Books

Is the pristine wilderness extinct - or was it only ever a myth? Jules Pretty on the dichotomies of humans and our habitat

This analysis of elitism is not new, says Fiona Taylor, but neither are the claims made in elitism's favour

Here be monsters, Deborah D. Rogers writes, and they're fun

Farzana Shaikh finds a thoughtful account of a country's history marred by its portrayal as a victim

A study of conflicts, morality and the benefits of hindsight doesn't go deep enough for Philip Sabin

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Eleanor Sterling discusses a species' rapid decline at our hands ... and what we can do about it

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Jane O'Grady remains unconvinced by an attempt to initiate a new branch of philosophy

Deborah Bowman hails a remarkable synthesis of bioethics, philosophy and practical insights

Election results more accurately reflect choice of voting rule than voters' wishes, says Donald Saari

By Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch

Proofs of their genius: Tony Mann on the enduring notion of young rebels rewarded only by posterity

Judith Schneid Lewis explores the enlightened social policy ideas of a thoroughly modern heroine

Roger Brown hails an insightful study of scholastic performance and ethnicity on US campuses

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Trevor Herbert is struck by the mass of evidence brought to bear on a musical aristocrat's life

Judith Mehta takes heed of a cautionary tale about the lazy deployment of abstract concepts

Bill Jordan is scathing of New Labour's social policy, but has some trenchant suggestions for whoever takes power next week, writes Matthew Reisz

Geoffrey Alderman finds much to commend in this vast account of anti-Jewish prejudice in England

The Lake District has been fought over and revelled in. Jonathan Bate enjoys a tale of a little paradise

Both the layman and expert will find these insights into particle physics fascinating, says Tara Shears

A weekly look over the shoulders of our scholar-reviewers

Laurence Coupe lauds the call for a language that will save the planet

Kerry Brown on a Washington insider's attempt to shed light on the Eastern giant's interesting future

Alan Campbell unearths the complex attitudes among mining communities during the lockout

Alan Collins on a Victorian pseudo-science that addressed fears of the anonymous urban 'other'