A fictional president faces impeachment
The Thread's Must-Read
"Women & Power: A Manifesto"by Mary Beard
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Classics professor Mary Beard is best known in the U.S. for her much-praised book "SPQR," about the history of ancient Rome. Beard has also delivered two stunning speeches on the history of society's unease with women in authority. Those speeches are compiled in the brief, funny and sharp "Women & Power." In it, Beard calls on all of us — whatever your gender — to question how we look at and listen to women.
The first half outlines how women's speech has been mocked or ignored for centuries, including in our contemporary workplaces.
"If there's one thing that bonds women of all backgrounds, of political colors, in all kinds of business and profession, it is the classic experience of the failed intervention," she writes. "You're at a meeting, you make a point, then a short silence follows, and after a few seconds some man picks up where he had just left off: 'What I was saying was...' You might as well never have opened your mouth, and you end up blaming both yourself and the men whose exclusive club the discussion appears to be."
Beard traces the roots of misogyny from the classics — Aristophanes sure had a problem with women — all the way to Twitter. It's a quick read and a must-read for anyone trying to make sense of why equality between genders remains elusive.
-Stephanie Curtis
In Bill Clinton's new thriller, a (fictional) president faces impeachment "The President Is Missing" by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
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"The President Is Missing" follows a commander-in-chief trying to thwart a cyber attack — and not lose his job. Bill Clinton co-wrote the book with best-selling author James Patterson.
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Native American author Tommy Orange feels a "burden to set the record straight" "There There" by Tommy Orange
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In his debut novel, "There There," Tommy Orange explores what it means to be an urban Indian. He says, "Native people look like a lot of different things. ... And we just need a new story to build from."
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An epic conversation draws to a close "Kudos" by Rachel Cusk
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Rachel Cusk's trilogy about a peripatetic writer and her many conversational partners winds up with "Kudos." The books are essentially plotless — but there's plenty of joy to be found just in talk.
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Southern gothic tales of hurricanes, humidity and humanity "Florida" by Lauren Groff
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Lauren Groff sets her new story collection in what she calls the "sunniest and strangest of states." Critic Maureen Corrigan says the tales are "brooding, inventive — and often moving."
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How family trauma can be both devastating and transformative "Air Traffic" by Gregory Pardlo
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Poet Gregory Pardlo's new memoir, "Air Traffic," tells the story of how his family transformed after his father lost his job and descended into chaos.
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"Mariam Sharma" nails the fun road trip vibe "Mariam Sharma Hits the Road" by Sheba Karim
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Summer is the season for road trips, and "Mariam Sharma Hits the Road" makes for a saucy yet emotional ride, following three Pakistani-American teens on a journey through the Deep South.
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What it took to get to Pluto "Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto" by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon
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NASA launched the New Horizons mission to Pluto in January 2006. It was a long-anticipated project that almost didn't happen.
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Obama staffer looks back on his White House years: "It can take a real toll" "The World As It Is" by Ben Rhodes
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Former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes was 24 when he saw the collapse of the first tower on 9/11. He says that moment was a "fork in the road" that eventually led to the White House.
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Recipes for a good story "The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table" by Rick Bragg
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Rick Bragg's new book is filled with family recipes — but the stories behind those recipes are the main event.
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