The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
What To Read
What Does Lena Dunham Want to Tell Us?
Her new memoir captures the cost of being an impossibly popular target.
The Eighth Deadly Sin
Humankind has devised a new form of debasement.
Byzantine Room
A poem
The Seinfeld Theory of Fiction
Annoying characters let us admit that we might be annoying too.
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
The Atlantic 10
The books that made us think the most this year
What to Read If You’re Angry About the Election
These seven books aren’t a cure for rage and despair. Think of them instead as a prescription.
The Five Best Books to Read Before an Election
These titles might lend readers a new perspective ahead of November 5.
Eight Nonfiction Books That Will Frighten You
These eight titles are some of the best the true-crime genre has to offer.
Six Political Memoirs Worth Reading
Hackish campaign memoirs shouldn’t indict the entire genre—there are truly excellent books written about power from the inside.
Seven True Stories That Read Like Thrillers
These immersive works of journalism follow ordinary Americans facing long odds.
Six Books That Feel Like Watching a Movie
Writing can share the thrill of movies by dissolving the physical limitations of the page.
Five Books That Conjure Entirely New Worlds
The best-written stories can make readers feel as if they have passed through mundane states of being and been brought over to another universe.
Seven Books That Demystify Human Behavior
Other people can be baffling; these titles attempt to unravel a bit of their mystery.
What to Read When You Want to Quit
These titles help readers think through pressing questions about modern employment—including whether it’s time to walk away.