Zhonghe has been called many things. But “ideal” is probably not among them. Still, you could do worse than some places there. Here’s something important to understand about living here: Distances (in terms of miles/km) don’t matter. The important thing is how long it takes to get from point A to point B. So don’t base your decisions on how far apart places look on a map.
No more than in any other big city. I wouldn’t worry about them.
Did you know that Taiwan has some big-ass cockroaches? And they can fly! 
Just exercise some common sense when choosing a place to live and don’t leave food lying about.
See this thread: [url=Books on Taiwan: something for everyone on Taiwan: something for everyone[/url].
There’s Fun Taiwan, by the ubiquitous Janet Hsieh. (Seriously: It seems you can’t go 50 feet outside without seeing her face on an ad or product.) I wouldn’t call the show “in depth;” but it’s certainly more than 5 minutes long. The show has been running for about a decade.
The Lonely Planet guide for Taiwan is good, as is the Bradt guide. The authors of both are regulars on Forumosa. If you had to pick up just one, as a history grad student you might prefer Steven Crook’s Bradt guide. But either is a safe choice.