From a seemingly infinite list of books of anecdotal or literal merit, we have narrowed down the top 100 books that have shaped the lives of individual men while also helping define broader cultural ideas of what it means to be a man.

So if you feel the need to reaffirm your manliness, here are a hundred manly books that ought to do the trick. Ahem

Good news, perhaps, for would-be authors who fear their work has been forever lost in the hard-copy slush pile ("Oops, I seem to have filed the unsolicited manuscripts in the recycling bin!"), for with the launch of HarperCollins' Authonomy, the pile not only goes online, it goes (apparently) democratic.

Apparently. At any rate, it’s a great way to keep unsolicited slush out of the house.

Neil Gaiman is one of the most publically available writers, constantly doing signings and readings. I was lucky enough to meet him last week with my daughter.

The Danish writer who commissioned cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, igniting violent protests across the Muslim world, says he can't find a publisher for his latest work, a translation of the Qur'an.

Go figure.

An NY literary landmark and intellectual oasis since 1927, The Strand has always been a hip, independent and romantic symbol of the city’s literary status. Nowadays, though, it’s become the scene of ire, rife with allegations of racial discrimination and accusations of tyranny. Is the independent and world’s largest used bookstore morphing into a corporate entity that cares only for profits?

Environmentally friendly and guilt free, book swapping sites are hugely popular. Aside from the obvious benefits for the trees, book swapping introduces readers to authors they normally wouldn’t have chanced. Not actually purchasing the book apparently lends freedom to the process of choosing the next read. But some authors, such as Jeanette Winterson, are not so keen on the idea.

The misguided ''Golden Compass'' has found its way to DVD -- but it's not the first book-to-big-screen project to veer off course, as fans of ''Da Vinci Code,'' ''Memoirs of a Geisha,'' ''Eyes Wide Shut,'' and%

The more the merrier! That's what I say. Now you can hear me say it live on the Wordsy Podcast.

Cory Doctorow discusses how fans can't find his new book--Little Brother--because they're looking in the wrong section. Perhaps some Wordsy readers who are adult and also male can shed some light on the assumption that going into YA sections suggests you're a child molester! Comments full of hilarity (plus recommendations).

Romantic Times had an article in their recent issue called "Stop the Series!" What the article didn’t discuss in any depth is how strong the pressure can be to continue a successful series - or invent one. I gave [my editor] a whole laundry list of stand-alone ideas in an email. At the very end of this, I added: "Or I suppose I could write a sequel." "Do that," was the response.