Music journalist Prato (Lanegan) delivers a comprehensive oral history of what he deems “rock’s last truly great movement.” Pulling from conversations with members of such 1990s alt-rock bands as the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Slint (plus figures like musician and actor Fred Armisen, MTV VJ Kennedy, and producer Steve Albini), the author tracks the genre’s evolution. Alt-rock, he finds, began as a reaction to the popular “commercial hair bands” of the 1980s, combining strains of punk, hardcore, and college rock. Embracing distortion and liberal politics, alternative slowly took over the mainstream, aided by the popularity of the Lollapalooza festival and the superstardom of Nirvana. Along the way, alternative also came to serve as an umbrella term for stylistically diverse pocket genres like shoegaze, pop-punk, and riot grrrl. The book also probes alt-rock’s intersection with drugs and addiction, its sometimes retrograde treatment of women, the relationship between major and minor record labels, and its signature guitar styles. It adds up to a multifaceted portrait of a vital chapter in rock history. Photos. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this colorful chronicle, music journalist Gorman (The Story of the Face) traces the eponymous boutique’s rise from quirky, two-room London shop to psychedelia-inflected outfitter of some of rock’s biggest names. The store was founded in 1966 by scenesters Sheila Cohen, a sometimes–film extra who sold secondhand clothing in bazaars; her boyfriend Nigel Waymouth; and John Pearse, a tailor who made bespoke clothing for his stylish friends (the name was picked out by Waymouth, who commented that “we were going to be selling... ‘granny clothes,’ and everyone was talking about tripping, so we thought it was a funny joke”). Granny first sold down its secondhand stock, before introducing flared trousers and floral-patterned fitted jackets. It then joined the ranks of several other “acid-infused” stores, among them Dandie Fashions, whose co-owner Freddy Hornick bought out Granny in 1969 and opened additional stores in Los Angeles and New York (all had closed by 1980). Drawing on interviews with key players (including two of the store’s founders) and Freddy Hornick’s writings, Gorman contrasts Granny’s style philosophy—which focused on tailoring and bespoke clothing—with the concurrent rise of fast fashion, while vividly depicting the “countercultural” appeal that made it a favorite of musicians at the time. Fashion lovers of any generation would do well to pick this up. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this epic account, Bancroft Prize–winning historian Beckert (Empire of Cotton) charts the rise of the modern global economic order. Capitalism’s emergence represents “a fundamental break in human history,” he writes, one that “turned human relations upside down” and “made revolution a permanent feature of economic life.” He also argues that “capitalism was born global”—emerging as it did from international trade, “it was always a world economy.” Beckert’s global perspective emphasizes the “astounding amount of coercion and violence” employed by the “capitalist revolution” in order to overcome “the enormous resistance from both elites and commoners” around the world. Beckert begins his story in modern-day Yemen in the year 1150, when “a new kind of trader rose to prominence” who “stayed put and traded at a distance.” From there, he traces capitalism’s development through paper money, slavery, and the Industrial Revolution. By the mid-19th century, he argues, capitalism had forced a “global reconstruction” that led to a subsequent century of rebellions and massive warfare. Even during the relatively peaceful post-WWII period of decolonization, “an international order” was constructed to promote capitalism’s “mobility” over the rights of newly independent nations. Today, markets continue to expand into new spaces of human life, as “our very attention has become a commodity.” Ultimately, Beckert furnishes ample evidence that “no imperial or totalitarian project has ever come close to capitalism’s success.” An unparalleled work of scholarship that is also a joy to read, this is a monumental achievement. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Travel writer Martínez (In the Land of Giants) offers a contemplative account of a year spent on the disappearing island of Buda. Located in Spain’s Ebro river delta, the island is vanishing due to rising sea levels and lack of new sediment deposits. Martínez, one of only two people to sleep on the island (in a “fragile” seaside cabin), spends his days drowsing on the beach and observing the island’s delicate environmental web. He speaks often with the island’s owner, Mateo, who rails against environmental protections that seem to lack understanding of how Buda’s ecosystem actually works. Readers get an in-depth view of Mateo’s politics, history, and love life; indeed, Martínez documents much interpersonal drama amid his grander ruminations on climate change, reporting on the colorful characters who work Buda’s rice fields and eel fisheries. The book can veer into navel-gazing, with musings like “If the Mediterranean could write, I’d ask it to tell a story called The Life of a Wave.” The pace picks up during the interpersonal dramas, and the narrative’s emotional heart lies with the author’s father, who dies during the year. After his death, Martínez finds new vigor in contemplating Buda—which is likewise not going to live forever. There’s much to enjoy here for lovers of nature writing. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Restaurateur Meyer talked with his own employees for this bighearted and inviting collection of nearly 30 firsthand accounts from New York City’s “servers, dishwashers, cooks, hosts, bussers.” All are immigrants, and in questioning them about the circumstances that led them to leave their birthplaces, Meyer sheds light on similarities: many come from small towns and large families, and suffered the loss of a parent in childhood. Some interviewees followed older siblings who had already immigrated; some left because of violence, from gangs in El Salvador to the Yugoslav Wars. Food stories suffuse these pages: recollections of a grandmother or mother’s home cooking, often over a wood fire, typically with simple ingredients (“salt, pepper, garlic, and some herbs from the garden”). While many of the interviewees dream of visiting their families again, between the cost and concerns about immigration issues (this volume was compiled before the Trump administration’s recent crackdown), only a few are able to. Each narrator’s tale contains moments of regretful reflection on the fact that they’ve lost the deep-rooted sense of respect and mutual care that existed in their hometowns. For some, the restaurant serves as a substitute family (one employee tells Mayer she refers to him as “Dad” when he’s not around). Meyer’s work highlights the hopefulness, hard work, and sense of community that immigrants bring to America. It’s a loving spotlight on ordinary people who have become political targets. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

This enlightening debut history of Ozempic and its societal impact from Reuters columnist Donnellan opens with one woman’s “exciting but also depressing” experience of receiving a promotion, multiple raises, and increased attention after losing 70 pounds on the drug. Donnellan then traces, against the backdrop of the growing obesity crisis, the “nearly four decades” of research that led to the groundbreaking discovery of GLP-1 and its development as a drug. The “gut hormone seemed to have magical properties for controlling blood sugar,” Donnellan writes, and kicked off a pharmaceutical arms race and “bitter competition” before its first appearance on the market in 2018. The author also shares poignant stories of ways the drug has transformed people’s lives for good or ill, from quieting a nagging obsession with food to giving one user life-altering gastric paralysis (she vomited “two hundred times per week”). Balancing these diverging experiences, as well as the numerous sociocultural issues the drug raises, such as its undermining of the body positivity movement and its inequitable distribution (“over $1,300 for a twenty-eight-day supply”), Donnellan cogently sizes up its future potential: GLP-1 could lead to a healthier population empowered to demand healthier foods and living conditions, or it could further expand the gulf between rich and poor. It makes for an astute, fair-minded primer on the drug. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

“You need to parent the child that you have, rather than the child you wish you had,” advises Cook (I Got You Mamma), a pediatrician and parent of two, in this insightful guide. Understanding a child’s unique needs and meeting them where they are, Cook argues, makes parenting less stressful and more enjoyable. She encourages parents to learn about the stages of cognitive and emotional development to better understand how to respond to a child’s behavior at each stage of life. For example, understanding that undesirable behaviors like tantrums aren’t necessarily a reflection on parent or child but simply the result of a brain that is still developing can help parents adjust their expectations when their child throws a fit. As kids get older and their needs become more complex, Cook encourages parents to allow age-appropriate autonomy, whether in the form of choosing their own clothes as toddlers or exploring different belief systems as teens, and to support them through both successes and failures. Coupling the above strategies with clear expectations and age-appropriate consequences (not to be confused with punishments, which she says should be avoided if they do not offer learning opportunities) will allow parents to build strong relationships with their children, Cook convincingly argues. New parents and those deep in the trenches will find this an essential resource. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Forbes investigative journalist Baker-White debuts with an in-depth account of the struggle between the U.S. and China to control TikTok. She details the meteoric rise of the video-sharing app launched in 2016 by Chinese tech company ByteDance, and profiles those responsible for its growth, including founder Zhang Yiming, who helped develop the app’s recommendation algorithm. TikTok exploded during the Covid-19 pandemic, becoming the first Chinese social media app to be widely adopted in the U.S. A legal battle ensued between the two countries as American lawmakers grew concerned about the app’s ability to surveil users and sway public opinion. In gripping detail, Baker-White explains how, with the help of whistleblowers in 2022, she broke the story that private U.S. user data was available to ByteDance employees in China and exposed the company’s efforts to surveil U.S. citizens, including herself. She offers a comprehensive account of congressional efforts to force ByteDance to sell TikTok, exploring the nuances of the debate between people concerned about freedom of speech and those worried about national security. Readers will be riveted. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this sweet memoir, McArthur (Confucius) recounts her path from a lonely childhood in coastal Scotland to a respected career as a curator and art historian. The daughter of a Scottish father and Persian mother, McArthur was bullied frequently by her white peers. The resulting self-loathing began to lift after two of her father’s Japanese students gifted her an elaborate paper doll, which reminded a young McArthur “that people other than white people could create spectacular things.” As an adult, she studied Japanese at the University of Cambridge, but her subsequent job translating Japanese financial news left her feeling aimless and uninspired. Buoyed by memories of the paper doll, she pursued a master’s degree in Japanese art history and launched a curatorial career at institutions including Pasadena’s Pacific Asia Museum and L.A.’s Japan House. As McArthur recalls these professional milestones, she weaves in more intimate anecdotes, covering her marriage and the birth of her son. If the narrative sometimes feels slight, McArthur anchors it with vivid descriptions of art’s soothing power—the “precision and symmetry” of origami, for example, helped calm her as her mother struggled with leukemia. It’s a lovely self-portrait. (Nov.)

Correction: A previous version of this review mistakenly stated that the author married her former boss.

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Growing Leaders CEO Elmore (A New Kind of Diversity) offers a definitive guide to engaging with members of Gen Z in the workplace. Positioning himself as a Gen Z “interpreter,” Elmore, a baby boomer, explains the factors that shaped the generation, including social media and the Covid-19 pandemic, debunks myths about Gen Zers, and identifies the values they bring to the workplace, like a high interest in entrepreneurship and a focus on social justice. He also lays out strategies for effectively collaborating with Gen Zers, offering tips on how to retain them at a company, inspire and motivate them, and shape them into leaders. For example, noting that Gen Z struggles with mental illness at higher rates than other generations, he encourages managers to show empathy and equip their employees to overcome challenges. Explaining that many Gen Zers value autonomy and purpose over money or titles, he urges employers to design roles that offer freedom and flexibility. Elmore brings a compassionate perspective to an often misunderstood generation, showing how to lead these young people to success, but also what older generations can learn from them; working with Gen Z, he notes, has made him “a clearer communicator, a more inspiring visionary, a more empathetic person, and a more strategic leader.” Readers will feel inspired and reassured on the future of work. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/12/2025 | Details & Permalink