Information is power, and even in the peaceful post-millenial age, power corrupts. Data pirates, new-age mercenaries, high-tech shamans, and murder stalk a brutal netherworld of deregulated havens in the Global Communications Network--Islands in the Net.

This history examines the influences of geography and environment on the development of civilization and seeks to find large patterns that might explain why, in the modern period, some groups seem to have significantly greater material wealth than others. The author is an evolutionary biologist and his scientific approach to human history draws on examples from societies all over the world.

Sparta vs. Athens, 5th century B.C., by a modern-day Thucydides. Historian Kagan covers history, military strategy and tactics, leadership psychology, and the human toll of war. This one-volume work is based somewhat on the author's four-volume HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR.

Heartbreaking. Also, very amazing that a gay black man born in the US in 1929 Harlem wrote this incredible book that explores sexuality and love relationships in a very contemporary way, even though he wrote it back in the 50's. His descriptions of Paris are so vivid that you will feel as though you are having coffee in a Paris cafe as you read.

Celebrating our Young Authors issue, I suggest this book, which Chabon wrote when he was 25. Art Bechstein encounters a dizzying series of people and events during the summer following his college graduation.

Marlowe's client, Mrs. Murdock, is a wealthy widow whose antique gold coin has been stolen. As the story unwinds, it's clear that Mrs. Murdock's actions belie her posh surroundings. Chandler draws on his characteristic conflict between the Haves (the clients) and the Have-Nots (Marlowe) in his exploration of greed, trust, love and power in a plot which bears some resemblance to "Gaslight".

The private detective, Nero Wolfe, with the aid of his assistant, Archie Goodwin, investigates a killing at a flower show and a series of poison-pen letters that result in murder.

An often ignored key to Hammett's philosophy is contained in the anecdote of Flitcraft that Spade tells Brigid O'Shaughnessy in a seemingly tossed-off aside. According to critic Steven Marcus, in his introduction to Hammett's THE CONTEINTAL OP, the Flitcraft anecdote shows Hammett's belief that "life is inscrutable, opaque, irresponsible, and arbitrary-that human existence does not correspond in its actuality to the way we live it." Although it is not included in the movie version (done by John Huston and otherwise completely-and unusually-faithful to the book), there is reason to believe that this tale does more to explain Hammett's philosophy of life than anything else he wrote.

An exciting romp through cryptography past and present. Weaving between two separate time lines, this novel depicts the adventures of a codebreaker, a Japanese lieutenant, and a U.S. Marine in World War II with the modern-day tale of their grandchildren, who are jointly investigating a mysterious computer program in Southeast Asia.

Join Jefferson Caird as a criminal in a world that only lets you live one day a week.