Confederate Chaplain Thomas Caskey of the 16th Mississippi Calvary, who was dubbed the “fighting parson,” revealed that he thought it “not good policy for a one-horse preacher to arbitrarily commit the God of the universe to either... Read More

William III’s 1690 Act “for encouraging the distilling of brandy and spirits” was designed to boost the grain market and benefit farmers. Unfortunately, it led to a half-century of excessive gin consumption. Samuel Johnson noted... Read More

“Many unsuspecting passers-by had to relinquish molars before their ruler’s lust for surgery was satisfied,” the author writes of Peter the Great’s obsession with removing and collecting teeth. He adds that the “teeth in the... Read More

Politics and religion have been considered taboo topics at work. With regard to politics, this is probably no longer the case. Today, tabloid headlines scream with government scandals and talking-head politicos dominate the television... Read More

Computer keyboards could be different, as could the conventional Western toilet. The author wants to know how and why these objects and others came to be the way they are. For Molotch, holder of a joint appointment as professor of... Read More

Every few months, it seems, a publisher announces the rediscovery of a “lost masterpiece.” While Herbert Lottman, a correspondent for Publisher’s Weekly and a friend and longtime champion of the author, never uses that term in his... Read More

After news reports of the massive theft of thousands of identities from Ford Motor Credit Company, anyone previously unconcerned about identity theft probably reconsidered. The author offers insights not only into how such thefts... Read More

Imagine present-day New Orleans thick with incense, animal sacrifices, gospel music, attempted murder, and the unwavering determination of a woman wronged, and that’s Corina’s Way. This is a narrative abundant with characters weaving... Read More