In an age of American culture wars against the particularities of the various regions of these United States, many citizens act as if such regional differences which remain are almost an embarrassment. The notion that one’s identity is first centered on hearth and home; that religious faith first finds its expression at a local altar and pulpit; and that one may take pride in one’s community, state, and nation — in that order — has often fallen beneath the assault of atomizing individualism.

For years, Robert Spencer has endured insults and death threats because of his endeavors as director of Jihad Watch. If one tells the truth about Islam, one is at risk of ending up in the crosshairs of a response which is somewhat more lethal than harsh language. (Dutch film director Theo van Gogh comes to mind as an example.) Jihad Watch’s website (jihadwatch.org) is, generally speaking, one of the more reliable outlets for information on the ongoing Islamist assault on the West, and Spencer’s writings, which now include ten books, are of great value to anyone earnestly seeking a better understanding of Islam.

“What does it take to make a hero?” For anyone paying even scant attention to the lavish manner in which the media awards such designations, the modern reply might be, “Apparently not much.” And yet, there is often an instinctive recognition that the reckless use of such an inherently powerful designation has simultaneously cheapened it.

In his latest book, Soft Despotism, Democracy’s Drift, Paul Rahe examines the roots of what he calls a “popular malaise” that has become pronounced in the West during the 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Do you think that our present economic crisis is a great thing? Do you view the fears of Americans for their job prospects and their ability to keep paying their mortgage as a golden opportunity to remake the world according to the pattern of your ideology? Do you look back with nostalgia to the good old days of Jimmy Carter? Then Kurt Andersen’s new book, Reset — How This Crisis Can Restore Our Values and Renew America is the book for you.

In his recently published sixth book, The Conservatives, Emory University professor Patrick Allitt undertakes his most comprehensive effort to date in writing the history of the modern conservative movement.

With 2009 being the bicentennial of the birth of Charles Darwin and the sesquicentennial of the publication of his On the Origin of the Species, the observance of a “Year of Darwin” has been marked primarily by the publication of a vast array of titles dedicated to revering or reviling the man who defined the dominant theory of evolution.

Anno Domini 2009 has shown no sign of any abatement in the so-called “God Debate.” In recent years, several prominent atheists have published their compendiums of anti-religious boilerplate only to find themselves confronted by a rather lively defense of the God whom they were trying to bury.

Do you ever find yourself saying, “It used to be so simple?” Sharing your views was a simple as handing out flyers, attending a meeting, or making a few phone calls. Then you discovered e-mail and the Internet, and before long, you were deluging your friends and acquaintances with forwarded posts and links to websites.

Since the publication of The Hobbit in 1937, and The Lord of the Rings in 1954–1955, J.R.R. Tolkien’s fiction has captivated generations of readers. The numerous printings and editions of his works have been met by seemingly innumerable imitators and commentators, and they spawned one of the most financially successful adaptations to film in history.