John Leonard: 52 books

If you're going to call it "home" for eternity, don't you want to know what it's like? Our pictures of life in heaven cover the range from comical to curious, from mystical to fictitious—with maybe some biblical truth thrown in. For example: We know angels will be there. But thanks to TV,...

What is left of the Gospel if you take away the cross? This central question, asked by C. L. Loos but tucked away in a nineteenth-century journal, launched The Cruciform Church twenty-five years ago. Read by a generation of ministers and church leaders, The Cruciform Church began a reimagination...

Rising calls in both the United States and abroad for theologizing national agendas have renewed examinations about whether liberal states can accommodate such programs without either endangering citizens' rights or trivializing religious concerns. Conventional wisdom suggests that theology is necessarily...

In the fourteenth century, a culture arose in and around the Edwards Plateau of Central Texas that represents the last prehistoric peoples before the cultural upheaval introduced by European explorers. This culture has been labeled the Toyah phase, characterized by a distinctive tool kit and a bone-tempered...

This book, originally published in 1977, is a survey of European historiography from its origins in the historians of Greece and Rome, through the annalists and chroniclers of the middle ages, to the historians of the late eighteenth century. The author concentrates on those writers whose works fit...

As generations have learned from these ancient animal stories, fine feathers don't necessarily make fine birds, slow and steady helps win the race, and it's a mistake to count your chickens before they're hatched. Twenty-four timeless fables, recounted in verse, are complemented by distinctive wood...

Public sociology—an approach to sociology that aims to communicate with and actively engage wider audiences—has been one of the most widely discussed topics in the discipline in recent years. The Handbook of Public Sociology presents a comprehensive look at every facet of public sociology in theory...

For as long as man has contemplated the origin of the universe and the life within it, the search for answers has led some to religion in pursuit of a Creator, and others believe that science, especially Darwinian natural selection has all the answers. Divine Evolution represents the author’s attempt...

Most American Indian reservations are islands of poverty in a sea of wealth, but they do not have to remain that way. To extract themselves from poverty, Native Americans will have to build on their rich cultural history including familiarity with markets and integrate themselves into modern economies...

Essays by Thomas Frank, Clay Shirky, David Simon, and others: “Anyone concerned about the state of journalism should read this book.” —Library Journal The sudden meltdown of the news media has sparked one of the liveliest debates in recent memory, with an outpouring of opinion and analysis...

As this bestseller predicted, Trump has only grown more erratic and dangerous as the pressures on him mount. This new edition includes new essays bringing the book up to date—because this is still not normal. Originally released in fall 2017, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump was a runaway...

Have you ever tried to housebreak more than one puppy at a time, or a dog that lived his whole life outdoors? Have you ever had to convince yourself there is room for just one more? Have you ever met a cat that struck fear in a pack of dogs? I have, and experienced great joys and the occasional...

Have you ever thought about the meaning of the phrase in Pres. Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, where he refers to a government of the people, by the people, and for the people? The author believes that our present system by allowing money to influence the process is not truly a government by...

Metropolitanization and Public Services is third in a series on the governance of metropolitan regions which aims to explore the welfare and development of Metropolitan America. Originally published in 1972, this study discusses who decides which essential public services need to be provided within...