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
Patti Smith’s Family Secrets
Nearing 80, the punk poet reflects on the twists in her story that have surprised even her.
Gertrude Stein Wanted It All
A new biography deconstructs some myths around the enigmatic modernist’s legacy.
The Movies That Capture Women’s Deepest Fears
To understand how American horror connects with a cultural moment, look to the 1970s.
Thomas McGuane Is the Last of His Kind
What will we lose when we lose the “literary outdoorsman”?
A Writer Who Did What Hillbilly Elegy Wouldn’t
In her new book, Beth Macy returns to her Trump-voting hometown to find out how America got so divided.
The Mysterious, Enchanting Qualities of Chocolate
Its flavor can transport you, maybe not always to faraway places but certainly out of reality.
Casting
A poem
The Thrill of a Great Sports Book
Reading about athletic feats can make watching them even better.
Seven Books That Will Change How You Watch Sports
Digging into the transformative trends behind the games is a valuable pastime of its own.
Letters From John Updike
The novelist’s newly published correspondence is a reminder that no one writes alone.