As a prisoner in the Death March from Auschwitz, Eddie Jaku escaped by hiding in a drainage pipe under a road. He survived on his own for several days, sleeping in caves and eating raw slugs and snails, until he got sick from drinking poisoned water. By the time he was found by American soldiers, […]
When millions of dollars aren’t enough
As a teenager, Steven Bartlett journaled about his aspiration to become a “happy sexy millionaire.” And really, who wouldn’t want that? As it turns out, the answer is Steven Bartlett. By the age of 25, he had nailed being a sexy millionaire. But he still wasn’t happy. What to make of this? Step One: Embrace […]
The writer who can raise the dead
Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize is probably one of the least interesting things about her. The novelist, who won the 2023 award for fiction, is a trained biologist, an environmental activist, and a spokesperson of sorts for the region of Appalachia, which she sees as maligned by opportunistic authors like J. D. Vance. Oh, and she […]
The world through someone else’s eyes
As one of the hosts of NPR’s All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro has traveled the world to hear people’s stories. His first book, The Best Strangers in the World, shares his personal and professional journey as an intern at NPR, a full-time journalist, and his experiences as a gay man navigating the landscape of political divisions in the […]
The sensational murder that revealed cracks in the system
Michael Laudor was living in lockdown at a mental health facility when he received his acceptance letter to Yale Law School. Before his paranoid schizophrenia had flared out of control, he had been admitted to the top seven law schools in the country. Michael deferred his admission and enrolled the next year. He was about to […]
Healthcare for the homeless
Dr. Jim O’Connell could have had a prestigious fellowship in medicine. Instead, he chose to provide urgently needed health care to homeless people across the city of Boston. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tracy Kidder followed Dr. O’Connell for five years to chronicle his transformative work. Senseless Death In Boston, unhoused people die at roughly 10 times […]
The real Wolf of Wall Street
Jordan Belfort spent almost two years in prison for securities fraud and money laundering before he wrote the bestselling memoir that became The Wolf of Wall Street, the 2007 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Now he’s an entrepreneur and a motivational speaker who has consulted for more than 50 public companies. Our latest Instaread examines his sales secrets. […]
RFK Jr. on the family that doesn’t like him
Can one of America’s most influential families come back into power? According to the polls so far, probably not, but Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is determined to try. Next year, he’ll cast his lot against President Joe Biden. In the meantime, our latest Instaread takes a closer look at Kennedy’s memoir about his famous family. […]
Public health crisis? Or conspiracy theory?
We are still learning all sorts of fascinating things about longshot presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. For instance, did you know he helped popularize the conspiracy theory that vaccines are linked to autism in children? In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, which happens to be the subject of our latest release. A […]
Snowden on mass surveillance
As a toddler, little Edward Snowden reset the clocks to avoid his bedtime. As a teen, he regularly repaired his Nintendo console. By the age of 22, Snowden had obtained a very high U.S. security clearance. The stakes had gotten more serious, but he was the same nerd at heart, with a natural gift for […]
