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Addictive reading selected by the author of The Power of Habit.
New York Times investigative reporter Charles Duhigg's debut work of nonfiction, The Power of Habit, catalogues the habits of successful people and offers tips for establishing beneficial routines and breaking the ones that hinder us. When we asked him to recommend three favorites, he replied with this fascinating trio of wide-ranging books.
By John Hersey
"When Hersey's nonfiction account of the bombing in Hiroshima appeared in 1946, it set a narrative bar that has never really been surpassed. The beauty and deep humanity of this book, chronicling an atomic explosion through characters touched by the blast, is so powerful that, even 60 years later, it's impossible to look away. Every journalist, I think, hopes to write a book like this: something that makes an event so real that it becomes unforgettable, and gives the deaths and decisions surrounding that tragedy permanent weight."
By David Mitchell
"Some books are great because they're well told. Some books are amazing because they're so creative and clever. But the best books are surprising. The first time I read this book I was in Cairo, completely out of place and constantly feeling at odd ends. Mitchell inspires that same sense in readers -- and then he delivers something wonderful."
By Richard Bradford
"I'll be honest: this isn't a great book. Some of the plot points don't make sense, and the characters can strain credulity. But I'm from New Mexico, where it takes place, and there was a time in my life when I had no idea what I really wanted to do, and whenever I was in a strange town, I would buy a copy of this book in a bookstore, and it made everything okay again. I haven't read it in years. I take that as a good sign."
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This emotionally taut novel of family dynamics and the limits of sacrifice presents a woman on the verge of giving up everything -- including her marriage -- to help her impassive brother fight his obesity.
A newly fired 20-something becomes an assistant to a filmmaker chronicling people’s failed ambitions in Alina Simone's sharp meditation on internet addiction, celebrity worship, and digital narcissism.
This new collection of some of the best of overseas reportage includes articles from Joan Didion, Tim Judah and Susan Sontag, with topics ranging from impromptu theater in conflict-ridden Sarajevo to a gravediggers’ strike in Liverpool.
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