In a future totalitarian state where books are banned and destroyed by the government, Guy Montag, a fireman in charge of burning books, meets a revolutionary schoolteacher who dares to read and a girl who tells him of a past when people did not live in fear ... This sixtieth-anniversary edition commemorates Ray Bradbury's masterpiece with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman ; personal essays on the genesis of the novel by the author; a wealth of critical...

"A book that begins before Adam and ends after us. In this magisterial work, figures of the Bible and its whole outline emerge in a new light: one that is often astonishing and disquieting, as indeed is the book from which they originate. Roberto Calasso's The Book of All Books is a narration that moves through the Bible as if through a forest, where every branch--every verse--may offer some revelation. Where a man named Saul becomes the first king...

"Jane Yolen has teamed up with Barbara Diamond Goldin ... to retell Bible stories from the point of view of twelve women (in nine chapters, as some come in pairs). After each story, there is a reflection 'imagine' piece written from the voice of each woman (written by Barbara) and a poem about her (written by Jane). Intermixed with the main text are sidebars called 'midrash' in the singular or 'midrashim' in the plural. These pose questions about...

A lucid and direct account of the significance of the Koran in the modern world and in the world of traditional Islam.

This collection of sayings of the Buddha was probably first gathered together 100 years after his death, and written down in the first century BC. This concise translation reveals the practical simplicity of the Buddha's teachings.

Do you have strong feelings about the word irregardless ? Have you ever tried to define the word is ? Brimming with intelligence and personality, this vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made is a must-read for word mavens.

A collection of both previously unpublished works and classic essays includes discussions of recent cultural and political events, social networking, libraries, and the failure to address global warming. "Since she burst spectacularly into view with her debut novel, White Teeth, almost two decades ago, Zadie Smith has established herself not just as one of the world's preeminent fiction writers, but also as a brilliant and singular essayist. She...

An addictively readable, encyclopedic history of pop music that includes individual chapters to groups and individuals -- the Monkees, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna -- that changed the shape of pop music.