List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Chronology; List of short titles and abbreviations; Introduction Greg Clingham; 1. Extraordinarily ordinary: the life of Samuel Johnson Philip Davis; 2. Johnson and the arts of conversation Catherine N. Parke; 3. Johnson's poetry Howard D. Weinbrot; 4. Johnson, the essay and The Rambler Paul J. Korshin; 5. Johnson and the condition of women Eithne Henson; 6. Johnson's dictionary Robert De Maria Jr; 7. Johnson's politics Robert Folkenflik; 8. Johnson and imperialism Clement Hawes; 9. The skepticism of Johnson's Rasselas Fred Parker; 10. Shakespeare: Johnson's poet of nature Philip Smallwood; 11. Life and literature in Johnson's Lives of the Poets Greg Clingham; 12. Johnson's Christian thought Michael Suarez, S. J. ; 13. 'From China to Peru': Johnson in the traveled world John Wiltshire; 14. 'Letters about Nothing': Johnson and epistolary writing Tom Keymer; 15. Johnson's critical reception Steven Lynn; Further reading; Index.