Book Time #28: The Right Amount of Reading
It’s been a while since I shared some of my recent work. Here’s what I’ve been up to: More People Are Losing Global Entry, But Often Don’t Know WhyWhen air...
Book Time #27: Great Books I Read In 2025
I keep changing the format of these year-end posts. This year I’m highlighting the books I read that I broadly recommend. Maybe one or two will make it onto...
Book Time #26: How I Read
Finding Books My most reliable method for finding books is in the endnotes of other books I enjoy. I don’t flip to every endnote, but if I’m reading a...
Book Time #25: Ordinary Germans
Hey everyone, Something weird happened with the last email I sent where a lot of people didn’t get it. I have no idea why! Hopefully that won’t happen with...
Book Time #24: Next Year and Postwar
Hello everyone, I hope you had a great summer reading many excellent books. I had a disappointing summer on that front. It seemed like every book I picked up...
Book Time #23: Supplying War
Hi everyone, Book Time will be taking the summer off. I’ll update you on my summer reading when I return. In the meantime, here are some links to my recent...
Book Time #22: Alan Taylor's Civil War book
Hello Book Time friends. I spent two weeks in April on vacation so my reading—and writing—suffered as a result. I did learn to make babka and rye bread,...
Book Time #21: The Crusades
The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land, Thomas Asbridge Historians are often desperate to convince you their work is relevant...
Book Time #20: Rage
Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence, Bryan Burrough The Strike That Changed New York:...
Book Time #19: Remembrances
The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life and Legacy of Frances Perkins—Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, and the Minimum Wage, Kristin Downey Is...
Book Time #18: An Honest Accounting of The Books I Read In 2024
In 2024 I started 57 books, finished 35 of them, and read a total of 14,923 pages. This was about 2,000 pages fewer than each of the last two years. Turns...
Book Time #17: Schools
The Great School Wars: A History of the New York City Public Schools, Diane Ravitch The Great School Wars is a modest work with broad implications, less...
Book Time #16: Rise and Fall of American Growth
The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War, Robert Gordon A person time traveling the 54 years from 1970 to today...
Book Time #15: The Power Broker's Legacy
Hello everyone, This month’s edition is about the legacy of The Power Broker, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I believe its legacy is much more...
Book Time #14: Vietnam
Vietnam: A History, Stanley Karnow The theme of this edition of Book Time is wisdom. There is no period in history tougher to write about than Vietnam. The...
Book Time #13: Fake Money, Fed Money
Hey everyone, Next month is Book Time’s one year anniversary. How time flies when you’re reading good books! To celebrate, I’d like to do a Q&A/Ask Me...
Book Time #12: NYC Starter Pack
Hey everyone, After talking about it for almost a year, it is finally here: The NYC Starter Pack! This is a special edition of Book Time for me personally....
Book Time #11: Subway Graffiti, St. Marks
Hello everyone, I must issue an important correction regarding last month’s email. I described an ESPN talking heads show called First Take hosted by Tony...
Book Time #10: Books About Movies
Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of Book Time! Thanks for all your suggestions on future starter packs. If you missed last month’s edition or are new...
Book Time #9: Attica, Segregated Recreation, Corporate Feminism
Hey everyone, Welcome to another edition of Book Time. I'm finishing up my NYC Starter Pack research, so it's already time to start thinking about the next...