Franco Moretti's GRAPHS, MAPS, TREES: ABSTRACT MODELS FOR LITERARY HISTORY is one of the most provocative recent works of literary history. The present volume collects generalist and specialist, academic and nonacademic responses by statisticians, philosophers, historians, literary scholars and others. And Moretti's responses to these responses. Originally written as contributions to an online book event hosted at The Valve (www.thevalve.org), and edited for this volume, these essays explore, extend and criticize many aspects of Franco Moretti's work. They will be of interest to anyone interested in Moretti's brand of "distant reading"; or in the prospects for quantitative approaches to literary style and genre; or recent interdisciplinary work in the humanities generally. CONTRIBUTORS: Bill Benzon, Tim Burke, Jenny Davidson, Ray Davis, Jonathan Goodwin, Eric Hayot, John Holbo, Steven Berlin Johnson, Matthew Kirschenbaum, Sean McCann, Franco Moretti, Adam Roberts, Cosma Shalizi. ABOUT THE EDITORS: JONATHAN GOODWIN is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He works on modernist literature, film, and narrative theory. JOHN HOLBO is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore and the author, with Belle Waring, of Reason and Persuasion: Three Dialogues by Plato (Pearson 2009).

From stem cell research to intelligent design to global warming, political conflict over science is heating up. In his 2005 bestseller, The Republican War on Science, journalist Chris Mooney made the case that, again and again, even overwhelming scientific consensus has met immovable political obstacles. And, again and again, those obstacles have arisen on the right-from the Bush administration, from coalitions of Republicans and from individually powerful Republicans. As the new paperback edition announces, Mooney's book, "brings this whole story together for the first time, weaving the disparate strands of the attack on science into a compelling and frightening account of our government's increasing unwillingness to distinguish between legitimate research and ideologically driven pseudoscience." Looking for a Fight, Is There a Republican War on Science? started life as a 'book event'-an online, roundtable-style critical symposium on Mooney's work, hosted at Crooked Timber (crookedtimber.org). Eight contributors offered reviews, discussion and critical commentary. And Mooney responded to his critics. Now the event is a book, available here in print for the first time and online (for free download at parlorpress.com). "Man, you guys worked me hard ." - Chris Mooney

FRAMING THEORY'S EMPIRE started life as a "book event"-an online, roundtable-style symposium on THEORY'S EMPIRE (Columbia UP, 2005). Two dozen contributors offered reviews, criticism, and commentary. Now in book form, it includes a preface by Scott McLemee and afterthoughts from THEORY'S EMPIRE'S editors. WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID . . . As the Theory Era draws to a close, we need more than ever intelligent rumination and debate over what it all meant. THEORY'S EMPIRE was an important step in that direction. Framing THEORY'S EMPIRe carries on the conversation with sophistication and flair. -Denis Dutton, editor, PHILOSOPHY & LITERATURE . . . It's rare for authors to have their work be the object of a lengthy, detailed, serious and lively dialogue shortly after its publication. John Holbo's commitment to using the Internet as an instrument for bringing about precisely such a dialogue is a wonderful example of how new technologies can enhance the quality of our intellectual exchanges. And to make that lively dialogue be the object of another book, on-line and in hard copy, is a further contribution. -Daphne Patai, editor, THEORY'S EMPIRE . . . CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Bauerlein, Michael Berube, Timothy Burke, Chris Cagle, Christopher Conway, Will H. Corral, Jodi Dean, Brad DeLong, Morris Dickstein, John Emerson, Jonathan Goodwin, Daniel Green, Matt Greenfield, John Holbo, Mark Kaplan, Scott Eric Kaufman, Adam Kotsko, Kathleen Lowrey, Jonathan Mayhew, Sean McCann, Scott McLemee, John McGowan, Daphne Patai, Kenneth Rufo, Amardeep Sing, and Jeffrey Wallen