Reaffirming human rights December 10, 2020 On December 19, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It took more than two years of intense, difficult negotiations, but the members of the drafting committee understood that they could not fail. Read More
Books for readers with big questions December 08, 2020 Winter is a season for slowing down, cozying up, and taking a moment to ponder and appreciate all the wonder and complexity around us and within us. This list of books for readers with big questions doesn’t promise easy answers, but it will inform inquiry, from the “impractical splendors” of getting lost in thought to the usefulness of useless knowledge and the freedom found in idleness. Read More
Human Flow book trailer December 03, 2020 Complete with photographs taken by Ai Weiwei while filming the epic feature documentary Human Flow, this book provides a powerful, personal, and moving account of the most urgent humanitarian crisis of our time. Read More
Timeless wisdom on generosity and gratitude December 01, 2020 The approach of the winter holidays invites us to wrestle once again with the complexities of giving. On surface it seems simple enough: Buy something nice, wrap it in colorful paper, present it to your giftee. Read More
College presidents and the struggle for Black freedom December 01, 2020 Some of America’s most pressing civil rights issues—desegregation, equal educational and employment opportunities, housing discrimination, and free speech—have been closely intertwined with higher education institutions. Read More
Books for the scientifically curious November 29, 2020 Is there a reader in your life who is wont to ask why, how, and when? We have gift recommendations just for them! Read More
By Design | Books about books, or the cataloging of ideas November 27, 2020 Sales catalogs have a noble lineage, one that an academic press would gladly embrace. The first catalog was published in Venice in 1498 by Aldus Manutius, founder of the Aldine Press. Read More
Can logic be fun? November 24, 2020 Many people have tried to define logic. James Thurber wrote, “Since it is possible to touch a clock without stopping it, it follows that one can start a clock without touching it.” Read More
Books for curious kids (and grown ups too!) November 23, 2020 These books will appeal to lifelong learners and curious readers of all ages. Wrap up a great idea for the inquisitive person in your life. Read More
Books for history & biography buffs November 19, 2020 From Vienna to Ravenna, this list is rich with possibility for fans of biographies and histories. Read More
Looking at medieval objects November 17, 2020 A few years ago, I was in the Medieval Collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City examining one of the objects I was writing a book about when a father came by with two children, a boy of about 10 and a girl of 7 or 8. He was taking them to see the medieval armor in the next exhibit room. Read More
Conspiracy theories are more dangerous than ever November 16, 2020 Conspiracy theories are as old as politics. But conspiracists today have introduced something new—conspiracy without theory. In the era of Donald Trump’s presidency, this new conspiracism has moved from the fringes to the heart of government. Read More
Great gifts begin with great ideas November 16, 2020 Browse our gift recommendations and wrap up a great idea for every reader on your list. Read More
Leadership in a time of crisis: Nero and the Great Fire of Rome November 13, 2020 There is one political failing that people seem unable to forgive. In the case of George W. Bush it was not the bitterly divisive invasion of Iraq that blighted his presidential image, nor was Donald Trump’s belligerent governing style his most serious liability in the 2020 election. Read More
Six impossible things November 12, 2020 In the Wonderland of her mind, Alice laughed. “One can’t believe impossible things,” she said to the White Queen. The Queen observed that Alice simply lacked discipline and practice, boasting that she sometimes believed “as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Read More