"Twenty-Five Years in the Caucasus" is an energetic memoir that offers an intimate look at life as a nineteenth-century Russian army officer. Arnold L. Zisserman’s absorbing "Twenty-Five Years in the Caucasus" is invaluable for its... Read More

An astute observer once remarked to Scottish bookseller Shaun Bythell that “every industry has its porn.” For those who crave the specific “filth” of literary voyeurism: Bythell’s "Confessions of a Bookseller" is here to sate... Read More

Certain renowned figures are difficult to characterize, a fact that speaks to their diverse interests, ingenuity, and unique ability to gain and maintain influence across large swaths of society. Brilliance helps, no doubt, but more... Read More

Ten people drown every day in the US, one hundred around the world. Humans, the evidence shows, are not natural born swimmers. But swim we do. It’s the second most popular form of exercise in this country, behind walking. "Why We Swim"... Read More

Silent and stationary, mired in dirt: such is life of plants. Not the most appropriate station for the entity primarily responsible for sustaining life on Earth. But humility reigns in the plant world, while we humans shovel on ever more... Read More

By hook or by crook, the Indigenous people living on the land now occupied by the United States lost ownership rights to their property over the course of centuries. Many were murdered; others were tricked. And, yes, a rare few sold... Read More

If, by chance, your mother lets slip that you were born with a twin that was promptly tossed out the window, thank her—then set off to find that sibling. Rumor has it that they alone know the secret of your life’s purpose. And be... Read More

If the dream is an Indigenous writer from the far north who’s able to capture his native landscape, spirituality, and ancestral exploitation in sublime poetry, the reality is Randy Lundy. His three earlier collections include Under the... Read More