Book Review
A Brief History of a Bullheaded President
Franklin Foer’s new book about Joe Biden reveals a president whose ambitions have exceeded his mandate.
How Well Is Rural America Doing? You’d Be Surprised
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett’s ‘The Overlooked Americans’ rejects grim depictions of rural life.
To Thine Own Self Be True
Tara Isabella Burton’s new book ‘Self-Made’ surveys the grand, and sometimes ridiculous, history of how crafting identities shaped our modern world.
George Orwell’s Diagnosis of Modern Russia
Masha Karp’s ‘George Orwell and Russia’ explores the country’s pathologies through the novelist’s eyes.
Catastrophizing the Classroom
Cara Fitzpatrick’s ‘The Death of Public School’ overblows public education’s demise—and wrongly goes after school choice.
Retconning Capitalism
Sohrab Ahmari’s critiques of free markets in ‘Tyranny, Inc.’ conflate private power with state-backed coercion.
An Essayist’s Defense of the Novel
Joseph Epstein’s new book explains why serious fiction matters, and what we’ll lose if we stop reading it.
The Perks of Being a Politician
Matt Lewis’ new book explores how elected officials almost always get richer—and why that erodes civic trust.
The Two Types of Congressional Conflict
Philip Wallach’s new book, ‘Why Congress,’ shows the first branch craves performance. Could conflict nudge it toward compromise?
Cherry-picking the Western Canon
A review of Patrick Deneen’s ‘Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future.’
The Incoherence of Illegitimacy
Michael Waldman’s ‘The Supermajority’ doubles down on caricatures of the Supreme Court.
What Makes Gen Z Tick?
Jean Twenge’s data-rich new book explores America’s six living generations, and lays out striking possibilities for future trends in public opinion.
Russia vs. Ukraine, Year One
A review of Serhii Plokhy’s ‘The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History.’
