While some bars in Chicago have served Jeppson’s Malört for nearly a century, in the past two decades, the bitter, wormwood-derived botanical spirit found new life as both a niche favorite and an ironic countercultural drink. That... Read More

Franz Nicolay’s riveting book "Band People" is a behind-the-scenes investigation into the internal dynamics of rock bands. Nicolay notes that documentary The Beatles: Get Back was an eye-opener to many because it revealed what he and... Read More

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