Tim Allis’s fascinating biography of American fashion and retail pioneer Henri Bendel, inventor of the clearance sale, asserts that much of what is taken for granted in modern retail can be attributed to Bendel, whose in-store fashion... Read More

Written with the belief that listening to the stories of others is a powerful tool for building empathy, "More Than Merely Eyes Can See" is a thoughtful community project. Susan Carey’s humane community memoir "More Than Merely Eyes... Read More

It’s impossible to read Alec Wilkinson’s "Moonshine" without feeling the magnetic draw of its star figure, state revenue agent Garland Bunting. Wilkinson’s short profile, reprinted for a new generation of readers, follows Bunting... Read More

A rare glimpse into the culture of the Middle Ages, Hana Videen’s whimsical book The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary dives into medieval manuscripts about animals both real and fantastical. Inflected by Christian beliefs and accounts... Read More

Researcher William Viney’s dazzling, illustration-rich book compiles scientific knowledge about, and cultural representations of, twins throughout history. Assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization increased the... Read More

Islam Issa’s "Alexandria" is an outstanding biography of a unique city, describing how the Egyptian locale changed from its founding by Alexander the Great into the modern day. “Despite its classical renown and enduring impact,... Read More

Perfect for budding mixologists or seasoned professionals in search of inventive twists, the sleek cocktail book "Friday Night Cocktails" is replete with creative beverages to slake your seasonal thirsts. A bit of history on cocktails... Read More

"The Christmas Book" captures the nostalgia and iconography of Christmas in full-color pictorial splendor. With examples spanning from the tenth through twenty-first centuries, the book focuses most on the United States and Europe. After... Read More