Book Review
Naples 1343
Amedeo Feniello’s cutthroat book "Naples 1343" reconstructs life and crime in Neapolitan history. Personal and inviting, with language that trades between academic and direct, this is a book built on the idea that the past reverberates...
Book Review
Down Ballot
Patrick Wohl’s page-turning political history "Down Ballot" covers a suburban Chicago election that drew wide attention because of the candidates’ stances on abortion. In 1990, Illinois House of Representatives incumbent Penny Pullen...
Book Review
The Rebellious CEO
Ralph Nader’s "The Rebellious CEO" profiles twelve executives for whom the greater good outweighed quick profits. These smart, flexible, independent thinkers instigated positive change and used their successes to leverage money and...
Book Review
My Weil
In Lars Iyer’s comedic novel "My Weil", a ragtag cohort of doctoral candidates studies at a Manchester university’s second-rate philosophy program—rebranded Disaster Studies. The members of this grimy and vibrant group spend a lot...
Book Review
American Idolatry
With a mix of scientific and insider perspectives, sociologist Andrew L. Whitehead’s "American Idolatry" is a fascinating investigation of politics and racism in American Christian evangelicalism. Using statistical data and stories...
Book Review
Butterflies
Hermann Hesse wrote iconic, pensive novels, but he was also a butterfly collector. In "Butterflies", a charming book for nature and literature lovers, he marvels over the creatures up close. Excerpts concerning butterflies, selected from...
Book Review
Century's Witness
Century’s Witness is Mary Llewellyn McNeil’s behind-the-scenes biography of a respected newsman. One of Wallace Carroll’s greatest gifts as a journalist was his timing. Fresh from journalism school in Milwaukee, he was the first...
Book Review
The Home-Scale Forest Garden
Dani Baker is the dreamer and planner behind the Enchanted Edible Forest, three acres in New York that were cultivated over a decade to grow more organic, edible plants. "The Home-Scale Forest Garden" brings these permaculture gardening...