Book List

Best Socioeconomic Books of 2020

NONFICTION

MILL TOWN

by Kerri Arsenault

Bittersweet memories and a long-buried atrocity combine for a heartfelt, unflinching, striking narrative combination. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE COST OF LOYALTY

by Tim Bakken

A provocative, disturbing argument that a democracy is in trouble when it venerates the military unconditionally. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

CAN'T EVEN

by Anne Helen Petersen

A well-researched and -rendered analysis of why so many millennials feel overwhelmed despite their best efforts. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

THE ADDRESS BOOK

by Deirdre Mask

A standout book of sociological history and current affairs. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THE SECOND CHANCE CLUB

by Jason Hardy

A powerful, necessary book with revelatory passages on nearly every page. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

HISTORY

WHY WE'RE POLARIZED

by Ezra Klein

A clear, useful guide through the current chaotic political landscape. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

CULTURE WARLORDS

by Talia Lavin

Righteous indignation meets techie magic to shine light on one of America’s most malignant warts. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

BETWEEN EVERYTHING AND NOTHING

by Joe Meno

A well-paced and engaging account, highly relevant to current political debates. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

THE BOOK OF ROSY

by Rosayra Pablo Cruz & Julie Schwietert Collazo

An emotionally intense narrative of a Guatemalan woman’s desperate search for a better life. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

CAN'T EVEN

by Anne Helen Petersen

A well-researched and -rendered analysis of why so many millennials feel overwhelmed despite their best efforts. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

WE HAVE BEEN HARMONIZED

by Kai Strittmatter ; translated by Ruth Martin

A frightening, vital wake-up call: The West ignores the rise of an Orwellian China at its peril. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

NONFICTION

SOMEWHERE IN THE UNKNOWN WORLD

by Kao Kalia Yang

A potent lesson in empathy that is all the more powerful for never presenting itself as a lesson. Full review >

FULL REVIEW >

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