New and selected stories from Tobias Wolff, reviewed

Russia rsquo s cultural history in the 20th century presents both ldquo triumph and tragedy rdquo For every masterpiece published or exhibited countless more never saw the light the state mobilized artists and writers to serve its goals but kept them on a short leash ready to break any who da

ldquo There is rdquo writes Robert McClory ldquo a democratic dynamic in the church rsquo s self-awareness rdquo No dogma is not subject to a vote Yes the church must assert its teachings popular or not Yes a certain hierarchical structure is part of the church rsquo s unity At the sam

Christopher Hitchens an atheist and best-selling author has provided a political sequel to his popular a-theological work God Is Not Great Gadflies such as Hitchens often try to attach themselves to past luminaries to bolster their causes In this case the author has fastened onto Thomas Paine

Writing in The Washington Post 15 years ago the reporter Michael Weiskopf famously characterized evangelical Christians as ldquo poor uneducated and easy to command rdquo No doubt there are some evangelicals who fit that description as there are some people like that in every segment of Americ

Charles Morris has written several acclaimed books mdash on the Gilded Age financial crises the A A R P I B M the arms race New York City and the Catholic Church in America He writes like the best professor you ever had mdash no dumbing down presenting complex material in an engaging manner