Attorney Philip Howard is the author of the 1995 best-seller The Death of Common Sense. His most recent book is The Lost Art of Drawing the Line.
Democracy by Henry Adams (Modern Library, $13). This 1880 novel, published anonymously, is a deft exposé of the cynicism of Washington, slowly revealed through the eyes of a young widow. Arthur Schlesinger’s introduction sets the perfect context—that is to say, things in D.C. haven’t changed much.
American Notes by Charles Dickens (Penguin, $11). This travelogue from Dickens’ trip to America in 1842 provides a vivid portrait of the country in its adolescence. The novelist’s horrible voyage across the Atlantic is laugh-out-loud funny. Other chapters bring tears to your eyes.
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The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (Penguin, $25). This multivolume masterpiece yields a unique understanding of how leadership and culture influence the path of history. Gibbon’s writing is often beautiful: “This long peace…introduced a slow and secret poison into the vitals of the Empire. The minds of men were gradually reduced to the same level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and even the military spirit evaporated.”
The Moral Animal by Robert Wright (Vintage, $15). This investigation of human nature uses Darwin’s own life to comment on our natural tendencies. Wright’s analysis is of special interest to me because modern legal systems try to deny those tendencies.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Translated by Constance Garnett) (Viking, $14). Imperial Russia comes alive. Tolstoy’s descriptive powers are a joy, as with the scene of the wolf hunt, when the author goes inside the mind of the hunting dog.
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