Books Update: Hijacking America

Anand Giridharadas reviews Kurt Andersen’s “Evil Geniuses”

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 21, 2020 Bendik Kaltenborn Dear Reader, Kurt Andersen, a founding editor of Spy magazine and former editor of New York magazine, a former host of the public radio program Studio 360 and the author of the novels “Turn of the Century” and “Heyday,” among other books, has long had a solid grasp of the zeitgeist. His new book, “Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History,” feels like the next logical step, a look both at the current state of our nation and at a possible future way out of the problems it faces. Anand Giridharadas, author of “Winners Take All” and “The True American,” reviews. More on our current moment comes from best-selling author Jeffrey Toobin, whose latest book, “True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump,” is reviewed by Katie Benner, a reporter on the National desk here at The Times. Two essays in this issue look at monumental women writers. Karan Mahajan writes about Doris Lessing, and Naomi Huffman writes about Carol Shields. Please stay in touch and let us know what you think — whether it’s about this newsletter, our reviews, our podcast, our literary calendar, our Instagram or what you’re reading. We read and ponder all of it. I even write back, albeit belatedly. You can email me at books@nytimes.com. Pamela Paul Editor of The New York Times Book Review @PamelaPaulNYT Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at newsletters@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance THE BOOK REVIEW PODCAST The Life of a Brilliant, Suffering Scientist Samanth Subramanian discusses “A Dominant Character,” his biography of J. B. S. Haldane, and Patrik Svensson talks about “The Book of Eels.” FICTION fiction He’s Losing His Mind. Maybe His Country Is Too? The protagonist of “The Tunnel,” by the Israeli novelist A.B. Yehoshua, tries to carry on after a dementia diagnosis. By Peter Orner fiction What if the Meat We Ate Was Human? Agustina Bazterrica’s dystopian second novel, “Tender Is the Flesh,” uses cannibalism to highlight the inhumanity of factory farming. By Daniel Kraus fiction A Métis Woman’s Husband Disappeared — or Did He? Cherie Dimaline’s new novel, “Empire of Wild,” calls on old tropes of myths and folklore, only to make them new. By Tobias Carroll fiction You Can’t Avoid Death, but You Can Make It Easier In Karolina Waclawiak’s novel “Life Events,” a “death doula” struggles to detach from her patients. By Lara Vapnyar fiction In ‘Luster,’ Young Black Women Feel Uneasy in a White American Home Raven Leilani’s debut novel follows an interracial, intergenerational affair as it leads to an unusual redefinition of family. By Jazmine Hughes Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction Kurt Andersen Asks: What Is the Future of America? “Evil Geniuses” diagnoses the troubling changes that have taken place in America over the last several decades, and how to fix them. By Anand Giridharadas nonfiction The Groundbreaking Scientist Who Risked All in Pursuit of His Beliefs “A Dominant Character,” by Samanth Subramanian, recounts the turbulent life of J.B.S. Haldane, the great British biologist and political activist. By Jonathan Weiner nonfiction Why the Mueller Investigation Failed Jeffrey Toobin’s “True Crimes and Misdemeanors” examines the battle over Robert Mueller’s report and how President Trump prevailed. By Katie Benner the shortlist Birds and Horses and Eels, Oh My! New Books About Animals Three new books — by Jennifer Ackerman, Sarah Maslin Nir and Patrik Svensson — explore some familiar and some less known members of the animal kingdom. By Ben Goldfarb CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books Bone Up on Shakespeare, With a Skeleton and His Ankle-Nibbling Nemesis Jeremy and Hermione Tankard’s “Yorick and Bones: The Last Graphic Novel by William Shakespeare” is poignant tickle-your-ribs entertainment. By Ryan North children’s books The Music and the Mirror In Hope Larson’s graphic novel “All Together Now,” an eighth-grade singer-songwriter struggles to find her voice after the band she started breaks up. By Victoria Jamieson FEATURES by the book How Yaa Gyasi Found Religion (in Literature) “There isn’t much literary fiction that deals with evangelicalism. ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain,’ by James Baldwin, was the first book I read that spoke to that part of my life and it moved me so deeply to see faith rendered on the page with such care and brilliance.” nonfiction These Celebrities Can Change Your Life From big picture advice to helpful hints, survivors of the spotlight have some words of wisdom for you. By Judith Newman group text His Family Misses Him. But Did They Ever Really Know Him? In Akwaeke Emezi’s poetic mystery, “The Death of Vivek Oji,” a community mourns a young person whose life contained multitudes. By Elisabeth Egan essay Doris Lessing’s ‘Golden Notebook’ and Our Era of Unrest Lessing’s 1962 novel is far from a manifesto. But in its embrace of chaos and split identities, it captures the mood of both its time and ours. By Karan Mahajan essay The Radical Ordinariness of Carol Shields’s Literary World The acclaimed novelist and story writer, who died in 2003, depicted the everyday experiences and domestic concerns of women — themes that deserve more literary recognition. By Naomi Huffman sketchbook Swimming and Reading — Two Summer Activities That Go Great Together Illustrating the surprisingly robust history of books about swimming. By Gary Clement Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT New & Noteworthy, From Ants to Erin Brockovich A selection of books published this week; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Letters to the Editor Readers respond to recent issues of the Sunday Book Review. editors’ choice 11 New Books We Recommend This Week Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times. inside the list LeBron Wrote a Children’s Book and It’s Selling Really Well In “I Promise,” LeBron James and the illustrator Nina Mata give hope to kids when they need it most. By Lauren Christensen New in Paperback: ‘Girl in Black and White’ and ‘Know My Name’ Six new paperbacks to check out this week. By Jennifer Krauss Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All Lists New International Books Illustration by Thoka Maer Your sneak preview of books coming out in 2020 from around the world. Get globetrotting. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Books from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018