Fall Preview

A Slave No More, by David W. Blight (Harcourt, Nov.). The slave narratives of two Americans serve as eye-opening corridors to history.

What Hath God Wrought, by Daniel Walker Howe (Oxford, Oct.). Three decades that transformed us, from the battle of New Orleans to the Mexican-American War.

Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?, by James J. Sheehan (Houghton, Jan.). The rejection of violence after World War II redefined a continent. Europe chose material well-being over war.

The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman (Norton, Sept.). The Warsaw Zoo became a refuge for Jews during the height of Nazi fury.

Religion

Become a Better You, by Joel Osteen (Free, Oct.). The television pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston -- "the fastest growing church in America" -- exhorts us to develop our inner lives. With its 3-million copy debut, this is the biggest print run of the season.

The Bible, by Karen Armstrong (Grove/Atlantic, Nov.). The guru of religious commentary throws light on Christianity's sacred text.

The Book of Psalms, by Robert Alter (Norton, Sept.). A new translation and interpretation of one of the Bible's most cherished books.

Discovering God, by Rodney Stark (HarperOne, Oct.). Why did the major religions sprout up at about the same time, and why do they have so much in common?

God's Harvard, by Hanna Rosin (Harcourt, Sept.). A year and a half in the cradle of American evangelism, Patrick Henry College.

Head and Heart: American Christianities, by Garry Wills (Penguin, Oct.) From the early Puritans to the Bush White House, a grand tour by a leading American scholar.

I Don't Believe in Atheists, by Chris Hedges (Free, March). The author of American Fascists throws a hard punch at the likes of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

A Secular Age, by Charles Taylor (Harvard Univ., Sept.). How the role of religion has changed dramatically in recent centuries.