>*The New Republic* has practiced a confrontational, sometimes combative, style of criticism since its early issues—its clarion call Rebecca West’s essay on “The Duty of Harsh Criticism.” Our reviewers tend to be more interested in vigorous discussion of a book and its ideas than in handing out gold stars. This end-of-year “best of” list reflects those tendencies. This far from exhaustive list features 10 books that fueled surprising and worthwhile conversations—and sparked a few disputes.
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>*The New Republic* has practiced a confrontational, sometimes combative, style of criticism since its early issues—its clarion call Rebecca West’s essay on “The Duty of Harsh Criticism.” Our reviewers tend to be more interested in vigorous discussion of a book and its ideas than in handing out gold stars. This end-of-year “best of” list reflects those tendencies. This far from exhaustive list features 10 books that fueled surprising and worthwhile conversations—and sparked a few disputes.