All Book Reviews
鈥楥elestial Bodies鈥� reveals cracks in the patriarchyOmani novelist Jokha Alharthi follows three generations of a family trying to make their way as traditional roles and expectations crumble.
鈥楧isney鈥檚 Land鈥�: The amusement park that changed everythingRichard Snow embarks on an entertaining biography of Disneyland in all its pixie-dust-coated, nostalgia-tinged majesty.
Copernicus blazed a trail for early astronomers to followBrahe, Kepler, and Galileo each played a role in furthering the study of the heavens, as L.S. Fauber amply demonstrates in 鈥淗eaven on Earth.鈥澛�
Empire builder: Walter Ralegh conquered in the name of his queenAlan Gallay鈥檚 biography examines not only the colorful life of Sir Walter Ralegh but also his role in colonization.聽聽
One was killed by a volcano. The other lived to tell the tale.Daisy Dunn's "The Shadow of Vesuvius" is a vivid history of聽Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, and the volcanic eruption that defined them.
鈥楾he Impeachers鈥� minutely recounts the first presidential reckoningBrenda Wineapple鈥檚 deep dive into President聽Andrew Johnson鈥檚 impeachment and the landscape of Reconstruction politics is an essential Civil War read.
鈥楾he Quarter鈥� shows masterly hand of Nobel laureate Naguib MahfouzThe collection of short stories, published posthumously, gently lays bare the foibles of the denizens of a neighborhood in old Cairo.
Eileen Gray: The modernist designer you鈥檝e never heard ofIrish-born and Paris-ensconced, Gray created iconic furnishings and homes that are now sought by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent.
鈥楳y Penguin Year鈥� tells a compelling tale of an extreme adventureLindsay McCrae missed the birth of his son to film in Antarctica. It made him appreciate the role that male penguins play in raising the chicks.
The unthinkable sinkable Titanic marked the end of a gilded eraIn 鈥淭he Ship of Dreams,鈥� Gareth Russell explores the excess and hubris that characterized the Edwardian age through the lives of six passengers.聽
鈥楾he Movie Musical!鈥� dances through the heyday of Hollywood 鈥榯uners鈥�Jeanine Basinger鈥榮 sweeping history casts an insightful, and affectionate, eye over decades of films that defined their eras.
The unheralded women of the Disney StudiosIn 鈥淭he Queens of Animation,鈥澛燦athalia Holt takes a聽fascinating look at the women behind Disney classics like 鈥淐inderella鈥� and 鈥淏ambi.鈥�
鈥楾he Boundless Sea鈥� explores centuries of ocean voyagingDavid Abulafia鈥檚 sweeping history 鈥淭he Boundless Sea鈥� touches on great explorers as well as war, trade, and migration.聽
鈥榃interlust鈥� renders the 鈥榤eanest season鈥� in benign and poetic termsBernd Brunner shapes a cultural history of the season, showing that even at its bleakest, winter can聽be redemptive.聽聽
Flannery O鈥機onnor鈥檚 letters offer sharp insights into her writing鈥淕ood Things Out of Nazareth鈥� collects the thoughts of the Georgia-born author聽as she confided in mentors, colleagues, and friends.
Two Hitler biographies draw eerie parallels to contemporary politicsPeter Longerich and Brendan Simms each shed light on the dictator鈥檚 role in not only Germany but also on the world stage.聽
Janis Joplin gave a little piece of her heart to every song she sangA biography follows the singer from her upbringing in a conservative Texas town to her (too brief) career as a raw-voiced blues and rock superstar.
鈥楾he Peanuts Papers鈥�: How a comic strip shaped the lives of writers and artists鈥淧eanuts鈥� was one of the most influential American comics. A new collection of meditative, charming essays explores the strip鈥檚 cultural impact.
Fears about robot overlords are (perhaps) prematureComputer science professor聽Melanie Mitchell clears up misconceptions about machine learning in 鈥淎rtificial Intelligence:聽A Guide for Thinking Humans.鈥�
Yes, your dog really does understand youAlexandra Horowitz鈥檚 鈥淥ur Dogs, Ourselves鈥� and聽Clive Wynne鈥檚 鈥淒og is Love鈥� explore the scientific particulars behind your pooch鈥檚 adoration.
