Books of The Times: ‘You Know That Chicken Is Chicken, Right?’

Jonathan Safran Foer uses his literary gifts to give the reader some very visceral, very gruesome descriptions of factory farming and the slaughterhouse.

Malcolm Gladwell, Eclectic Detective

The themes of this collection are a good way to characterize the author himself: a minor genius who unwittingly demonstrates the hazards of statistical reasoning.

Colum McCann Wins National Book Award

Colum McCann won for his novel “Let the Great World Spin,” while T.J. Stiles won in the nonfiction category.

Voters Choose Flannery O'Connor in National Book Award Poll

In an online poll conducted by the National Book Foundation, the O'Connor collection "The Complete Stories" was named the best work to have won the National Book Award for fiction in the contest's 60-year history.

Library Leader in Era of Change to Step Down

Paul LeClerc announced that he would step down as president of the New York Public Library in 2011.