Rush is one of the lesser known signers of the Declaration of Independence. However, he is certainly one of the most interesting. He not only had revolutionary political ideals, such as, pushing for equality for all races and genders; he also revolutionized care for the mentally ill. Fried paints a vivid picture of this brilliant yet flawed renaissance man.
Recommended by Sandy
This is absolutely addictive non-fiction, and it filled me with the kind of love that makes people take bullets for strangers. Villavicencio provides portraits of a number of different undocumented Americans in an attempt to rectify our cultural habit of seeing our Latinx neighbors — in all their individual glory and idiosyncracy — as merely "workers." Tender reporting, dark humor, and some unforgettable characters make this my favorite summer pick for adults.
Recommended by Emily
Originally released in 2012, The New Jim Crow outines a history of how the American incarceration system hasd developed into an engin for "radical control" in the 21st century social landscape. An important read.
Recommended by Mac
Professor Gaddis turns Yale's most sought-after course into a book that spans millennia as it explores fundamental concepts of leadership and political theory. In the first chapter, Gaddis ties the Vietnam War with King Xerxes and the Peloponnesian War and asks his readers to find connections between seemingly disparate times in history. Gaddis takes lessons from history's greatest political theorists and fiction writers, some recognizable and some not, to take a multi-disciplinary approach by facilitating 'conversations' between author Leo Tolstoy and thinkers such as Isaiah Berlin and Carl von Clausewitz.
Recommended by Robin
This incredibly interesting and compelling book breaking down the biological and evolutionary arguments for monogamy in relationships. The authors dive straight into the scientific mistakes made by most anthropologists and biologists and show how there are countless examples of human societies that don't value or simply don't have a concept of monogamy and the feeling of ownership that often comes with it. This is a great book for couples or anyone interested in challenging the typical assumptions made about contemporary relationships.
Recommended by Robin
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Sides has marshalled an enormous amount of historical material and his prodigious gifts for narrative tension into a thrilling account of the doomed Arctic voyage led by George de Long in 1879. While the courageous crew and their harrowing struggles for survival are riveting, Sides also provides a vivid analysis of the zeal for exploration during the Guilded Age.
Recommended by Darrilyn
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (Paperback)
A meticulously researched account of the 19th Century Chicago World's Fair. Larsons non-fiction is so incredibly atmospheric and this is one of those reads that you could try to finish in one sitting! I so very much wish I could read this for the first time again.... a tense historical mystery like no other.
Recommended by Mac
From the author of Devil in the White City comes an amazing depiction of the sinking of the passenger ship The Lusitania, which would launch the United States from its isolationist state and change the course of history. A must read for 20th Century history fans.
Recommended by Mac
One of the most important texts on racism and the legacy of slavery in America. In his signature prose style that employs both acute political commentary and universal wisdom, Baldwin navigates the ideological gap between activists such as Malcolm X and Dr. King. "I'm a writer" states Baldwin, "I like doing things alone." Required reading, as relevant today as ever.
Recommended by Katharine
The year he turned 30, Jenkins biked from Oregon to Patagonia, Chile. This memoir shares both the physical journey and the emotional journey Jenkins took as he struggled with the conflict between his christian faith and sexuality. Jenkins feels like a friend telling you a story of a life-changing experience and makes you think about how you interact with the world.
Recommended by Helen
Anne Fadiman is simply a terrific writer. Wonderfully engaging. Consistenly absorbing. This is her clear-eyed and tender-hearted memoir about her father, Clifton Fadiman, a poor Russian Jewish kid from Brooklyn turned famous literary gatekeeper. He was the New Yorker's staff book reviewer in the 1930s and editor in chief at Simon and Schuster. And, apparently, he loved wine. You dont have to love wine yourself to love this book (although it helps), as it is written in erudite but easygoing prose--the daughter's signature style. A real delight.
Recommended by Emily
Does our culture handle death and grieving the right way? Take a trip with mortician Doughty to find out about different funeral practices around the globe. You'll learn about cultures that celebrate with their loved ones' mummies every few years, the invention of modern cremation, sky burials (where bodies are fed to vultures) among many other rituals. Illuminating, mindful and macbre.