W. W. Norton & Company

Author of the best-selling books Cod and Salt, Mark Kurlansky delves into the history of one of the most ubiquitous human-made materials, paper. He explores how paper has helped to shape societies from ancient to modern times and has spread ideas across the globe. As you thumb through this engaging micro-history, you’ll become hyperaware of your own relationship to the page.  —Aric

Back when Philip Glass’ father owned a record store, record companies would take back broken records for a deposit. The Glass family regarded music instruction as part of a rounded education, so Philip and his brother took weekly music lessons. They would also smash records for their father’s business. In this autobiography, Glass explains the trajectory of his illustrious career, with charming details that clue us in as to how he became not just a talented composer but a groundbreaking and controversial artist.  —Molly

History is cyclical. Jefferson in one era is different in the next. Our modern sense of Jefferson, especially with the redemption of Sally Hemings, is of him as a divisive man fraught with contradictions. This book strives very hard to find the middle ground between demon and saint. Before I began reading it, I believed in Alexander Hamilton’s characterization of Jefferson as a villain, but “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs” paints a more nuanced picture of a man who strove to serve his country well.  —Ivy

For far too long, scientists argued against giving animals human characteristics, believing that pet owners were reading too far into their pets’ ability to say goodbye or act ashamed. This book confirms what we knew to be true all along: animals’ intelligence ranges far. A wonderful look at the abilities and behaviors of critters, from octopuses and parrots to dogs and all kinds of primates.  —Rachel 

A conversational microhistory of last-place cyclists, this treatise on the Tour de France worked for me even with my rusty-spoked lack of knowledge about the race. Charting the Tour from its 1903 inception (when it was launched to save a dying newspaper), through the world wars, and all the way on to its recent doping scandals, Leonard ultimately focuses on human determination. He explores each race compellingly by focusing on its “loser,” and generously shares his own relationship to cycling so that we feel the grace it offers.  —a.c.

One of the most highly praised and anticipated story collections of recent memory, Night at the Fiestas is set in northern New Mexico and follows hardscrabble lives haunted by loss and enlivened by dreams of a better future. Quade’s writing is lushly detailed, her characters lovingly drawn, and her stories achieve astonishing emotional power. By turns tragic and very funny, this is a terrific debut.  —Rico

Eruption chronicles the 1980 explosion of Mt. St. Helens and documents the days, months, and even centuries leading up to it. It is an engaging read about not just volcanoes, but also the American logging industry, environmentalism, and people’s staggering ability to ignore what’s right in front of them. Olson offers up the deeply personal experiences of the people near the volcano when it burst, those who survived, and those who didn’t.  —Jade

Fracking, extinctions, pollution, we've put our world through hell, and it's not an understatement to say that it’s in trouble. While efforts are being made to make amends, Wilson proposes an inspiring (and daunting) solution: put aside half the Earth to biosphere conservation.  —Rachel

An engrossing read about the origins and persistence of vigilantism from the Spanish settlement to post-Civil War United States. With lively portraits of innocents, villains, and vigilantes, as well gun battles and trackers, it's also a capsule history of California. It gets my vote for the next Pulitzer Prize for History!

—Dave

This history of oral contraception is carried along by its engaging cast of characters. The Birth of the Pill is timely, important, and sure to spark conversation.—Rachel