Nonfiction

The Case Against Grit

David Epstein’s new book, Range, argues that starting a specialized path early and doggedly sticking to it may not be as rewarding as trying a variety of things and quitting the unfulfilling ones.

• Ashley Fetters
• May 31, 2019

The Philosophy Behind the First American Dictionary

In 1789, Noah Webster called on the newly independent United States to claim its own national version of the English language.

• Peter Martin
• May 28, 2019

In Shakespeare’s Life Story, Not All Is True. In Fact, Much Is Invented.

A new film by Kenneth Branagh is a textbook case of how portraitists of the bard spin a paucity of fact into fairy tale.

• Elizabeth Winkler
• May 10, 2019

Neon Is the Ultimate Symbol of the 20th Century

The once-ubiquitous form of lighting was novel when it first emerged in the early 1900s, though it has since come to represent decline.

• Sarah Archer
• April 27, 2019

Deciphering the Mystery of Joy Division

A new book explores how the group turned itself into a portal for some of the most alien and beautiful information ever to be broadcast through the medium of a rock-and-roll band.

• James Parker
• April 9, 2019

How Domestic Workers Enable Well-Off Women to Prosper

In her new book, Women’s Work, the journalist Megan Stack grapples with how she’s been able to advance in her career at the expense of other women’s labor.

• Anna Waters
• April 2, 2019

The Art of Navigating a Family Political Discussion, Peacefully

It works best when both sides really try.

• Ashley Fetters
• March 21, 2019

The Curious Power of Giving Book Characters the Same Name

Leo Tolstoy did it. So did Gabriel García Márquez and the Tintin comics. Sometimes, the unusual literary device can amplify a story’s meaning tremendously.

• Nina Martyris
• March 9, 2019

How Conflicts End—And Who Can End Them

A new book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland is a detective story about an unsolved murder. It’s also an examination of the cost of achieving peace.

• David A. Graham
• March 3, 2019

The Invisibility of Older Women

As they age, women experience less public scrutiny—and entertain a wider set of choices about when and how they are seen.

• Akiko Busch
• February 27, 2019

The ‘Hidden Mechanisms’ That Help Those Born Rich to Excel in Elite Jobs

When two sociologists interviewed highly paid architects, TV producers, actors, and accountants, they encountered work cultures that favor the already affluent.

• Joe Pinsker
• February 26, 2019

Gandhi’s Vision for Equality Involved Raw Food

The activist sought to bring independence to every Indian—including by freeing up the time that might be spent in the kitchen.

• Nico Slate
• February 24, 2019

What the ‘Hollywood Jim Crow’ Looks Like Today

The supposedly color-blind language of economics has allowed the mainstream film industry to hide its racial biases, a new book argues.

• Tanisha C. Ford
• February 24, 2019

What It’s Like to Go Back to School After a Shooting

Dave Cullen’s new book about the 2018 massacre in Parkland, Florida, vividly portrays the challenges of starting class again while recovering from trauma.

• Ashley Fetters
• February 14, 2019

What Some of the World’s Last Hunter-Gatherers Have to Say

An ancient saying he learned from his subjects, the Lamalerans, showed the journalist Doug Bock Clark how to tell the story of a tribe with no recorded history.

• Joe Fassler
• February 14, 2019