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.
Newsletter
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
The Fans Who Made Alchemised a Hit
The fastest-selling adult debut novel of the past two decades is a romance that isn’t particularly sexy or upbeat—but has a devoted community.
Wake Up, Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving’s story isn’t just about a very long nap. It’s about the making of America.
The Many Lives of Eliza Schuyler
She lived for 97 years. Only 24 of them were with Alexander Hamilton.
Why the Latest Nobel Prize Winner Makes Perfect Sense
László Krasznahorkai is unusually experimental for a Nobel Prize winner, but in an unstable world, his selection feels perfectly timely.
What Not to Fix About Baseball
In a new book, the sportswriter Jane Leavy spitballs with some of the greats about how to make the American pastime more appealing.
The Writing-Advice Book That Teaches Us How to Read
In a world of dwindling reviews, the author Lydia Davis’s new work charts a more serendipitous path to reading.
After Balthus
A poem
The Publishing Industry’s Most Swoon-Worthy Genre
Tight-knit but open-armed fans have made romance an especially hot commodity.
A Half Century of American Book Banning
In the 21st century, censorship of work like Judy Blume’s has evolved into a broader attack on books.