Superstorm Sandy brought climate change back into public consciousness with a vengeance Although no single weather event can be directly linked to climate change Sandy rsquo s devastation offered an undeniable preview of the kinds of extreme weather events we will face regularly in a warming world

David Lesch a recognized specialist in Syrian politics is the author of an earlier book on Syria rsquo s President Bashar al Assad with whom he has conducted several interviews His latest book traces the fortunes mdash mostly misfortunes mdash of Assad his government rsquo s off-and-on relation

'The Testament of Mary' tells an intriguing though not always convincing story. It's main character—and to an extent its only character—is an old woman fretting about her past as she tries to get the facts straight.

We invited some friends to recommend to our readers in very few words a favorite book and author.

Two new collections from Catholic poets have a mystical, almost sacramental quality

Do the movies have a future?