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In this article the author discusses the Man Booker Prize, an annual award honoring fiction written in English, presented in London, England. The history of the award is traced, the author comparing winners of the Man Booker with those who have won another British literary prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Award. Other issues examined include the uncertain origin of the Man Booker and the rules governing novels nominated for consideration.

The article focuses on technological changes to the publishing industry. The author describes the future of publishing and the eventual demise of books. Google's book digitization project is cited. The article mentions Jean-Noël Jeanneney's "Google and the Myth of Universal Knowledge"; Jeanneney is the president of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The author also describes a number of recently published works that feature "faux Victorian" bindings and decorations.

Is the substance-abusing Will, shaking his fist at God, slaughtering Self? In the final episode, at the "Lodge" (easily identified, but not named, like much else in this memoir), Will stumbles on the first of the 12 steps to recovery: the one that requires admitting publicly that you are powerless over drink/drugs. Will power: Self's episodic memoir concentrates on his drug addiction and experience with recovery. [Extracted from the article]

Comments on the complexity of the literary world in London, England. Complaint of Salman Rushdie about British critics; History of the literary world that is characterized as two half worlds, gilded and bohemian, which began in Paternoster Row and a seedier side that started in Grub Street; Role of publishing houses in the 19th century; Discussion about the impact of literary editor Karl Miller on the London literary world; Topics of premature reviewing and the abolition of the Net Book Agreement.

Focuses on novelist Anthony Trollope and his book 'The Way We Live.' Purpose of the Penguin English Library; Information on Trollope's writing style and popularity during the Gothic Victorian era; Reasons of publishing firm Penguin for not publishing Trollope's book; Information on the writing of the book.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being arrested for being drunk, and shares his odd admiration for Scientology.

The article discusses policies on the care of the aged in Great Britain as a greater percentage of the population reach the retirement age of 65 and beyond. It notes that local councils are going bankrupt caring for the age while the National Health Service (NHS) is unable to keep up with rising demands. The author goes on to reference several works of literature in which the elderly are killed or portrayed negatively, commenting on what he considers Britain's passive approach to the old.

The author discusses the history of the Pelican book series from the publisher Allen Lane and the Penguin Books Ltd. publishing company, focusing on its social impact in Great Britain and mentioning its revival in 2014. Topics include books such as "Jazz," by Rex Harris, "The Uses of Literacy," by Richard Hoggart, and "Red Brick University," by Bruce Truscot.

The article looks at the tradition of Christmas ghost stories in Great Britain, as of 2013. It profiles English author Montague Rhodes (M. R.) James, saying his ghost stories derived from his scholarship on the medieval period. Television adaptations of his ghost stories are discussed, including "The Tractate Middoth," directed by Mark Gatiss.

The author reflects on the life and work of literary editor Karl Miller, focusing on the mutual impact of Miller and the "New Statesman" periodical on each other. Topics include the author's relationship with Miller; the various jobs from which he resigned as a matter of principle; and his impact on the fields of literary editorship and literary criticism.

The author discusses the change within the British university system which has marginalised a historic focus on the core discipline of English studies. Topics include the implementation of the research assessment exercise (RAE) and the teaching quality assessment (TQA) by the English government in the 1970s, the benefits and drawbacks of implementing an objective qualification system for judging universities, and the effect of undergraduate fees on English university students.

In this article the author discusses the publication of books examining spiritual life. He notes that while such titles as "People of the Book," by Geraldine Brooks and "A New Earth," by Eckhart Tolle have been successful in the United States they have achieved few sales and little notoriety in Great Britain.

In this article the author discusses the Mormon religion in light of the 2008 U.S. presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. He notes that Mormonism is not a religion well-understood among non-believers. He examines the influence of Mormonism on science fiction author Orson Scott Card.

In this article the author discusses the book "The Race," by Richard North Patterson, a roman a clef about American politics contemporary to 2007. The author notes that the hero of the book is a composite portrait of presidential contender senator John McCain and former secretary of defense William Cohen. The villain of the book is plainly based on media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, according to the author.

The article discusses the Iraq War and how blogs and Internet emails produced by members of the American armed forces have changed the nature of war reporting. He notes books offering first person, intimate accounts of the Iraq War "House to House," by staff sergeant David Bellavia and "Street Fight in Iraq: The Private Journal of a US Marine Warrior," by Patrick Tracy.

In this article the author discusses the book "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" and its author Kevin Trudeau. Noting that Trudeau had been convicted of passing bad checks and masquerading as a doctor, the author denounces the diet book as a product of a confidence man and charlatan. He examines the legislation that allowed Trudeau to make his outlandish weight loss claims without legal consequence.

In this article the author discusses American crime fiction as it is influenced by U.S. cities and geography. He notes that many crime novelists in the United States set their books in specific cities and have become strongly identified with certain locales. Among a number of novelists he cites the New York books of Lawrence Block, the Miami, Florida settings of Jeff Lindsay and the Boston, Massachusetts based action of Dennis Lahane.

The article examines the popularity of book with the words "Mom" or "Mommy" in the title in the U.S. Some 35,000 such books are listed on Amazon.com. The books are almost universally aimed at children and seek to explain complex life issues in understandable terms. They are almost always purchased by mothers themselves.

In this article the author discusses the euthanasia theme in the books "The Fixed Period" by Anthony Trollope and "Boomsday," by Christopher Buckley, both stories based on the notion of future societies where the elderly are put to death. The stresses place on the American social security and medicare systems by aging baby boomers is discussed.

In this article the author describes the almost simultaneous invention of the paperback book in the United States and Great Britain. He notes that Great Britain lacks unconventional places for the sale of books, the vast majority of books purchased having been acquired in bookshops. The sale of paperback books in the United States in unusual outlets such as Starbucks coffee houses is examined.

In this article the author discusses the impact of the novel "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand on public policy in the United States. He states that "Atlas Shrugged " was poorly reviewed when released in 1957 but was defended by Alan Greenspan, an economist, who subsequently became head of the Federal Reserve. As a result of the influence of the book on Greenspan, the author states that Ayn Rand is the most influential novelist in U.S. history.

In this article the author discusses the 2007 departure of Judith Regan from the U.S. publishing firm of HarperCollins, following the outcry at her attempt to publish a memoir by O. J. Simpson titled "If I Didi It." The piece examines legal issues arising from that book. The author praises the book "PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives," by Frank Warren, which was published by Judith Regan.

The article reports on literary prizes awarded in the United States and Great Britain. The author is under the impression that American readers are extremely interested in who wins major book awards in the U.K., such as the Man Booker Prize, and that the British reading public shows no interest in the winners of American prizes like the National Book Award.

This article reviews the state of publishing in Great Britain and comments on a publishing copyright convention called, variously, the Empire Agreement and the Traditional Market Agreement. In light of that now-defunct contractual stricture, the author speculates on the copyright regarding the series of books on vice issued by a Canadian collective.

In this article the author discusses the popularity in the United States of the books for children in the "Walter the Farting Dog," series by William Kotzwinkle. He links the 3 books in the series to earlier children's books and to J.D. Salinger's "A Catcher in the Rye." These books and another popular title, "Hooray for You: A Celebration of You-Ness," are meant to promote a child's sense of self-esteem.

In this article the author reports on two books advertised on the radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh and aimed at the conservative audience, "Heaven is So Real," by Choo Thomas and "23 Minutes in Hell," by Bill Wiese. In the former, the author claims to have been given a guided tour of heaven by Jesus. In the latter the author suffers the pains and torments of hell, until he is released by the Lord and charged to return to life to write the book, warning people about the agonies of hell.

This article reports on the differences between literary prizes given in France, Great Britain and the United States. In France, winning the Goncourt doesn't necessarily mean that a book will sell a large amount of copies. The author characterizes Britain's Man Booker Prizes as a way to sell good fiction. Pulitzer prizes, given in the U.S., are seen as being mainly about newspaper journalism.