News
THE BURIED: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler to be May Book of the Month Pick
The 150,000 member club has announced that The Buried will be one of five selections for May 2019, one of the first non-fiction picks for the revamped club.
Peter Hessler Visits the Ancient City of Armana in The Guardian
Read Peter’s Long Read in the Guardian, adapted and expanded from The Buried in advance of the book’s publication next week.
Anand Gopal Praises THE BURIED: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler
“Witty and deeply humane …unlike any other book I’ve read about the Egyptian revolution, and stands as a remarkable testament to the country’s extraordinary history and to the struggle for human freedom.”
Chicago Tribune Interviews Yuval Taylor about ZORA AND LANGSTON: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal
Tribune Books Editor Jennifer Day interviews the author about writing the book and how being white helped, hindered, and influenced his work
Publishers Weekly Gives NOTHING’S BAD LUCK: The Lives of Warren Zevon by C.M. Kushins a Starred Review
“With refreshing candor… Kushins’ energetic writing and his deep dive into Zevon’s life and music offers a rounded and complete portrait of an enigmatic musician.”
Publishers Weekly Gives THE BURIED: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler a Starred Review
“…at once engrossing and illuminating …this stakes a strong claim to being the definitive book to emerge from the Egyptian revolution.”
Washington Post Reviews ZORA AND LANGSTON by Yuval Taylor
Lisa Page writes that the book is “… a complete pleasure to read.”
The Undefeated Looks at the Beef in ZORA AND LANGSTON by Yuval Taylor
“… it’s hard to read about Hurston and Hughes’ conflict without thinking about other examples of cultural beef, from hip-hop to sports.”
Pat Graham’s INSTRUMENT Complements PLAY IT LOUD Show at The Met
The essence of the upcoming show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll was prefigured by Pat Graham’s book of photos INSTRUMENT, published by Chronicle in 2011.
Peter Hessler and Sewell Chan Talk About Egypt Since the Arab Spring at the LA World Affairs Council
Hessler will discuss the impact of the revolution on Egyptian culture, business, and politics at a Global Café Breakfast in Los Angeles on May 13th.
Publishers Weekly Reviews ZORA AND LANGSTON: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor
“…shows that, together, they changed the course of African-American literature, as the ‘first great American writers who implicitly claimed that their work was purely black.'”
Kirkus Reviews ZORA AND LANGSTON: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor
“Taylor creates a perceptive portrait of the bizarre patron and of the Hurston-Hughes friendship. A fresh look at two important writers of the 1920s.”
Hear Peter Hessler and Pico Iyer in Conversation at the 92nd Street Y on May 8th
Two masters discuss the writing life and their two new books at the famed cultural and community center in New York City.
Library Journal Gives THE BURIED: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler a Starred Review
“This is writing at its best and highly recommended for anyone interested in Egypt, modern or ancient.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Reviews ZORA AND LANGSTON by Yuval Taylor
“…a fascinating and lively story of two iconoclastic writers…”
Read Peter Hessler’s “The Refugee and the Thief” in The New Yorker
“At the check-in counter, I looked over our pile of possessions: one double stroller, two children’s car seats, twelve bags. …Count again.” A story of trust and betrayal.
Carla Kaplan Praises ZORA AND LANGSTON: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor
“Yuval Taylor digs deeply into the existing scholarship on both writers—and their times—to explore this unusual intimacy and the tragedy of its collapse. “
Emily Bernard Praises ZORA AND LANGSTON: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor
“An intriguing story about the most confounding and fascinating literary breakup in African American cultural history. “
MAKE, THINK, IMAGINE: Engineering the Future of Civilization by John Browne to be Published in North America in September 2019
An impassioned defense of progress and innovation, and an argument for social responsibility from former CEO of BP Lord John Browne.
Kevin Avery Praises NOTHING’S BAD LUCK by C.M. Kushins
“The best of the books written thus far about Warren Zevon.”
Booklist Gives a Starred Review to OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler
“Hessler shares the words of his students—variously curious, skeptical, tired, and wise—in what is, at heart, a meditation on teaching and learning from one’s students.”
In its starred review, Publishers Weekly calls OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler: “… an enthralling take on China’s remarkable progress and its downside”
“…an expansive panorama of China, from poignant descriptions of the depopulation of the Fuling countryside brought about by China’s rapid industrialization to the grim worldview promulgated at his daughters’ school.”
Pamela Druckerman calls OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler “wryly observed, deeply empathetic”
“This is journalism at its most humane, and (especially for those of us who aren’t Sinologists) a perfect primer on what China is really like.”
Philip Gourevitch calls OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler “fascinating and engrossing”
“…an extraordinary work of foreign correspondence and memoir, drawn from a quarter century of direct and intimate observation.”
James Fallows praises OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler
“The hardest and most important challenge in writing about China is conveying the vivid individuality of the people who make it up. Peter Hessler does this wonderfully again.”
Kirkus reviews OTHER RIVERS by Peter Hessler: “…a valuable light on the reality of life in today’s China”
“Beyond the headlines of strategic rivalry and military confrontation with China are countless stories of real people trying to live in a complex country …he tells their stories with empathy and affection.”
The Daily Telegraph (UK) gives four stars to THE LAST YAKUZA by Jake Adelstein
“…one still comes away from The Last Yakuza finding its subject not just sympathetic, but even lovable.”
Publishers Weekly Calls THE LAST YAKUZA by Jake Adelstein “painstakingly reported and paced like a thriller”
“Painstakingly reported and paced like a thriller, this is a must-read for anyone interested in organized crime.”
Juliet Schor Praises OWN THIS! by R. Trebor Scholz
“…the essential, brilliant, accessible guide to this rapidly growing movement. If you are interested in work, technology, climate or the future of humanity-read this book.”
Rob Verchick Selected as Harvard Radcliffe Institute 2023-2024 Fellow
On May 5th, Rob Verchick was named a member of Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s 2023–2024 class of fellows, a cohort whose projects contend with the urgent, the beautiful, and the vast: from reckoning with the challenges of climate change to creating digital models of iconic Italian violins to detecting distant galaxies.
Financial Times Reviews THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE by Rob Verchick
“His book tackles one of the most fraught climate policy questions: what should be done to adapt to a world facing growing evidence of climate stress?”
John M. Barry praises THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE by Rob Verchick as a “tour and a tour-de-force on the subject”
“Rob Verchick has given us both a tour of and a tour de force on the subject. Ranging from comparative anatomy to anthropology, history, philosophy, engineering, and politics, this is a fascinating, provocative—and important—book.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse praises THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE by Rob Verchick “a smart roadmap for planning for the future on a changing planet.”
“Rob Verchick has created a smart roadmap for planning for the future on a changing planet.”
Po Bronson praises THE OCTOPUS IN THE PARKING GARAGE by Rob Verchick
“…a very important addition to the canon of climate literature—thinking ahead even further out, investigating the colossal mess…”
Michael Hardt praises THE NEW POWER ELITE by Heather Gautney a “worthy successor to Mills’ classic polemic”
“This worthy successor to Mills’ classic polemic reveals the enormous obstacles that face any project for democracy and equality in the US.”
Chuck Collins praises THE NEW POWER ELITE by Heather Gautney as an Essential Read
“An essential read for our oligarchic times.
Greg Grandin praises THE NEW POWER ELITE by Heather Gautney as Required Reading
“Make it the one-city-one-book for every town and college in the nation. Hand it out to new citizens at their swearing-in ceremonies.”
Cornel West praises THE NEW POWER ELITE by Heather Gautney as “Brilliant and Courageous”
“This powerful and profound text shows what the road to American fascism looks like if we do not heed her call for radical democratic action”
Rob Salkowitz reviews DIRTY PICTURES by Brian Doherty in ICv2
“Dirty Pictures is likely to be the most complete and authoritative account we’re going to get, and is well worth a read.”
A WAITER IN PARIS by Edward Chisholm Receives Starred Review from Publishers Weekly
“Bittersweet and enchanting, this serves as a potent look at the gritty underbelly of a glittering world.”