Alexis de Tocqueville was among the first foreigners to recognize the potential of a new land called the United States. His classic work Democracy in America, first published in 1835, was not only a vivid portrait of the new nation, but also a startlingly accurate forecast of its future. From the influence of evangelical Christianity to the advent of our "consumer society," many of de Tocqueville's predictions have come true.Bestselling author Joseph Epstein revisits de Tocqueville...

In his first collection of stories since Fabulous Small Jews, Joseph Epstein delivers all the pleasures his readers have come to expect: stories of ordinary men confronting the moments that define a life, told with the bittersweet humor and loving irony encompassed in the title of the book. These fourteen tales map a very particular world—Jews whose lives are anchored in Chicago—in rich, revealing detail even as they brim with universal longings: complex love affairs and unspoken ...

In this classic work by the renowned wit and pundit whom the New York Times has lauded as "one of America's foremost arbiters of taste and mores . . . an acclaimed expert on what was highbrow, what was lowbrow, and what was no brow at all," the inimitable Russell Lynes flaunts (rather snobbishly, perhaps) his unparalleled expertise on all things snobbish. Since the Social Snob—with his raised nostrils and air of intolerable intolerance—has long since gone underground, it falls to ...

Observations on the many ways we manage to look down on others, from "a writer who can make you laugh out loud on every third page" ( The New York Times Book Review).Snobs are everywhere. At the gym, at work, at school, and sometimes even lurking in your own home. But how did we, as a culture, get this way? With dishy detail, Joseph Epstein skewers all manner of elitism as he examines how snobbery works, where it thrives, and the pitfalls and perils in thin...

The amusing and erudite anatomy of modern friendship, from the New York Times–bestselling author of Snobbery.Is it possible to have too many friends? Is your spouse supposed to be your best friend? How far should you go to help a friend in need? And how do you end a friendship that has run its course?In a "smart, delightfully literate, and sophisticated" anatomy of friendship in all its contemporary guises, Joseph Epstein uncovers the rich ...

A look at the delights—and dangers—of gossip, from a New York Times–bestselling, "erudite writer, gifted with rare insight and a wry sense of humor" ( USA Today).Gossip is no trivial matter. In this enlightening and entertaining study, the author of Snobbery takes a look at a human activity that may be looked down upon, but nevertheless plays a persistent role in our society—and therefore, must be taken seriously.Joseph Epstein, wh...

In this brief but highly engaging book Joseph Epstein argues for the primacy of fiction, and specifically of the novel, among all intellectual endeavors that seek to describe the behavior of human beings. Reading superior fiction, he holds, arouses the mind in a way that nothing else quite does. He shows how the novel at its best operates above the level of ideas in favor of taking up the truths of the heart. No other form probes so deeply into that eternal mystery of mysteries, human natu...

From America's call for a free press to its embrace of the capitalist system, Democracy in America--first published in 1835--enlightens, entertains, and endures as a brilliant study of our national government and character. Philosopher John Stuart Mill called it "among the most remarkable productions of our time." Woodrow Wilson wrote that de Tocqueville's ability to illuminate the actual workings of American democracy was "possibly without rival."For today's reade...

Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, impotent desire, hidden rancor and spite--all cluster at the center of envy. Envy clouds thought, writes Joseph Epstein, clobbers generosity, precludes any hope of serenity, and ends in shriveling the heart. Of the seven deadly sins, he concludes, only envy is no fun at all. Writing in a conversational, erudite, self-deprecating style that wears its learning lightly, Epstein takes us on a stimulating tour of the many fac...

Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, impotent desire, hidden rancor and spite--all cluster at the center of envy. Envy clouds thought, writes Joseph Epstein, clobbers generosity, precludes any hope of serenity, and ends in shriveling the heart. Of the seven deadly sins, he concludes, only envy is no fun at all. Writing in a conversational, erudite, self-deprecating style that wears its learning lightly, Epstein takes us on a stimulating tour of the many fac...

In this collection, his twenty-fifth book, Joseph Epstein departs from writing about literature and culture to indulge his fondness for the world of sport in all its forms. In these essays and stories on such subjects as saving Joe DiMaggio’s reputation from the clutches of an iconoclastic biographer, marveling at the skills of Michael Jordan, shaking free of an addiction to radio sports talk shows, or contemplating the changing nature of the games he grew up with and played as a boy, Epst...

- Provides practical advice on breaking down the implementation and deployment of voice mobility networks within the office, across the campus, and on the road. - Offers a complete primer on enterprise-grade Wi-Fi networking for voice mobility at scale, whether as a single-mode or dual-mode network, including information on the newest 802.11n standard and how these standards directly impact voice mobility. - Includes methods of integrating existing or new VoIP networks with 3G+, CDMA 2000,...