norse legend about a massive battle that ends the world. Tom Shippey reviews.
• Avoiding the Limelight

  In "Quiet," Susan Cain argues that introverts have a lot to offer the world—and we undervalue them at our peril. Philip Delves Broughton reviews.
• Parenting à la Mode

  You'll never catch a Parisian mother with a Ziploc bag of Cheerios, a snack that clutters the purse of every American toddler's mom. Clare McHugh reviews "Bringing Up Bébé."
• The University of Adam Smith

  In the scramble for money and prestige, colleges lose their focus on education. A business executive thinks he has a solution. Naomi Schaefer Riley reviews "Change.edu."
• Digital Doctoring

  The digital revolution can spur unprecedented advances in the medical sciences, argues Eric Topol in "The Creative Destruction of Medicine."
• In Praise of the Gross

  Making a case that it was the insolent tone of "Tropic of Cancer"—more than the now tame sex scenes—that incited the book-banners. Lee Sandlin reviews "Renegade."
• Occupy Elm Street

  What if computer software could be designed to read human panic, or even create it—and then invest accordingly? Tom Nolan reviews "The Fear Index."
• Values Inequality

  "Coming Apart" argues that a large swath of America—poor and working-class whites—is turning away from traditional values and losing ground. W. Bradford Wilcox reviews.
• That Ubu That He Did So Well

  A biography of Alfred Jarry, the French playwright who, at age 23, wrote what is now considered a precursor to surrealist theatre. Gabriel Josipovici reviews.
• From Honkytonk to High Art

  "A Natural History of the Piano" explains how composers and pianists have entrusted their innermost feelings to the piano—perhaps more than to any other instrument. James Penrose reviews.
• Your Tax Dollars Not at Work

  From Solyndra to Bobber the Water Safety Dog, an epic spending program ran amok and then ran aground, its goals unmet. James Freeman reviews "Money Well Spent?"
• The Cost of Free Culture

  Amid controversy over attempts to thwart online piracy, a Google lawyer proposes reforms to a system that satisfies no one. Robert Levine reviews "How to Fix Copyright."
• A Hazard of Fortunes

  An insider's guide to the world of hedge funds—how they work and why they are likely to do better early on. George Melloan reviews "The Hedge Fund Mirage."
• It Takes Two to Engage

  Why did the Obama courtship of Iran go unrequited? One theory casts blame everywhere but Tehran and the White House. Sohrab Ahmari reviews "A Single Roll of the Dice."
• A Shock to the System

  In 1976, an earthquake devastated a populous Chinese city. China's political landscape shifted as well, with effects that are still visible today. Michael Fathers reviews "Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes."
• The Lessons of the Turnpike

  The story of the construction of Britain's road network and how it changed local politics and culture. Daniel Hannan reviews "Roads to Power."
• So We're All in Agreement

  In "Standards: Recipes for Reality," Lawrence Busch examines the common protocols and practices that play a role in nearly every aspect of life—from consumer goods and shipping containers to scientific research and school curriculums.
• Pistol-Packing by the Millions

  In "Glock," Paul M. Barrett describes how an obscure Austrian tinkerer invented a new handgun that eventually, thanks to shrewd marketing and the gun's appealing design, became a favorite with the FBI, American police departments, Hollywood movie makers and gun owners world-wide.
• Overnight and Underage

  In "King Larry," James D. Scurlock recounts the life of Larry Hillblom, who co-founded DHL, then spent his later years in hedonistic semi-retirement in the Pacific. Wayne Curtis reviews.
• Casting the Plan for Victory

  In "Marshall and His Generals," Stephen R. Taaffe examines Gen. George C. Marshall's role in selecting every major U.S. ground commander in World War II. Jonathan W. Jordan reviews.
• A Parallel World Above the 38th

  In "The Orphan Master's Son," novelist Adam Johnson imagines North Koreans' bizarre, nightmarish life under the regime of Kim Jong Il—a plight that shows no sign of changing with the arrival of the late dictator's son and successor.
• A War of All Against All

  In "The Age of Austerity," Thomas Byrne Edsall argues that Republicans and Democrats are locked in a "death struggle" over dwindling resources, making Washington more and more gridlocked and dysfunctional.
• Taking a Novel Approach to Life

  Should we be fearful of novelty and change or embrace it readily and cheerfully? In "New," Winifred Gallagher describes what the latest brain research tells us about our responses to the new and describes different personality types, including "neophiliacs" and "neophobes."
• He Knew It When He Saw It

  In "The Tender Hour of Twilight," Richard Seaver, the legendary book publisher, recounts his early years in Paris, his dealings with great writers and his stint at the adventurous, even scandalous, Grove Press.
• Antiwar Reporting

  In "The Operators," Michael Hastings, the man whose Rolling Stone interview doomed the career of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, offers up dispatches from Afghanistan.
• Reflections on Self-Regard

  In Michel Houellebecq's latest novel, "The Map and the Territory," a serious and successful artist befriends a writer named Michel Houellebecq, a "tired old decadent" who once possessed a demonic literary fury.
• A Continent's Discontents

  Europe's gloomy prospects—cultural turmoil, shrinking populations, economic malaise—as diagnosed by a distinguished historian. Yascha Mounk reviews "After the Fall" by Walter Laqueur.
• The Freedom Writer

  Writings on Tibet, Tiananmen Square and Chinese society by Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned dissident who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Unprecedented, Possibly

  "Robertson's Book of Firsts" chronicles, as the book's subtitle has it, "who did what for the first time." Alexander Waugh reviews.
• Talent on the Move

  A passionate case for open immigration policies, and the recruiting and retaining of foreign-born talent. Katherine Mangu-Ward reviews "Borderless Economics."
• How to Think About How to Live

  In "A Brief History of Thought," Luc Ferry offers a survey of philosophical ideas over the centuries, arguing that philosophy can give us the resources to live "in a better and freer way." Gary Rosen reviews.
• Ambition in the East

  Germany is the traditional villain in the story of World War I's beginnings, but what if Russia played an even greater role? William Anthony Hay reviews "The Russian Origins of the First World War."
• Writers at Work, Seeking a Spark

  How did some of our most-loved novels come to be written? "Dancing With Mrs. Dalloway" tells stories of the inspiration behind fifty classic works of fiction. Elizabeth Lowry reviews.
• Servants to Masters

  The story of a family that included Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and monarchs who elevated Britain to the status of world power. Allan Mallinson reviews "The Royal Stuarts."
• Out of Austria, Into Australia

  "Good Living Street" traces the history of a Viennese family that fled Hitler—but with a Klimt portrait in tow. Maxwell Carter reviews.
• An Inventive Hollywood Star

  "Hedy's Folly" chronicles important moments in the filmstar's life—from filming nude scenes for 'Ecstasy' in 1933 to devising radio-controlled torpedoes meant to foil German defenses in World War II. Henry Petroski reviews.
• Stranger in a Strange Land

  A sojourn in the Baltics—discovering much to admire but even more to complain about, with frustration mounting to fury. Andrew Stuttaford reviews "Estonia" by Alexander Theroux.
• Physics Envy

  Creating financial models involving human behavior is like forcing 'the ugly stepsister's foot into Cinderella's pretty glass slipper.' Burton G. Malkiel reviews "Models Behaving Badly."
• Oh, to Be in England

  British novelists—including Walter Scott and George Eliot—played an outsize role in changing English hearts and minds about Jews. Steven Amarnick reviews "The People of the Book."
• The Other Kaiser

  Kaiser Wilhelm's sickly father reigned for only 99 days. Had he lived, Germany's destiny might have been very different. Europe's too. Martin Rubin reviews "Our Fritz."
• Boot Camp for Citizens

  As we learn more about the American political tradition, we may see a shared commitment to freedom and equality behind partisan disputes. Peter Berkowitz reviews "Teaching America."
• A Silken Web of Intrigue

  The eventful life and mysterious death of a Bangkok-based U.S. intelligence officer turned international textile trader. Rufus Phillips reviews "The Ideal Man."
• Cultural Lexicon

  People, leader, reading, revolution, disparity, copycat and bamboozle—some words that serve as a springboard for critiques of China. Melanie Kirkpatrick reviews "China in Ten Words."
• Influence Instead of Victory

  "Almost President" is the story of the men who have run for the American presidency and lost but who—even in defeat—have had significant effect on the life of the nation. Robert K. Landers reviews.
• Reworking the Workplace

  Many companies that trumpet social responsibility have found it a useful tool for cutting costs and wooing customers. Alan Murray reviews "Masters of Management" by Adrian Wooldridge.
• A Pre-Digital Tomb Raider

  "Belzoni" is the biography of an Italian raider who procured for the British Museum some of its most astonishing treasures. Gerard Helferich reviews.
• Like Dining With Rabelais

  In one meal, Balzac was said to have put away a hundred oysters, four bottles of wine, a dozen lamb cutlets—and he was just getting started. Moira Hodgson reviews "Balzac's Omelette."
• The Amygdala as Sales Tool

  The first word recognized by most kids all over the world is 'McDonald's' or 'Ronald.' Really? That will be news to mama and papa. Eric Felten reviews "Brandwashed."
• The Just-Say-No Crime-Busters

  By all means, bring the full weight of the criminal justice system down on the most violent and incorrigible wrong-doers. The others? Tell them to stop. Daniel Horan reviews "Don't Shoot."
• How the Dollar Rules by Fiat

  How did the dollar become the world's principal currency and what is its future? James Grant reviews "Greenback Planet."
• Looking Back On the Spy Life

  "The Craft We Chose" is Richard L. Holm's account of his 35 years in the CIA—from his time in Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, to the Congo, Hong Kong and Europe. Charles McCarry reviews.
• Grappling Grammarians

  It was probably John Dryden who started the ban on ending sentences with prepositions; Jonathan Swift couldn't stand contractions. Barton Swaim reviews "The Language Wars."
• Standing Pat (On Her Head)

  Blending history with fiction, Ann Beattie attempts to imagine Mrs. Nixon.
• Extracurricular Activities

  "Room for Improvement" is an English professor's account of his lifelong embrace of hard sporting challenges. Angus Phillips reviews.
• The Rise of an Empress

  With "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman," Robert K. Massie shows how a German princess, plucked from near obscurity, came to rule the vast Russian empire. Jennifer Siegel reviews.
• Our Constant Companions

  An account of how the speed of light, the pull of gravity and other fixed measures govern the universe. Brian Clegg reviews "Cosmic Numbers."
• The Great Warpath

  "Conquered Into Liberty" describes how the hundreds of battles involving the British, French, Americans, Canadians, and Indians shaped the U.S.'s military practices.
• The Nightmare of Real Things

  Featuring astronauts, terrorists and travelers, Don DeLillo's collection of short stories, "The Angel Esmeralda," describes the condition of modern estrangement. Sam Sacks reviews.
• The Long Route to Windsor

  BOOKSHELF
  By Ferdinand Mount
  "Prince Philip" tells the story of a brave, brusque naval officer—and the man who wooed a young Princess Elizabeth till she was smitten.
• Eastern Reproaches

  Max Egremont focuses on the stories of individual East Prussians to tell the larger story of, as the book's title has it, "a forgotten land." Andrew Stuttaford reviews.
• Parallel Lives

  "Dangerous Ambition" is the dual biography of Rebecca West and Dorothy Thompson—two influential writers and shrewd political thinkers unhappily attached to men who turned out to be miserable human beings. Arthur Herman reviews.
• Having It All, Including Doubt

  Do capable working women privately feel like frauds? Melanie Kirkpatrick reviews "The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women."
• Like the '90s Never Happened

  A former New Democrat known for his centrist economic policies, Bill Clinton now favors vast new government spending and higher taxes. Stephen Moore reviews "Back to Work."
• First Folio Follies

  "The Shakespeare Thefts" tells the story of the weird, greedy, obsessive men who risked fortunes to possess a coveted First Folio. Charles E. Pierce Jr. reviews.
• Sinister Times and What to Do

  Looking at genocide, ethnic cleansing and terrorism, "Political Evil" investigates, as the book's subtitle has it, "what it is and how to combat it." Peter Berkowitz reviews.
• In Pursuit of Sublime

  From film to physics, "Beyond the Finite" explores the sublime in art and science. Andrew Stark reviews.
• A Mother's Love and Laments

  A memoir about her daughter's death, "Blue Nights" is also Joan Didion's exploration of her own role as a perennially busy (and famous) working mother. Clare McHugh reviews.
• Present at the Re-creation

  In "No Higher Honor," Condoleezza Rice reflects on her role as the chief advocate of the gentler foreign policy of the second Bush administration. Stephen Hayes reviews.
• The ABCBs of Murder

  From Thomas Hardy to W.H. Auden, poets have found apt and awful words to fit the crimes of murderers. Tom Nolan reviews "Killer Verse."
• The Perfected Yardstick

  "World in the Balance" chronicles where our standards of measurement have come from and where they are headed today. Laura Snyder reviews.
• Lost and Found in Translation

  Eskimos don't have a 100 words for 'snow.' But see what happens when you walk into your local Starbucks and just order 'coffee.' Lee Sandlin reviews "Is That a Fish in Your Ear?"
• Crimes, Courts and Cures

  Crime has fallen dramatically, but levels of violence remain higher than in 1950. Does the legal system share some of the blame? Paul G. Cassell reviews William J. Stuntz's "The Collapse of American Criminal Justice."
• Bounteous Misperceptions

  A new account of the complicated legacy of Pacific explorer William Bligh suggests that he was hardly the brute of lore. Alexander Rose reviews.
• Lyrical Leftist, Dogged Idealist

  Free-love advocate Emma Goldman was an ideological bed-hopper too, romping with anarchism, feminism, communism and even anticommunism. Men might disappoint, but radicalism never lost its allure. Fred Siegel reviews the new Goldman biography by Vivian Gornick.
• For King and Country

  In 'The Three Musketeers,' Richelieu is a villain. In life, he was a pragmatic diplomat and nation builder, a shrewd adviser to a moody king. Henrik Bering reviews "Eminence."
• When Ike Took Charge

  Eisenhower was a political moderate often in search of a "middle way," a vigilant Cold Warrior aware of the strengths and limits of American power. Alonzo L. Hamby reviews.
• Desperately Seeking Talent

  Employers worry more about the effects of a bad hire than about the problems of hiring someone who is competent but not exceptional. David Shaywitz reviews "The Rare Find."
• Courtroom Showdown

  "Gunfight" tells the story of how the Supreme Court finally came to rule on the meaning of the right 'to keep and bear arms.' Jonathan Karl reviews.
• Shuffling Along the Abyss

  The story of a middle-aged Englishman coming to terms with his past, when memories of a friend's long-ago suicide are stirred afresh. Sam Sacks reviews "The Sense of an Ending."
• The New Roads of Mandalay

  "Where China Meets India" explains how Burma will form the crucial link between Asia's two emerging powers. Emma Larkin reviews.
• Hard-Headed Idealist

  The man who drafted the Bill of Rights later helped Thomas Jefferson conduct a back-channel propaganda war. Aram Bakshian Jr. reviews "James Madison."
• A Sound Check for the Ages

  Regarding the origins of language and music, history is silent. Early man was likely imitating something he heard—but what? Daniel J. Levitin reviews "Harnessed."
• Turbulent Times, Steady Success

  In "Great by Choice," Jim Collins (the author of "Good to Great") and Morten Hansen analyze how certain companies have achieved shareholder returns at least 10 times greater than their industry. Alan Murray reviews.
• Life May Differ In Your Region

  "American Nations" offers a history of the varied cultures of Greater Appalachia, the Midlands, the Deep South, New Netherland and the Germano-Scandinavian Midwest. Michael Barone reviews.
• The Horror, the Horror

  The story of how a pastor named Jim Jones lured more than 900 American followers into a remote jungle in Guyana—and of the massacre that followed.
• Off the Bench, Into the Fray

  Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens offers portraits of colleagues and, inadvertently, himself.
• Little Rock Revisited

  "Elizabeth and Hazel" is the story of an iconic photograph of the civil rights era—and how it forever haunted one of the women featured in it. Edward Kosner reviews.
• 'I' Is a Window to the Soul

  "The Secret Life of Pronouns" shows how inconspicuous words like 'we' and 'the' betray our emotions and affect our audience's perceptions. Brian Christian reviews.
• Post-Carbon America

  Forget about 'peak oil' and global warming. What about two centuries from now, when we'll really need help? Matt Ridley reviews "Powering the Future."
• A Director Casts About for Clues

  In his memoir, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg muses about working with the Beatles or Glenda Jackson or on 'Brideshead Revisited'—and wondering who his father really was. Moira Hodgson reviews.
• A Battle Versus Whatever It Is

  An insidious bit of malware, 'Conficker' has infected millions of computers. No one knows its ultimate purpose. Andrew Klavan reviews "Worm."
• Presidential Malpractice

  Crazy as he was, Garfield's assassin was right to insist that the doctor who gravely mistreated the president was responsible for his death. Fergus Bordewich reviews.
• How the Secular World Began

  Lucretius' poem, recovered in 1417, described atomic theory, chance's role in nature and the gods' indifference. Eric Ormsby reviews.