Here are some books that have crossed our desks recently.

HARDBACKS

"DARWIN'S UNIVERSE: Evolution from A to Z," by Richard Milner, University of California Press, 496 pages, 378 black-and-white photographs, $39.95

This alphabetically arranged reference offers an overview of Darwin's wide sphere of influence. It shows the way in which ideas of evolutionary biology have influenced philosophy, law, religion, literature and popular culture. There are more than 100 new essays, including entries on animal behavior, women in science and on the latest finds of human fossils. It also contains many original discoveries.

"LANCE: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion," by John Wilcockson, Da Capo Press, $26 (nf)

As a cancer survivor and winner of the Tour de France seven times, no one has astonished the world quite like Lance Armstrong. Here, John Wilcockson draws on dozens of interviews with those who know Armstrong best to trace the athlete's remarkable, yet controversial journey in vivid detail. Armstrong also reveals details, many for the first time, of how his legendary training, near-fatal bout with cancer, repeated doping allegations and hostile European media all pushed him to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

More hardbacks recently released:

"Exiles in the Garden," by Ward Just; "Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany, 1942-1945," by Randall Hansen (nf); "The Lady in Red: An Eighteenth-Century Tale of Sex, Scandal and Divorce," by Hallie Rubenhold (nf); "American Adulterer," by Jed Mercurio (f); "Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict," by Joshua Lyon (nf); "Seal Warrior: Death in the Dark, Vietnam 1968-1972," by Thomas H. Keith, Master Chief, Seal Team 2, USN (Ret.) and J. Terry Riebling (nf); "Johannes Cabal, the Necromancer," by Jonathan L. Howard (f); "Persona Non Grata: A Novel of the Roman Empire," by Ruth Downie (f); "The Latin Inscriptions of Rome: A Walking Guide," by Tyler Lansford (nf).

PAPERBACKS

"WHO'S YOUR CITY? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life," by Richard Florida, Basic Books, $16 (nf, reprint)