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Editors’ Picks: Politics
Our editors pick illuminating books on the paradigms of politics and society.
Published on February 8, 2021
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice
Bill BrowderWritten like a gripping thriller novel, Browder’s account of exposing deep corruption in Russia and his unfailing will to fight against Putin’s regime proves that sometimes fact is far stranger than fiction.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Michelle AlexanderAlexander makes her case that the War on Drugs created a new racial caste system in a highly readable & compelling way. This provocative work has shifted how we think about civil rights & prison reform.
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America
George PackerPacker’s award-winning work on the economic anxieties of Americans has reached cult-like status since Donald Trump’s unexpected election. Those hoping to understand an electorate hungry for change will find much to consider in this excellent work of political journalism.
The Undoing Project: A Friendship that Changed Our Minds
Michael LewisThe book unfolds much like a love story without the romance — there is infatuation, distancing, and heartbreak. Ultimately, “The Undoing Project” illuminates one of the 20th century’s greatest collaborations, and the power of two minds becoming one.
Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions
Valeria LuiselliThis slim book examines the current immigration crisis through a 40-question survey child migrants must take and the stakes riding on how children answer, “Why did you come to the United States?”
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Naomi KleinOne of the most provocative, sobering, and controversial looks at who profits and how in the wake of disasters both natural and man-made. Klein tackles the destructiveness of capitalism with biting clarity.
Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
Sam QuinonesOpioids have led to increased attention on drug addiction. This moving, journalistic account provides searing context to recent reports that opiate abuse rates are on the rise, while life expectancy for Americans is falling. Reporter Sam Quinones chronicles the shocking extent of how prescription pain medication addiction and an influx of cheap, potent heroin is threatening America’s heartland.
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen
Jose Antonio VargasBattles over border walls and illegal immigration have sparked intense debate and led to severe actions this year as many migrants from Central America have tried to enter the US. “Dear America” describes the often misunderstood complexities of undocumented immigration and Jose Antonio Vargas’ personal experience as one of the most prominent undocumented immigrants. In its best moments, the book is a poignant story of finding a place to belong, and how you can define your own sense of self without a home to anchor to.
Diplomacy
Henry KissingerA fundamental work on the history and current practices of international relations. Authored by noted diplomat and political scientist Henry Kissinger, who peppers the narrative with fascinating anecdotes from his decades in service.