An invigorating exploration of the pleasures and social benefits of conversation. Learn More

Our current "culture wars" have reshaped the politics of secondary literature instruction. Due to a variety of challenges from both the left and the right—to language or subject matter, to potentially triggering content, or to authors who have been canceled—school reading lists are rapidly shrinking. Deborah Appleman's Literature and the New Culture Wars is a timely and eloquent argument for a reasoned approach to determining what literature still deserves to be read and taught and discussed. Learn More

A brilliant debut by lawyer and critic Hawa Allan on the paradoxical state of black citizenship in the United States. Learn More

The surprising, often fiercely feminist, always fascinating, yet barely known, history of home economics. Learn More

Coding Democracy is not just another optimistic declaration of technological utopianism; instead, it provides the tools for an urgently needed upgrade of democracy in the digital era. Learn More

Fans of the movie and those interested in deeper discussions about the film will revel in this thought-provoking examination of all aspects of Black Panther and the power of psychology. Learn More

Based on the popular Harvard University and edX course, Science and Cooking explores the scientific basis of why recipes work. Learn More

A comprehensive, eye-opening exploration of what dreams are, where they come from, what they mean, and why we have them. Learn More

Thousands of books have been written on the subject of writing and how to do it better. Among them are a few select classics that reveal the essential elements of good storytelling. The Art of Creative Writing is such a classic. Learn More

In How to Be Content, Stephen Harrison provides fresh, contemporary translations of poems from across Horace's works that continue to offer important lessons about the good life, friendship, love, and death. Learn More

Suffused with moral reflection and ending with a powerful epilogue on COVID-19's dizzying statistics, Counting will forever change our relationship with numbers. Learn More

When did the first vertebrates emerge, and how did they differ from their invertebrate ancestors? When did vertebrates evolve jaws, paired fins, pattern vision, or a neocortex? How have evolutionary innovations such as these impacted vertebrate behavior and success? Georg Striedter and R. Glenn Northcutt answer these fundamental questions about all major vertebrate lineages. Learn More

Timeless wisdom on generosity and gratitude from the great Stoic philosopher Seneca. Learn More

In The Long Fix, physician and health care CEO Vivian S. Lee, MD, cuts to the heart of the health care crisis and presents a concrete action plan for reform. Learn More

The unknown story of the only leprosy colony in the continental United States, and the thousands of Americans who were exiled—hidden away with their "shameful" disease. Learn More

A leading cancer specialist tells the compelling stories of three adult leukemia patients and their treatments, the disease itself, and the drugs developed to treat it. Learn More

The brilliance of a master historian shines through this personal account of a lifetime's work. Learn More

This Very Short Introduction explores what we know about the Sun—its physics, its structure, origins, and future evolution. Learn More

This Very Short Introduction describes the main renewable sources of energy—solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass—as well as the less well-developed ones—geothermal, tidal, and wave. Learn More