non-fiction

Simon Winchester has long been one of our most wide-ranging non-fiction storytellers bringing curiosity and clarity to subjects as varied as dictionaries, oceans, earthquakes, and the technologies that have knit together the modern world. His new book “The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind” continues that tradition with an expansive exploration of the invisible force that has shaped life on Earth since its beginning.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with author Rachel Monroe about her new book, which examines the complicated relationship between women and the crime…

During his regular days in London, Kenneth Grahame sat behind a mahogany desk as Secretary of the Bank of England; on weekends he retired to the house in…

In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially integrated,…

What does it take to succeed? This question has fueled a long running debate. Some have argued that humans are a fundamentally competitive, and that…

The Williamstown Film Festival is now in its 17th year, but this year’s festival will reflect some major changes. The festival is complete with new faces,…

Spencertown Academy Arts Center’s Festival of Books, the annual extravaganza of all things literary, takes place over Labor Day weekend, September 4…

The film, Unbroken, directed by Angelina Jolie opened last week. It is based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand. We spoke with her about the…

In the tradition of Oliver Sacks's The Island of the Colorblind, Rosemary Mahoney tells the story of Braille Without Borders, the first school for the…

Jacqueline Kellachan from The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, NY joins us with this week's Book Picks list.List:Norman Mailer: A Double Life by J. Michael…