History & Politics

Do you know who Julie D'Aubigny is? What about Ursula Nordstrom? This is another one of those "Women You Didn't Know Existed Because Patriarchy" books, and I will never have enough of those, especially ones with art as gorgeous as this one. Lee takes us on a chronological tour around the world of women who changed history, science, and society simply by being Badass Broads. - J Gallo

Story explores the prison industrial complex (and its long-lasting, devastating effects) everywhere around us: in racially charged urban policies; prison visitation buses full of women of color; in the bankrupted, jobless towns in the shadows of the carceral expansion; and even in public parks. Rigorously researched and endlessly empathetic and eye-opening, this book is a must-read. - Ksenia

We all know the story of the Donner party, or at least, we all know how it ends. Despite the fact that I knew what lay ahead, I found myself on the edge of my seat as I read about the party’s journey across the plains. Thanks to thorough research and engaging writing, Wallis has managed to tell this with greater accuracy and humanity than ever before. Fascinating, gruesome, and gut wrenching, this book is not for the faint of heart. - Jade

Viewers of her nightly show already know that Rachel Maddow is both wicked smart and a great storyteller. She excels at tackling complex political situations and making them digestible for all of us who aren’t Rhodes scholars (like she was). In Blowout, Maddow takes readers on a global journey of the tremendous greed, corruption, and incompetence of Big Oil and Gas, which has led to weakened democracies, environmental disasters, and the Russian government hacking of our 2016 election. Filled with high stakes, intriguing characters, and just enough dark humor to make you not (entirely) lose hope, Blowout is required reading. As Maddow writes, “Democracy either wins this one or disappears.” - S.B.

Framed as a counternarrative to Dee Brown’s famous Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, David Treuer’s book sets out to dispel a common myth that indigenous civilization effectively ended in 1890, when more than 300 Lakota men, women, and children were massacred by the U.S. Army. Treuer engages with the transformation and ongoing rebirth of Native identity and culture. This is a deeply personal work that is equal parts history and memoir, and if you loved Tommy Orange’s There, There, it will be right up your alley. It may well be the most important book you read all year. - Travis

From the bestselling author of The Shock Doctrine comes a detailed blueprint for a Green New Deal. Inspired by the millions of children protesting their governments, the book’s title emerged from a quote by young activist Greta Thunberg: “I want you to act as if your house is on fire—because it is.” Naomi Klein wrote this book to help us put the fire out. - Jason

In this engaging analysis by Christopher Ryan, one of the coauthors of the bestselling book Sex at Dawn and the host of the podcast Tangentially Speaking, Ryan poses the question: With all of the health problems inherent in modern society, was the lifestyle of prehistoric humans worse than that of today or was it in a way more suited to the human race? In these imperiled times, Ryan impels readers to examine the myth of the savage, the positive effects of psychedelics, and the real price of progress. - Aric

I came for what Amaryllis Fox could reveal to me about the life of working clandestine CIA missions worldwide but was captivated by the ease of Fox’s writing, the pull of her storytelling, and the giant beating heart amid it all. Fox spent her twenties immersed in post-9/11 surveillance of terrorist groups while also getting married and becoming a mother in the most extraordinary circumstances. Now she’s written a spirited espionage narrative and an insightful memoir, and I am here for every single word of it. - Melinda

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner’s new book centers on the monumental legislation of the Reconstruction era, which he frames as the birth of modern America. This book comes at a time when American culture and society is a mirror image of its 19th-century counterpart, plagued by aggressive racism, constant violence, and the explicit shortcomings of our federal government. Foner hones in on timeless questions like “Who should be entitled to citizenship?” and “How should ‘equal protection of the law’ be defined and guaranteed?” to expertly link our very troubled past to our equally troubled present. - Travis

If you are a progressive looking toward 2020, pick this up. Congressional staffers Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin posted the Indivisible Guide in 2016, starting the grassroots Indivisible movement. We Are Indivisible is part memoir, celebrating victories and taking lessons from failures since, and part road map, analyzing how we got to “Trump’s America” and what steps must be taken to save U.S. democracy. Inspiring, educational, and galvanizing, this will give you actionable efforts and hope. - Jocelyn