Cast a Cold Eye: The Best Columns of 1990

Ridgeway ( Blood in the Face ) and Casella, a freelance editor and writer, have collected 87 of the more thought-provoking op-ed and opinion columns from newspapers and magazines as diverse as the Los Angeles Times , the Utne Reader and the Albuquerque Tribune . Dividing the book into sections (such as ``After The Cold War,'' ``A Nation Divided'' and ``Questions of Justice'') the editors attempt to provide some structure to opinions as diverse as Alexander Cockburn's argument that Violetta Chamorro's election in Nicaragua was not a triumph of democracy and Richard Nixon's contention that the U.S.'s big-stick policy in the Gulf will deter other would-be aggressors. The wide range of opinions expressed--and the variety of subjects--reflect some of the best intellectual stimulation America has to offer. Thankfully few of the pieces are silly polemics, like Virginia Postrel's whine against environmentalists. Most are reasoned commentaries illuminating changes in the U.S. and the world. Some, such as Ralph Whitehead Jr.'s definition of the changing middle class, carefully analyze the current state of America. (Jan.)