Best books … chosen by Joe Scarborough
The MSNBC host and former Republican congressman is the author of a new book, The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise. It will be published June 9.
The MSNBC host and former Republican congressman is the author of a new book, The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise. It will be published June 9.
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (Vintage, $16). Wright’s study of Osama bin Laden’s life from childhood through his escape from Tora Bora is a remarkable inside look at al Qaida. This Pulitzer Prize–winning book is indispensable, especially for anyone hoping to understand the motivation behind Islamic radicalism.
What It Takes: The Way to the White House by Richard Ben Cramer (Vintage, $25). Cramer takes readers deep inside the 1988 campaigns of George H.W. Bush, Joe Biden, Bob Dole, and a dozen others. It is a fascinating look inside the bubble of presidential politics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72 by Hunter S. Thompson (Grand Central, $16). Thompson’s wild ride through the Nixon-McGovern election is an acid-drenched look at American politics at its nadir. It is also the most entertaining political book I have
ever read.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (Scribner, $15). The book that made me fall in love with Paris even before I went there. I loved reading every page of Hemingway’s account of how he wrote, ate, and loved while a member of the expat literary community living in Paris in the 1920s.
How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer (Harper, $14). This love letter to the Beautiful Game from the editor of The New Republic is a must-read for American sports fans as we approach next summer’s World Cup. It’s the best available introduction to the world’s most popular sport.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Robert Kennedy and His Times by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (Mariner, $18). Schlesinger’s biography of Bobby Kennedy is nothing short of epic. Though the author’s political worldview was far different than my own, his retelling of Kennedy’s life inspired me to enter public service.
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A tomato fight, painting behind bars, and more
-
Mountainhead: Jesse Armstrong's tech bro satire sparkles with 'weapons-grade zingers'
The Week Recommends The Succession creator's first feature film lacks the hit TV show's 'dramatic richness' – but makes for a horribly gripping watch
-
This Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be above average
Under the radar Prepare for strong storms in the coming months
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Amor Towles' 6 favorite books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, and more
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more