Nussbaum (ethics, Univ. of Chicago) describes the social purposes of the realistic novel, using concepts of empathy and identification to explain the worlds of Hard Times, Native Son, and Maurice. She writes out of the multicultural, feminist, and liberal traditions and calls for a value-based judgment of economic and social development. Nussbaum works through a theory of private emotions, showing how they pertain to and influence public actions. The heart of her inquiry concerns the use of literary feelings and techniques to enlighten and inform legal reasoning. She considers questions of race, class, and gender as important aspects of public policy. This would make a fine selection for this election season. Recommended for public and academic libraries.‘Gene Shaw, NYPL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.