The Sum of Us: The Irrational Math of Race, Voting, and the Public Good

We have all asked the same question. Or someone has asked us to answer it. Why do so many smart people vote against their interests?

Finding a Good Book to Read: One question that shapes my reading list

A good reading habit is easy when you have a good book to read. So if you have vowed to read more or to read differently this year, now is the time to build a list that will keep you reading throughout the year.

Reading List: What the Warmth of Other Suns Tells Us about the American Dream

The Warmth of Other Suns is the story of the American Dream turned backwards or inside out. It’s a story that’s absolutely necessary to understand before we use that idea of the United States to measure who are or who we have ever been.

What Makes Reading a Civic Duty?

Books have lost their audience. The trend is a downward slope no one expects to turn around. Every year, fewer and fewer people report having finished a book. Our lists of leisure time pursuits often do not include “reading a book.”

How Democracies Die: A Must-Read for Preventative Care

This book is no post-mortem. Reading it shifts the focus from breaking news to protecting norms.