Best Current Affairs/Politics Books of 2017

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Emotionally charged, deftly crafted, and urgently relevant essays. Full review >

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by Mikhail Zygar

An excellent complement to recent work by other Russian journalists who have turned to history, and to brilliant purpose. Full review >

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by Paul Butler

Smart, filled rightfully with righteous indignation, and demanding broad discussion and the widest audience. Full review >

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by Masha Gessen

A superb, alarming portrait of a government that exercises outsize influence in the modern world, at great human cost. Full review >

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by Jessica Bruder

Engaging, highly relevant immersion journalism. Full review >

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by Valeria Luiselli translated by Lizzie Davis

A powerful call to action and to empathy. Full review >

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by Ali H. Soufan

In a dizzying scenario of violence, Soufan provides clarity and balance. Full review >

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by Michael Eric Dyson

The readership Dyson addresses may not fully be convinced, but it can hardly remain unmoved by his fiery prose. Full review >

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by Frances FitzGerald

Overflowing with historical anecdote and contemporary reportage and essential to interpreting the current political and... Full review >

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by Matt Taibbi

Sure to be a fixture on any reading list or curriculum regarding the woeful state of the American criminal justice system. Full review >

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by James Forman Jr.

Certain to stir debate, this book offers an important new perspective on the ongoing proliferation of America’s “punishment... Full review >

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by Elisabeth Rosenthal

A scathing denouncement, stronger in portraying the system’s problems than in offering pragmatic solutions. Full review >

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by Barry Friedman

At once creative and conservative, Friedman offers a timely blueprint for recovering democratic control of local and... Full review >

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by Ron Powers

This hybrid narrative, enhanced by the author’s considerable skills as a literary stylist, succeeds on every level. Full review >

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