Best books … chosen by Mark Seliger
Photographer Mark Seliger has shot more than 100 covers for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and GQ. The Music Book, a collection of his portraits of musicians, has just been published by
Photographer Mark Seliger has shot more than 100 covers for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and GQ. The Music Book, a collection of his portraits of musicians, has just been published by teNeues.
Moments Preserved by Irving Penn (out of print). This collection of eight essays in photographs and words is Irving Penn’s tour de force of photography. It was also a very early influence in my own education.
New York 1954.55 by William Klein (out of print). One in a series of William Klein books that proves him to be at the vanguard in the world of street photography. Klein was a New York City native himself, and his ability to sequence images gives this book the sense of a real personal journey.
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.
The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson (out of print). Henri Cartier-Bresson was the grandfather of modern photojournalism. This book wonderfully illustrates the point at which art meets street photography. It is quite rare and a treasure to own.
Kamaitachi by Eikoh Hosoe (out of print). The Japanese artist Eikoh Hosoe created one of the most beautifully printed and designed books that you’ll ever experience in publishing. Every page folds out to poster size, which makes for an even more impressive and artful presentation.
Paris Trout by Pete Dexter (Penguin, $14). A powerful novel about race and a small Southern town’s hypocrisies. I admire Dexter’s ability to capture the darkest part of personality and hate and use it to create a riveting page-turner.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Vintage, $15). A short but haunting post-apocalyptic tale of the last man standing. It became one of my favorites because of McCarthy’s mastery of the vernacular and his unorthodox method of writing.
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
-
'"Andor" examines all sides of how empires operate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Harvard sues Trump over frozen grant money
Speed Read The Trump administration withheld $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts after Harvard rejected its demands
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more
By The Week US
-
Colum McCann's 6 favorite books that take place at sea
Feature The National Book Award-winning author recommends works by Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, and more
By The Week US
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more
By The Week US
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US
-
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 6 favorite books about war and colonialism
Feature The Nobel Prize winner recommends works by Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, and more
By The Week US
-
Elliot Ackerman’s 6 favorite books on war and duty
Feature The Marine veteran recommends works by Robert A. Heinlein, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US
-
Xochitl Gonzalez’s 6 favorite books that shaped her storytelling
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Julian Barnes, and more
By The Week US
-
Jason Isaacs's 6 favorite books that changed his perception on life
Feature The British actor recommends works by George Orwell, C.S. Lewis, and more
By The Week US