Book or Article?
"Should I read the book? Or just read the article?"
Book or Article?
"Should I read the book? Or just read the article?"
Recently Published
"A revision of human history that centers the female body as the main driver of our evolution."
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on Fresh Air
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"A social history of the internet that reveals how online influence and the creators who amass it have reshaped our world, online and off."
Read the article in Rolling Stone
Listen to an interview on Newcomer
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"The story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and Sam Bankman-Fried, the enigmatic founder at its center."
Read the article in the Wall Street Journal
Listen to an interview on Against the Rules
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
My Favorite Nonfiction
A work of revisionist history that thrillingly upended my understanding of the Americas before European contact
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on NPR's All Things Considered
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
The world is more delightful through Ed Yong's eyes and prose, and some animals perceive the world so strangely (to us!) that this doubles as a work of philosophy.
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on NPR's Fresh Air
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
Read the article in The Nation
Listen to an interview on NPR's Fresh Air
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
Most histories of ancient times focus on empires. But what if they were outliers in the story of humanity's development?
Read the article in Anthropology Magazine
Listen to an interview on The Dig podcast
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
I know this is self-indulgent, but I'd love for you to read this book that I co-wrote about the astonishingly brave and cinematic life of Egyptian democracy activist Ahmed Salah.
Read the article in the Brooklyn Quarterly
Listen to an interview on KQED
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
Books Based on Articles
"A groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology that radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492."
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on NPR's All Things Considered
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"Determined to clone an endangered orchid, a deeply eccentric man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture."
Read the article in The New Yorker
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"The true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, simply because he preferred to live on his own."
Read the article in GQ Magazine
Listen to an interview on the Outside Book Club podcast
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
Science
"The system humans have created to deal with our own waste is a mirror to the world above."
Read the article in Atlas Obscura
Listen to an interview on the Atlas Obscura podcast
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the e-book on Kindle
"From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, an entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth."
Read the article in the New York Times
Listen to an interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"Every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world."
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on NPR's Fresh Air
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
History
Read the article in the New York Times
Listen to an interview on NPR's Talk of the Nation
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
"A groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology that radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492."
Read the article in The Atlantic
Listen to an interview on NPR's All Things Considered
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
"Challenges our most fundamental assumptions about social evolution—from the development of agriculture and cities to the origins of the state, democracy, and inequality."
Read the article in Anthropology Magazine
Listen to an interview on The Dig podcast
Buy the book on Bookshop.org
Buy the ebook on Kindle
Your guide to nonfiction books—and the articles based on them
"Should I read the book? Or just read the article?" I've often asked this question about nonfiction books—or answered the question for friends.
That's because when a nonfiction book comes out, the author almost always publishes a long article based on the book (or an excerpt) in a publication like The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, or National Geographic. They'll likely talk about the book on a podcast too.
I can't answer the "book or article" question for every book. That depends on your interests! But I believe that longform articles are the best method ever invented to explore complex ideas and take people into worlds they don't know about.
And, in these cases, they're a phenomenal way to find new books to read!
