An old-fashioned man of character, Conrad Taylor is executive vice-president of a eastern university who, after leading a satisfying and well-ordered life, finds himself suddenly on shaky ground, struggling to do the right thing in the face of crisis, confrontation, and opportunity. A Man in Charge is an intricate novel about the uncertainties of personal power and the discovery of its limits.

Morris Philipson was the director of the University of Chicago Press from 1967 to 2000 and is the author of five novels and several scholarly books. Somebody Else's Life and The Wallpaper Fox are also available from the University of Chicago Press.