History & Current Events
September 2025
History
Destroyer of Worlds
by Frank Close

This is the deep history of the thrilling and terrifying seventy-year story of the physics that deciphered the atom and created the hydrogen bomb. Although Henri Becquerel did not know it at the time, he changed history in 1895 when he left photographic plates and some uranium rocks in a drawer. The rocks emitted something that exposed the plates; it was the first documented evidence of spontaneous radioactivity. So began one of the most exciting and consequential efforts humans have ever undertaken. As Frank Close recounts, scientists then had several questions, and answering them became an epic journey of discovery.
Flashes of Brilliance
by Anika Burgess

Explore how photographers uncovered new vistas, including dark caves and catacombs, cities at night, the depths of the ocean, and the surface of the moon. Learn how photographers captured the world as never seen before. Anika Burgess takes readers on a tour of astonishing photographic innovations. Burgess also delves into the early connections between photography and society that are still present today: how photo manipulation was an issue right from the start; how the police used the telephoto lens to surveil; and, how leading Black figures adapted self-portraits to assert their identity and autonomy.
The Martians
by David Baron

In the early 1900s, many Americans actually believed that they had discovered intelligent life on Mars. The Martians details this truly bizarre tale, reconstructed through newly discovered clippings, letters, and photographs by David Baron. The story begins in the 1890s with Percival Lowell, a wealthy Harvard scion who was so certain of his Mars discovery that he (almost) convinced a generation of astronomers. So frenzied was the reaction that international controversies arose. While Lowell’s claims were savagely debunked, his influence sparked a compulsive interest in Mars and life in outer space that continues today.
Motherland
by Luke Pepera

Historian, archaeologist, and anthropologist Luke Pepera takes readers on a personal journey, discovering 500,000 years of African history and cultures in order to reclaim and reconnect with this extraordinary heritage. He tackles the question many people of African descent ask, like Who are we?; Where do we come from?; and What defines us?. The book also explores how knowledge of this deeper history might affect current understandings of African identity. With personal connections, this is a comprehensive, relevant, and beautifully told new history of Africa and how it has shaped the world we know today.
Strata
by Laura Poppick

The epic stories of our planet’s 4.54-billion-year history are written in strata, ages-old remnants of ancient seafloors, desert dunes, and riverbeds striping landscapes around the world. In this brilliantly original debut work, Laura Poppick decodes strata to lead readers on a journey through four global transformations that made life on Earth possible. She introduces the researchers who have devoted their careers to understanding these transformational events. She also travels to various sites like a Minnesotan iron mine and a corner of the Australian Outback, all to demonstrate how the Earth's history is contained in strata.
Current Events
After the Spike
by Dean Spears & Michael Geruso

The world’s population has surged over the past 200 years. Since then, the larger society has thrived due to scientific breakthroughs, a global economy, healthier lives, and social progress. A significant shift is now on the horizon. Humanity is projected to peak at 10 billion, followed by a rapid decline. In After the Spike, economists Dean Spears and Michael Geruso shed light on the consequences of this unprecedented shift. They carefully analyze the stakes of global depopulation, exploring its impact on living standards, climate, and even extinction. Their insights challenge readers to view the fight as intertwined with social equity and dignity.
Algospeak
by Adam Aleksic

The internet and social media are reshaping language, from viral slang to changing grammar, revealing how communication has evolved in response to algorithms, technology, and cultural shifts in an era of unprecedented linguistic transformation. Adam Aleksic uses original surveys, data, and internet archival research to describe this new linguistic landscape, while illuminating how communication is changing in both familiar and unexpected ways. Algospeak is an astonishing journey into language, the internet, and what this intersection means.
The Idaho Four
by James Patterson & Vicky Ward 

The murders of four innocent college students attending the University of Idaho left many with a lot of questions. Now, after over three hundred interviews, James Patterson and Vicky Ward finally have some answers.
Through their research, you can know what it was like to live in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, the day of the cold-blooded killings and what the local police and FBI did right and wrong. You can learn about the families of the victims as well as Bryan Kohberger. With the recent resolution of the trial, this is a must read to get a fuller sense of the whole ordeal.
Unplug
by Richard Simon

The average American spends the equivalent of more than 75 full days a year looking at their phone. It can become an all-consuming addiction that puts a strain on virtually every facet of our existence from the way you sleep, eat, and exercise, to your ability to focus and make new memories. Most importantly, it takes you away from your life, your relationships, and the real world. Although it may seem impossible, there is always a way to overcome digital distraction: turn off your phone.
We Are Eating the Earth
by Michael Grunwald

Humanity has cleared a land mass the size of Asia plus Europe to grow food, and the food system generates a third of carbon emissions. By 2050, there is going to be a need to feed nearly 10 billion people, but this is a huge problem. Humans are eating the earth, an ingenious phrase coined by Michael Grunwald, and the greatest challenge facing the species will be how to slow the relentless expansion of farmland into nature. In this rollicking, shocking narrative, Grunwald details the existing difficulties and current actions as well as potential solutions and necessary policy shifts to rectify this impending situation.