Finding a universally accepted definition of liberalism is a challenge, since an aversion to dogma is part of what defines it. However, liberalism, with its multiplicity of readings, has many philosophical and political sources, and its defense of the individual and liberty is deeply rooted on solid theoretical grounds. What Ryan presents us with in this book is a compilation of his writings examining many of these sources, as seen through his prism. This is an invaluable collection for anyone interested in political thought, with ample fodder for debate and further discussion, which are incidentally another treasured objective of any self-defined liberal.

Don't judge a book by its cover, or by its title. However, how could you not have great expectations from a book with the title "Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blonde" and with a strip of bacon on the cover? It turns out that what could have been funny, moving and profound (in "The Finkler Question" vein), is just a self-centred, mostly inarticulate succession of anecdotes and pseudo-insightful thoughts. As an avid reader of biographies, I can assure you that many lives or passages of them are fascinating; this one is not.

This extraordinary book is much more than the biography of the great Tiziano Vecellio. It is a fascinating account of the history of Venice during the sixteenth century, and from the city's unique viewpoint a thorough depiction and analysis of the main events in Italy and Europe. This renaissance fresco of a book brings the reader an appreciation of the greatness of Titian in the context of his time, set against his contemporaries. We see the man and the artist as was seen by patrons, friends, family, authorities, and other artists. Sheila Hale gives us as well insight into some of Titian's masterpieces providing her well-founded interpretations, descriptions of the tools and techniques at his disposal, and a study of his artistic evolution and creative process. Finally, as a biography, this is also a great book, one that brings us as close as possible to knowing the man behind the genius.

It is hard to believe that this is the same author of The Finkler Question. Save a few isolated passages of good writing and an equally seldom number of funny bits, Zoo Time is nowhere near the depths of the story and the humour in The Finkler Question. In Zoo Time, Jacobson just rants in repetitive fashion as he tries to extend a pseudo plot to a novel-length book. In short, skip this one.

Through the centuries, the issue of sex, and love, in Shakespeare has always been present. From what his contemporaries might have understood to modern interpretations, the pendulum has swung from one end to the other and back, from times when morality dictated "clean" editions, to others when every line was meant to be an innuendo and every character thought to be built around his or her sexuality.
Stanley Wells brings to centuries of debate, hype and speculation, a much needed scholarly, erudite but light, middle ground take. In this book you can find an objective, well founded, and hence credible analysis of sex and love both in Shakespeare's time and his works. For the Shakespearean scholar, fan, or newcomer alike, this is wonderful book, as one would expect from one of the General Editors of The Complete Oxford Shakespeare.

From the opening pages, where the author discusses the concept of totalitarianism, it is evident that the reader is in for great book. Anne Applebaum's analysis of how in the space of so little time such a profound transformation happened, enlightens us to the relatively easy ways in which societies can descend into a totalitarian state. The crushing of Eastern Europe's events, both those that happened by design or by chance, put into perspective many of the real dangers current liberal democracies face. Totalitarianism is not a spent force, even if the failure of communism is arguably undisputed, there are many in the world that still envision Orwellian realities in the twenty first century. It is a scary thought, but if history teaches us anything, freedom will prevail. This is a highly recommendable book.

If I were to narrow down to one single reason why I enjoyed this book so much, it would be that I care about food every bit as much as the author does. I would not speculate on how broad an audience we that feel this way might be, however, if food matters to you, this book is for you. Gopnik plunges into philosophical, historical, cultural, ideological and culinary arguments, and being the bright essayist he is, comes up with articulate, well-written, intellectually sound statements, the kind that I would gladly discuss over dinner. This is a highly recommendable book.

"Ours is not a bloodline but a textline." This sentence summarizes what this book is all about. Identifying wherein lie the common threads that define being Jewish, from Genesis to Woody Allen and Seinfeld. Do not be deceived by its short length, this is a profound book, deeply researched, well thought through, and brilliantly argued. You will find sound criteria illustrating that being a secular Jew, far from an oxymoron, is a most valid choice, since religion, religiosity or observance are not what define Jewishness. I loved this book. I invite you to read it, and if you disagree, then we can discuss it, debate it, dissect it, have some food, and laugh about it. It would be the Jewish thing to do.

Stedman Jones presents us with a historical account of how neo-liberal ideas went from Hayek's (and others) initial formulations to accepted wisdom. This is for the most part an objective depiction of the evolution of the ideas, politics and policies of the 20th century, from Keynesianism to neoliberalism.
The historical analysis and contextualizing of economic thought, the spread of ideas, and the underlying activism and linkages that brought these particular ideas from the margins of academia to mainstream politics, are fine. However this is an uneven book, with passages that become repetitive, with weak chapters (such as the case study of public housing and urban policies) and an unfortunate over-simplistic and rushed conclusion.
This had the potential for being a fantastic book, and for the most part it is, yet, sadly, the bits that failed weigh a lot.

Reviewers have not been kind to J.K. Rowling. This book should be judged on its own merits, and it has several. The author is an excellent storyteller, and albeit it took me quite a few pages to be caught by the story, once it did I found it compelling and definitely engaging. Rowling is very consistent in her non-judgmental approach to her characters, none is entirely good or bad, likeable or not. It is you, the reader, who comes to like and dislike them, occasionally taking sides, and seeing them as humans, far from infallible and marred by their own existence with its triumphs and pettiness. Descriptions are vivid, and Rowling has a knack for capturing whole images and moments in one sentence. She can make you feel you know people like these, and places like Pagford.
I invite you not to draw comparisons, and approach this book as you would a fresh attempt by a previously unknown author. I enjoyed it a lot, hope you will agree.