This excellent book by lawyer Rachel Vogelstein, an expert on gender policy, and Meighan Stone, formerly head of the Malala Fund, is the first to capture the global impact of the #MeToo movement. The authors construct their case with stories of courageous women who deployed new digital tools to build successful #MeToo movements in seven global hot spots—regions with different histories, cultures, political climates, and records on women’s rights. Awakening does not whitewash the backlash against those who challenge gender injustice, but overall the authors are confident that women can continue to galvanize and organize powerful movements to create change around the world.
Author, historian, speechwriter, and cartoonist Jeff Shesol has produced a masterpiece of narrative history, exploring how the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and particularly Project Mercury, defined the Cold War era. A review in The New York Times notes Shesol’s “extraordinary qualities as a storyteller,” showcasing his talent for character portraits and use of historical detail for context. Historian David Brinkley applauds Shesol for capturing the drama and tension surrounding the Mercury launch, adding that the book “has movie written all over it.” But until a movie comes out, please just read it! Shesol’s visual sensibilities as an artist and his literary flair leap off every page.
Growing up the daughter of one of America’s most influential chefs and advocates for food justice meant that Fanny Singer was immersed in the culinary arts from a tender age. In this elegantly written memoir, she shares stories of the foods, wines, people, and places that populated her family’s life in Berkeley, California, where her mother, Alice Waters, founded and still runs the iconic Chez Panisse restaurant. A Yale grad with a PhD from Cambridge in art history, and now a writer, designer, and cultural critic, Singer combines literary skill with aesthetic sensibility in a book as sumptuous and evocative of the senses as a Chez Panisse meal. Dozens of wonderful recipes are included too.
