Is Russia East, West—or both? Michael Khodarkovsky traces its roots to the Eurasian steppe, revealing a hybrid empire shaped as much by Asia as Europe but also by fluid frontiers, diverse societies, and steppe-born power. STEPPE AND ITS EMPIRES available now.

Does uncertainty give you anxiety in these times? Here are five key lessons on embracing the unknown, drawn from a return to the foundations of philosophy and mysticism.

Kirkus reviews REBOOT by Beth Noveck. "A smart, incisive, and sharply critical examination of AI’s impacts on our society."

@christiancentury.bsky.social  reviews RELIGION IN THE LAND THAT BECAME AMERICA, "This book, which looks like dynamite tucked into the cracks of the old foundation, might become the cornerstone of a new one."

Ralph Lauren: The Complete Collections, a Catwalk series book, is one of People's best books of May 2026: #Fashion #Fashionbooks https://people.com/people-best-books-of-may-2026-11970431

This timeline, taken from George Goodwin’s book, PROPAGANDA WARS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, details events in Congress in Philadelphia as it moves towards approving the Declaration of Independence on 4th July 1776.

"Okrent's book is a consistently winsome, snappy, and smart piece of work; he’s the rare biographer of a songwriter who actually knows how to write about music.” —Bruce Bawer, @commentary.bsky.social 

What happens when democracy stops delivering? In Ancient Athens, frustration with the political system created the culture of ostracism, which was a radical mechanism to hold powerful figures accountable and, at times, remove them entirely.

THE MAN WHO READ EVERYTHING is a collection of Harold Bloom’s correspondence with eight contemporary writers, edited by Heather Cass White. Many letters appear for the first time, offering an intimate look at Bloom’s life, work, and legacy.

Author of upcoming book REBOOT, Beth Noveck is featured on the Power & Politics podcast. Beth talks about Innovate US and the use of AI in our governments.

SANCTIONED BIGOTRY challenges the long-held idea that America has been largely immune to #antisemitism. Drawing on centuries of primary sources, the book reveals a complex truth. From 1654 to today, this collection traces how discrimination has been embedded across institutions, culture, and policy.

The New York Public Library places I HAVE AVENGED AMERICA by Julia Gaffield on a Haitian Revolution Reading List 📖

Need a spring refresh? 🌸 Fresh blooms, and fresh ideas—and 50% off all month long. From philosophy to politics, art to autobiography, your next read is stacked right here. Which one are you interested in reading? ⤵️

ROBERT WEDDERBURN reviewed by American Historical Review, "This absorbing, eloquent, and poignant biography will drive readers back to Wedderburn’s texts." —John Coffey, American Historical Review

@theatlantic.com  reviews MAKE YOUR HOME IN THIS LUMINOUS DARK, “Abstract and experimental art, . . . is innovative, meaningful, and conducive to the sort of habits that can bring people closer to God."

When did the USA become a world power? It's actually much sooner than you might think, writes Michael O'Hanlon, author of TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS. Read more here 👇

"Intriguing. ...Pinn pushes against familiar biblical narratives with rich and rigorous analysis." BIBLICAL OUTLAWS is reviewed by @publisherswkly.bsky.social   

"The great pleasure of A TREACHEROUS SECRET AGENT lies in its faith that literature gets the last word."  —Charlie Tyson, @theatlantic.com 

I HAVE AVENGED AMERICA was reviewed in American Historical Review: "[A] wonderfully researched and immensely readable book about one of the most fascinating figures of the Age of Revolutions." —Frances Bell

REPUBLIC AND EMPIRE by Trevor Burnard and Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy featured in @newyorker.com 

HUNTING is reviewed on Wall Street Journal! "[Fagan] offers a comprehensive, authoritative history tracing hunting’s influence on culture and society through the ages."—@WSJ.com

Walter Benjamin aspired to be “the foremost critic of German literature,” but his real talent was for grasping the richness and complexity of vernacular culture. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/JAinX-

"Too often, we think of women who wield violence as exceptionally deviant or degenerate. But the truth of the Nazi era is that women . . . were given considerable power over the lives of others—power to which they otherwise would never have had access." https://bit.ly/3QKqUyY

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS TRUTH by Jack Zipes ranks #19 on @literaryhub.bsky.social  The Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers List for Nonfiction.

Daniel Okrent appears on Culturebot for an interview about STEPHEN SONDHEIM. Read below!

Got your eyes open for a good read? 👀 Now's the time to stock up on a few books for the summer. 50% off sitewide lasts until May 31. Terms and conditions apply. U.S. and Canadian customers only.

Jack Zipes argues fairy tales aren’t just bedtime stories but a cultural institution we can’t do without, especially amid wars and corrupt governments. He traces their rise from oral folk tales to modern media, and their power to enforce conformity or upend society.

A life in letters, a legacy in print. Join Mary Helen Washington at Harvard Book Store for a powerful conversation on PAULE MARSHALL—a tribute to one of the most important voices in American literature. 📖 https://www.harvard.com/event/mary-helen-washington

Twenty years later, CRUSH still remains as electric and unflinching as ever. Celebrate National Poetry Month with the 20th Anniversary Edition of Richard Siken's beloved collection of poems—now featuring a new introduction by Dana Levin and an afterward by Siken himself.

"[McDonagh's CONVERTS is] a book worth reading," writes Dustin Bass of The Epoch Times. Read the full review below.

Can the stories of Little Red Riding Hood or Sleeping Beauty lead us to hope during chaotic times? Jack Zipes explores why these timeless tales still matter in a world shaped by war, climate crisis, and political unrest, and what we risk losing if we stop telling them.

History.com names O'Shaughnessy's, THE MEN WHO LOST AMERICA, and Benjamin Carp's, DEFIANCE OF THE PATRIOTS, in 10 Books that Reframe the American Revolution https://www.history.com/articles/best-books-on-the-american-revolution

Discover the best Earth Day 🌍 books to deepen your understanding of nature, climate change, and environmental history. This reading list features titles on plants, ecosystems, agriculture, and the story of our planet.

The Gospel Coalition has posted its review of Smith's MAKE YOUR HOME IN THIS LUMINOUS DARK, calling it “reflective and evocative.” https://bit.ly/4vt9s1X

In IN GOOD FAITH, Ryan Avent argues faith in one another—shared meaning and understanding—is society’s scaffolding and a foundation for prosperity and cooperation. A critique of “technocratic fixes,” showing how belief shapes what societies can do. #PoliticalEconomy #SocialScience #Democracy

April is National Poetry Month! ✒️ Check out THROWN VOICE, the 2025 winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets by Isabel Neal. Explore her prizewinning work that is forceful in their curiosity, but vocally sharp, freely moving, and utterly still.  https://bit.ly/4cAc318

"[McDonagh's CONVERTS is a] well-written and extensively researched book about British converts. . . . fascinating." —David Mills, Wall Street Journal

WE COMPUTERS has been shortlisted for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (UK) book prize—as featured in Publishing Perspectives. Congrats to the author!

Don't miss this new review of Jackson's FROM GENGHIS KHAN TO TAMERLANE in the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies!

"By setting aside the myths and trying to understand the actual man, Gordon has made an important contribution to Benjamin studies." —Bettina Berch, @JewishBookCouncil

The new episode of the Great Women Artists Podcast features Alyce Mahon in a conversation about the inimitable #DorotheaTanning! #surrealism #greatwomenartists

Check out this episode of the This Week in Art podcast: Alyce Mahon in conversation with Ben Luke about #DorotheaTanning #surrealism #womenartists #podcast

"A gimlet-eyed view . . . that gets us close to Sondheim the man." @americantheatre.org  reviews STEPHEN SONDHEIM by Daniel Okrent:

Today is the official publication day for my new book, Sedimentary Aesthetics: Painting on Stone and the Ecology of Early Modern Art. It is out in the world, and I would like to thank @yalepress.bsky.social for all they did. I’d also like to tell you a bit about why this publication means so much.

"Garber’s fresh examination [of the Red Scare] in A TREACHEROUS SECRET AGENT provides ample evidence that literature 'baffled, alarmed, and spooked' the men who 'attacked creative artists and boasted of their own expertise.'" —The American Scholar

Are you curious about stories from Indigenous and Native American history, freedom from slavery, or the American Revolution? Don’t miss out on 30% off during the 2026 Organization of American Historians conference, April 16-July 18, 2026. Browse our featured titles: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/oah26/

David Dault, author of THE ACCESSORIZED BIBLE, appears on the Radical Sacred podcast discussing the roles the Bible plays as a tool for good and evil. Listen here:

Did you watch Henry David Thoreau, Ken Burns’s new PBS documentary? For those who caught the timely reintroduction to one of the most influential voices in American lit and are inspired to go further, read Thoreau's writings:

"For anyone who has walked through the newly reopened Frick and marveled at how it feels both unchanged and entirely transformed, this is the essential companion." A Design for Continuity and Change is a design book Elle Decor is reading this spring #artbooks #Frick

Okrent's new biography, STEPHEN SONDHEIM, has been featured in LitHub's “March's Best Reviewed Nonfiction”.