Books and their writers can get into some pretty murky territory when they set out into the world. Some writers, who might be completely reasonable people in the rest of their lives, turn into liars and sneak-thieves when it comes to telling their tales. They might even make promises they know they can’t keep. They’re not necessarily setting traps or practising to deceive. Something seems like a good idea, and they go for it. Another word for that is “inspiration.”

Each of the essays in this engagingly provocative collection about the morals of writing explores an aspect of what writers do, but you don’t have to be a writer to consider the same issues. You just have to be human.