Books Update: Joe Klein on the Trump Era

New books about the presidency include Carlos Lozada's "What Were We Thinking"

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story October 9, 2020 Tyler Comrie Dear Reader, When Joe Klein, a columnist for Time and the author of “Primary Colors,” filed his review of two Trump-centric books with editors here, our reaction was a collective gasp of enthusiasm. In a relatively brief but quite brilliant essay, Klein managed to tie together two somewhat different books — one an intellectual history of the Trump era, the other an overview of the various investigations of the current president and his administration. Both books happen to be written by journalists for another newspaper, The Washington Post. Carlos Lozada, author of “What Were We Thinking,” is The Post’s nonfiction book critic, while the husband-and-wife team of Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, co-authors of “Trump on Trial,” both cover the administration. Lozada is a guest on this week’s podcast. But there is much else to enjoy inside: Marilynne Robinson’s new novel, “Jack,” part of her Gilead series; Joseph Henrich’s “The Weirdest People in the World”; a new novel by Sigrid Nunez; the latest in crime fiction from Marilyn Stasio; essays by the nature writer Helen Macdonald; a book about the “made-up thing” that is money; a new biography of Jimmy Carter, by Jonathan Alter; and two books about the scandalous inequities of college admissions. And more. In short, something for every kind of reader. 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 Fate of Refugees After World War II David Nasaw talks about “The Last Million,” and Carlos Lozada discusses “What Were We Thinking.” FICTION & POETRY fiction Sigrid Nunez’s New Book Asks a Timely Question, Right in the Title “What Are You Going Through” considers life-and-death issues with a master’s light touch. By Janice Y.k. Lee crime Louise Penny’s Most Haunting Novel Yet In her crime fiction column, Marilyn Stasio weighs in on four new books, including the 16th Inspector Armand Gamache mystery. By Marilyn Stasio fiction Marilynne Robinson’s New Book Explores Love in Segregated America In “Jack,” the fourth volume in Robinson’s Gilead series, an interracial romance faces perils in a Jim Crow city. By Elaine Showalter poetry A Canadian Poet Channels a 7th-Century Scottish Hermit In “The Caiplie Caves,” Karen Solie invents a voice for St. Ethernan, who lived over a thousand years ago and retreated to solitude on the coast of Fife. By David Orr Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NONFICTION nonfiction Does an Intellectual History of the Trump Era Exist? It Does Now Joe Klein reviews that book, Carlos Lozada’s “What Were We Thinking,” as well as two Washington Post journalists’ account of the impeachment and its aftermath. By Joe Klein nonfiction Why Are We in the West So Weird? A Theory In his groundbreaking new book, “The WEIRDest People in the World,” the anthropologist Joseph Henrich argues that people from Western countries have a unique psychology. By Daniel C. Dennett nonfiction ‘The Lost Pianos of Siberia,’ and the Lost Individuals Who Played Them Sophy Roberts goes on a quest for a rare instrument, and discovers a vast, uncharted history along the way. By Sophie Pinkham nonfiction Want a Better Way to Think About Gender? Use Math In “X+Y,” the mathematician Eugenia Cheng proposes using category theory to end the gender wars. By Cathy O’Neil nonfiction The Feats and Failures of Jimmy Carter In a new biography, “His Very Best,” Jonathan Alter offers an authoritative introduction to a president who has been largely neglected by biographers. By David Greenberg nonfiction In Memoirs, Two Reporters Plumb Their Latina Identity and Heritage Ilia Calderón (“My Time to Speak”) and Maria Hinojosa (“Once I Was You”) tell different stories with a common theme: the need for a deeper, more nuanced conversation about race. By Fernanda Santos nonfiction In Two Memoirs, the Scars of Childhood Trauma Run Deep Vicki Laveau-Harvie’s “The Erratics” and Gretchen Cherington’s “Poetic License” reveal childhoods marred by narcissistic, abusive parents. By Helen Fremont Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT nonfiction Helen Macdonald Offers a Bird’s-Eye View of the Natural World “Vesper Flights” is a collection of essays exploring the connection between humans and the world at large. By Joshua Hammer His Mother Was Neglectful, Drunk and Absolutely Riveting to Him Kirkland Hamill’s memoir, “Filthy Beasts,” proves that the apple can indeed fall far from the tree. By Jason Sheeler nonfiction The Fiction That Makes the World Go Round “Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing,” by Jacob Goldstein, is a conversational account of currency — an abstraction propped up by group faith. By Richard Davies nonfiction A Separate and Unequal System of College Admissions “Who Gets In and Why” and “Unacceptable” detail how admissions is rigged in favor of the privileged and how it was gamed even further. By Anthony Abraham Jack the shortlist Examining the Fraught Subject of Guns and Police Three new books take very different angles in exploring a topic that is never far from today’s headlines. By Rj Young CHILDREN’S BOOKS children’s books From Sharecropping to the Voting Booth in 3 Generations In “Loretta Little Looks Back,” a novel in monologues, Andrea Davis Pinkney invites young readers to “go tell it” by reciting along with the characters. By Jewell Parker Rhodes children’s books Comics That Dismantle the White Cowboy Myth In “Black Heroes of the Wild West,” James Otis Smith introduces a new audience to Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves and Bob Lemmons. By Chanelle Benz FEATURES by the book David Byrne Likes Reading Aloud to His Friends “Sharing words is like sharing food.” sketchbook An Alternate Reality In Which Famous Writers Deal With Lockdown Imagining what authors, from Kerouac to Baldwin, might do if they couldn’t leave their homes. By Ward Sutton New & Noteworthy Anthologies, From Climate Reporting to Gun Violence A selection of recent titles of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. The Marshall Plan, Netflix and Other 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 Jodi Picoult Waited to Write ‘The Book of Two Ways.’ Her Timing Was Impeccable. The prolific author let her idea marinate until the time was right — and she had a private tutorial on coffin text. By Elisabeth Egan New in Paperback: ‘Janis’ and ‘Grand Union’ 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