Rescuers, Not Invaders

The Gastronomica Reader

Aram Bakshian Jr. reviews "The Gastronomica Reader," a collection of essays from "the journal of food and culture," edited by Darra Goldstein.

The Charms of the Macabre

"The Addams Family: An Evilution" offers a selection of Charles Addams's cartoons and a chance to contemplate the peculiar character of his loving, twisted Addams Family.

Adventures in Russian Literature

Elif Batuman's debut book, "The Possessed," is a sometimes-tongue-in-cheek account of her study of Russian literature.

From J.D. Salinger, P.O. Box 32

The Morgan Library opens its new exhibition, "Letters by J.D. Salinger," on March 16. Less than two months after his death, the dam of silence Salinger spent half a century building has finally sprung its first leak.

Passage to Nowhere

Two books describe the long, arduous attempts to find the Northwest Passage and join oceans by going over the top of the world: Anthony Brandt's "The Man Who Ate His Boots" and Glyn Williams's "Arctic Labyrinth."

When the Honeymoon Is Over

Laura Vanderkam reviews three books about "working" on marriage: a social history of marriage counseling, a year in the lives of couples-therapy clients and a memoir of a partnership that didn't work out.

Shadowing a Swindler

In "No One Would Listen," Harry Markopolos describes his efforts to expose Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Richard J. Tofel reviews.

The Bible of Bibliomania

Norman Lebrecht reviews "The Oxford Companion to the Book," a million-word, two-volume work on anything and everything about books, from ancient times to the Wiki age.

• Excerpt: 'The Oxford Companion to the Book'

'Cloud Tea Monkeys'

Meghan Cox Gurdon reviews a children's book about a little girl in the Himalayas who faces an uncertain future—until a crew of helpful monkeys comes to the rescue. .

The Success Myth

Author David Shenk on why it pays to put mind over genetic matter. Even Ted Williams had to work to become Ted Williams.

Through a Glass Darkly

A new book by English author Jenny Woolf claims that the unearthing of never-before-published bank statements absolves Lewis Carroll of many of the wild allegations made against him over the years.

A Spirited Take on Death

Lionel Shriver's new novel mixes health insurance and humor.

• Excerpt: 'So Much for That'

Flights to Victory

In "Whirlwind," Barrett Tillman describes the ferocious air war over Japan in World War II, led by the American B-29 bomber. Daniel Ford reviews.

The Little Car That Couldn't

It was small and cheap and badly made. In "The Yugo," Jason Vuic tells the story of Yugoslavia's ludicrous attempt to build and export to the U.S. a fantastically inexpensive car. Dick Teresi reviews.

Chabon on Bay Area Literary Scene

The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" talks about which writers he admires and how San Francisco's literary culture compares with other big cities.

• Graphic: Authors by Way of the Bay Area

Iron-Horse Stampede

In "Blood, Iron and Gold," Christian Wolmar traces the history of railroads and how they "transformed the world." Mark Lewis reviews.

• Excerpt: 'Blood, Iron and Gold'

The Trouble With Precision

In "Not Exactly," Kees van Deemter argues that vagueness and ambiguity have hidden virtues, especially in the realm of politics. Andrew Stark reviews.

From Bully to Felon

The slash-and-burn tactics of lawyer Bill Lerach are recounted in "Circle of Greed," Patrick Dillon and Carl M. Cannon's account of the lucrative business of bringing class-action lawsuits against corporations. Kimberley A. Strassel reviews.

In the Black, But No Pink Slips

In "Spark," Frank Koller describes Lincoln Electric's long experience with a no-layoffs policy. Bob Tita reviews.

The Italian Slow Cooker

A trip to Rome and a glance in a restaurant window inspired cookbook author Michele Scicolone's "The Italian Slow Cooker." Aram Bakshian Jr. reviews.

Burkle Presses Barnes & Noble

Billionaire investor sent a new letter to Barnes & Noble directors, challenging the board's position on top executives' holdings in the bookseller.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Biological urges—and goads to action—that made sense in the Stone Age wreak havoc on modern life, argues Deirdre Barrett in "Supernormal Stimuli." Daniel Akst reviews.

What's Wrong With 'Eating Animals'

Jonathan Safran Foer's new book "Eating Animals" makes the case against American animal farming.

Jaipur Sets Bar for Literary Festivals

The Jaipur Literary Festival stands as the symbol of the growing awareness by bibliophiles and big-time editors alike that India has the potential to keep expanding its base of exceptional wordsmiths and energized readers.

• Dalit Writers Come Into Their Own

Wandering, Waiting

In "Conspirator," Helen Rappaport describes Vladimir Lenin's peripatetic years of exile in Europe before his fateful return to Russia in 1917. Bertrand M. Patenaude reviews.

The Slippery Nature of Secrets

U.S. intelligence agencies misjudged the stability of Iran's regime in 1979 and the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2003. What happened? Robert Jervis looks for answers in "Why Intelligence Fails." Gabriel Schoenfeld reviews.

The Rules of the Game

Edward Jay Epstein argues in "The Hollywood Economist" that the movie industry's most imaginative creations appear on its balance sheets. Sonny Bunch reviews.

The Battle of the Brain

Almost every function once thought to be the province of one or other hemisphere—language, imagery, reason, emotion—is served by both hemispheres, not one. And the mind's great conflict spills over onto the world stage.