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History and Current Events May 2022 |
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| The Trayvon Generation by Elizabeth AlexanderWhat it is: a concise exploration of how Black artists reckon with generational trauma and racist violence.
Who it's for: Readers looking for a hopeful guide to engaging with social justice issues will find much to ponder in this thought-provoking treatise.
Book buzz: Poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elizabeth Alexander's bittersweet expansion of her titular New Yorker article was named one of TIME's Most Anticipated Titles of 2022. |
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| You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation by Julissa ArceWhat it's about: how the myth of the "American Dream" harms people of color and reinforces white supremacy.
Read it for: journalist Julissa Arce's candid account of her own experiences as an undocumented Mexican immigrant and how she learned to reject assimilation into white American culture.
Reviewers say: "challenges the idea of American exceptionalism with equal parts passion, fury, intimacy, and ignored history" (Kirkus). |
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| Flipped: How Georgia Turned Purple and Broke the Monopoly on Republican Power by Greg BluesteinWhat it's about: how grassroots campaign efforts led to victories for Democrats Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the 2021 Senate run-off election in Georgia.
Why you might like it: This engaging and fast-paced account of a pivotal moment in American politics features an unforgettable cast of characters, twists and turns aplenty, and interviews with key figures.
Why it matters: Georgia is expected to be a state of cutthroat elections for the foreseeable future, beginning with the gubernatorial race this fall. |
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| The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality by Oded GalorWhat it is: a sweeping and thought-provoking history of wealth and inequality.
Topics include: how and why economic disparities exist between nations; the impact of ethnic diversity and climate change on political and economic development.
Try this next: A Brief History of Equality by Thomas Piketty. |
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| Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II by Alex KershawWhat it's about: the wartime exploits of the United States Army's Third Infantry Division, whose soldiers were among the most decorated of World War II.
Featuring: profiles of four Medal of Honor recipients, including Audie Murphy, who found postwar success as an actor in Westerns.
Read it for: a richly detailed account of the unit's 635 days of combat. |
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| In on the Joke: The Original Queens of Stand-Up Comedy by Shawn LevyWho it's about: the trailblazing women who made their mark on the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy from the 1940s to the 1970s.
What's inside: moving tributes to Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Belle Barth, Elaine May, Phyllis Diller, Totie Fields, Joan Rivers, and more.
For fans of: When Women Invented Television by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong; Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. |
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| Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything -- Even Things That... by Jane McGonigalWhat it is: a practical guide to understanding what challenges the future may hold, supplemented with meticulous research and author Jane McGonigal's experiences as a future forecaster and game designer.
Featuring: illuminating thought experiments and simulations.
Reviewers say: "Readers will be inspired to put their imaginations to use" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation by Cathy O'NeilWhat it is: a thought-provoking exploration of the uses (and misuses) of the "shame industrial complex" in the social media age.
Read it for: a clear-eyed look at how institutions capitalize on shaming by blaming societal ills on individuals to avoid addressing systemic issues.
For fans of: So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. |
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