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.
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.
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The Books Briefing
Our culture editors’ weekly guide to the best in books.
Subject to The Atlantic's Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
Scars
A short story
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
First Evening Walk Along the Avenida Alcalde Álvaro Domecq
A poem for Sunday
The Sense That Most Defines a Culture
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue shows how colonization shapes a country’s culinary landscape.
What a 16-Year-Old Doesn’t Yet Know
Cher’s memoir is a valuable document of a young girl thrust into the adult world.
In Search of a Faith Beyond Religion
Scholastique Mukasonga’s Sister Deborah suggests that some people must look outside the traditional bounds of Christianity to find true spiritual freedom.
Cher Has a History Lesson for Us All
The singer has long stood for a brassy, strutting kind of survival. Her new account of her early life explains how that came to be.
The Most Coveted Screenshot in the Literary World
It’s what proves you’re a “real” writer.
From Aunt Uncle to Private First Class, Delta Company
A poem for Wednesday
What to Read If You’re Angry About the Election
These seven books aren’t a cure for rage and despair. Think of them instead as a prescription.
What De La Soul’s Big Mistake Cost Hip-Hop
A new book revisits the revolutionary trio’s decision to renounce its debut album, and the implications for the future of music.
What the Internet Age Is Taking Away From Writers
Authors tirelessly self-market online, but I find myself wishing that they still had the option to disappear.