Books by three Yale authors on NYT’s list of the month’s best

Books by three Yale authors are among the eight books recommended by The New York Times in its monthly roundup of new books.

Books by three Yale authors are among the eight books recommended by The New York Times in its monthly roundup of new books.

“Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion” by Paul Bloom, “Looking for ‘The Stranger’: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic” by Alice Kaplan, and “One Toss of the Dice: The Incredible Story of How a Poem Made Us Modern” by R. Howard Bloch were chosen by the newspaper as “hidden gems” that are “deserving of (bigger) attention.”

Bloom is the Brooks & Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology. In his book, he argues that empathy is one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society. Kaplan, the John M. Musser Professor of French, reveals the context and history of Camus’ classic. Bloch, Sterling Professor of French, analyzes Stéphane Mallarmé’s epic poem “One Toss of the Dice” in his new book, which features a new translation of the poem by J.D. McClatchy, adjunct professor of English and editor of The Yale Review.

Pamela Paul, editor of The New York Times Book Review, noted that December is not usually noteworthy for newly published books, but says that these three works — and the other five on the list — buck that trend.

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