If You Want a Better World, Act Like You Live in It
We’ve had Henry David Thoreau the environmentalist, the libertarian, the life coach. To understand his influence, think of him first as a dissident.
Books
Introducing The Atlantic’s expanded books coverage: essays, criticism, fiction, poetry, and recommendations from our writers and editors
The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?
The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
What Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us?
Her new memoir captures the cost of being an impossibly popular target.
The Eighth Deadly Sin
Humankind has devised a new form of debasement.
What To Read
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Six Books That Simply Must Be Talked About
These six books demand discussion—with a pal, a date, or a book club.
Nine Books to Reset Your View of the World
Each of these titles will widen your perspective, offering you original insight and vision.
Seven Books to Read When You Have No Time to Read
These titles are worth picking up, even if you have only a moment to spare.
Six Books You Can Get Lost In
These novels highlight the power—both good and bad—of unchecked fantasizing.
Newsletter
The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
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Fiction
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Scars
A short story
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
The Allure of Living a Radically Different Life
What the proliferation of multiverses in pop culture reveals
Seven Books That Demystify Human Behavior
Other people can be baffling; these titles attempt to unravel a bit of their mystery.
AI Is Coming for Amateur Novelists. That’s Fine.
An annual speed-writing contest lets in the robot overlords, and I, for one, welcome them.
The Nearly Impossible Task of Describing Pain
Garth Greenwell’s latest novel finds the language to capture the ineffable human experience of serious illness.
Rachel Kushner’s Surprising Swerve
She and her narrators have always relied on swagger—but not this time.
In the Time of Dying, Meet Me
A poem for Sunday
The Worst Way to Change Minds
When religious certainty is challenged, some leaders appeal to fear—but persuasion works better.
What a 100-Year-Old Trial Reveals About America
A new book on the Scopes case traces a long-simmering culture war—and the fear that often drives both sides.
Why Did This Progressive Evangelical Church Fall Apart?
In her new book, Eliza Griswold examines the forces that led to one congregation’s collapse.
Keepsake
A poem for Wednesday