‘The Abstainer,’ by Ian McGuire: An Excerpt
An excerpt from “The Abstainer,” by Ian McGuire
The Best Post Office Novel You Will Read Before the Election
Vigdis Hjorth’s “Long Live the Post Horn!” follows a 35-year-old woman through an identity crisis — and a campaign in support of postal workers.
Why Government Is Failing the People It Is Supposed to Serve
“The Wake-Up Call,” by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, criticizes the performance of Western governments and suggests ways to improve it.
The Future of Energy
Daniel Yergin’s “The New Map” is a comprehensive look at the world of energy, its past, present and future.
The Bumbling 1960s Data Scientists Who Anticipated Facebook and Google
In “If Then,” the historian Jill Lepore recounts the story of the Simulmatics Corporation, which tried to use primitive computing power to shape Americans’ behavior.
The Rebel, the Policeman and a Chase Through Britain and Beyond
Ian McGuire’s historical novel “The Abstainer” pits an Irish separatist against a police constable in 19th-century England.
A Separate and Unequal System of College Admissions
“Who Gets In and Why” and “Unacceptable” detail how admissions is rigged in favor of the privileged and how it was gamed even further.
In Memoirs, Two Reporters Plumb Their Latina Identity and Heritage
Ilia Calderón (“My Time to Speak”) and Maria Hinojosa (“Once I Was You”) tell different stories with a common theme: the need for a deeper, more nuanced conversation about race.
How a Million Refugees Became Postwar Pawns of the Allies
David Nasaw’s “The Last Million” tells the painful story of displaced persons after World War II who had nowhere to go.
What’s Wrong With the Meritocracy
Michael J. Sandel’s “The Tyranny of Merit” examines the damage our current meritocratic system is doing to the country.
One of the Most Perilous Jobs in Government
As Chris Whipple shows in “The Spymasters,” the heads of the Central Intelligence Agency have often been more beleaguered than omnipotent.
What It Means to Be the ‘Token’ Black Kid in a Rich, White World
In “Greyboy,” Cole Brown recounts the lives of privileged outsiders, himself among them.
New & Noteworthy Audiobooks, From Dan Rather to Black Lives Matter
A selection of recent audiobooks of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading.
Matthew Yglesias Thinks There Should Be ‘One Billion Americans’
In his new book, the journalist and co-founder of Vox argues that dramatic population growth could revitalize the nation.
Michael Ian Black Has Some Wisdom for His Son (and Maybe for Yours)
In “A Better Man,” the comedian proposes a sincere vision for modern masculinity.
The Housewife Who Was a Spy
Ben Macintyre’s “Agent Sonya” recounts the story of a woman who passed along atomic secrets when she wasn’t raising her family in the Cotswolds.
An Unflinching Child’s-Eye View of Sexual Abuse
The 10-year-old narrator of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s “Fighting Words” eases her way into sharing the awful truth of what she and her sister survived.
In Jorie Graham’s Poetry, the End of Days and the Pleasures of the Flow
“Runaway,” Graham’s 15th collection, considers the apocalypse, beautifully.
Long Before Cambridge Analytica And Facebook, Simulmatics Linked Data And Politics
In If Then, author and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore unearths Simulmatics' story and makes the argument that the company paved the way for our 21st-century obsession with data and prediction.
(Image credit: NPR)
What if We Pursued Vigilante Justice on Reality TV?
In “Payback,” the veteran novelist Mary Gordon gives score-settling a modern twist.
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