Basic Ideas is the newest imprint from the Perseus Books Group. An offshoot of the house's Basic Books line, Basic Ideas will produce short volumes—length is promised to stay under 40,000 words—that "narrate the life of the work and the idea it represents." The works, dubbed "biographies" by Perseus, will cover a wide array of subjects, from books to speeches to architecture.

Basic Ideas will launch in fall 2007 with NYT op-ed columnist Anthony Lewis's volume on the First Amendment and historian John Lukacs's take on Churchill's May 1940 "Blood, Toil Sweat and Tears" speech. Basic Ideas, which has numerous authors lined up, will publish volumes by, among others, William F. Buckley, art critic Gary India and journalist Jeff Sharlet.

This article originally appeared in the March 15, 2007 issue of PW Daily. For more information about PW Daily, including a sample and subscription information,click here»