Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (Harper, $28). Reading this brought me back to covering the incredible 2008 presidential election—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Heilemann and Halperin confirm many stories we all knew about, but also reveal how raw and gut-wrenching the political process can be. It will leave readers with a new respect for some of this country’s political leaders and disgust for others.
The Last Best Hope by Joe Scarborough (Crown, $26). Here, Scarborough lays out exactly what his political philosophy is. This book should be read by anyone who believes that conservatism and Republicanism should be one and the same.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, $15). Jeannette is an amazing woman. Full disclosure: I worked with her when she was a gossip reporter at MSNBC and I love her! Yet when I first read this best-selling 2006 memoir, I was stunned. Jeannette grew up in a rootless family; her parents were homeless on New York’s streets when her journalism career was taking off. But the challenges and beauty of her background make for a riveting book.
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The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (Dover, $3). I read Edith Wharton to go back in time—to when I was studying at Williams as an English major. That was a period in my life when there wasn’t so much noise around me.
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (Penguin, $15). First of all, this book is a reminder of just how hard it is to eat well in America. Present-day supermarkets are filled with processed foods. We need to have an honest conversation about food and our health. Pollan’s 2008 best-seller is a good place to start.
America and the World by Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft (Basic, $17). In a 2008 dialogue moderated by The Washington Post’s David Ignatius, two former national security advisors—my father and Brent Scowcroft—tell you what you need to know about America and its place in the world. Any administration should study this book.
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Political cartoons for October 27Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include improving national monuments, the NBA gambling scandal, and the AI energy vampire
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Donald Trump’s week in Asia: can he shift power away from China?Today's Big Question US president’s whirlwind week of diplomacy aims to bolster economic ties and de-escalate trade war with China
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The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
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Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
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Nathan Harris’ 6 favorite books that turn adventures into revelationsFeature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McGuire, and more
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Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
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Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
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Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
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Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
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Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
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Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious charactersFeature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
