In Darwin’s theory, parents pass traits down to their children and the best survive. David Quammen’s new book explains a more complicated process.

Criticized as cruel and self-centered, V.S. Naipaul insisted on confronting the hard realities of post-colonial life.

A new book reveals the powerful frustrations and sharp wit that shaped Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel.

David Auerbach returns with a memoir about coding, literature, and the way technology is changing our lives.

Nick Drnaso's 'Sabrina,' which has been nominated for the Man Booker Prize, is a quiet revelation.

Laura June’s memoir examines a set of dissonant and, ultimately, redeeming relationships.

How do you curate the work of a man who became a symbol?

R.O. Kwon’s novel “The Incendiaries” imagines the lives of students pulled into a violent cult.

The writer's short story in 'The New Yorker' is a puzzling allegory about social media and the #MeToo movement.

In the aftermath of a divorce, Deborah Levy attempts to redraft her story.

Her new short story collection is a departure from her early fiction, which explored the seamy underside of the American family.

A Russian-American graduate student struggles for authenticity in Keith Gessen’s novel “A Terrible Country.”

A new book examines the making of a completely preventable health crisis.

As a researcher in Ceausescu’s Romania, Katherine Verdery did not suspect how profoundly the secret police would interfere in her life.

With the sudden departure of yet another CEO, the bookstore chain is facing existential questions.

How Leslie Jamison rejected the link between creativity and alcoholism

How Hollywood tried to fight fascism and ended up blacklisting suspected Communists.

The craze for audio storytelling may be the company's best way to compete with traditional publishers when it comes to creating original content.

The partisan world of Pablo Neruda