Our review of : Portuguese Macau: The Settlement That Became China’s Gambling Paradise

The Woman Who Smashed Codes tells the extraordinary story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a codebreaking genius whose work helped win World War II. Friedman was born in Chicago in 1892 and came from a family of accomplished women. She originally wanted to be an actress, but she eventually pursued cryptography instead, learning how to break [...]

“Kleptopia: How Dirty Money Is Conquering the World,” by Tom Burgis, is a riveting account of how corruption and bribery have become rampant throughout the world economy. From Russia to China to Nigeria, Burgis provides eye-opening examples of how kleptocrats (individuals who rule through theft) are able to amass wealth and wield power at the [...]

The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 is a nonfiction book by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn that documents the existence of the Soviet Union’s forced labor camp system. The work consists of testimonies from survivors, as well as analysis and documentation from Solzhenitsyn himself. It is often considered to be one of the most important books on Russian history [...]

The Man Without a Face is a riveting and alarming account of the rise to power of Vladimir Putin, one of the most enigmatic and powerful leaders in recent history. Journalist Masha Gessen traces Putin’s trajectory from rural obscurity to president of Russia, uncovering along the way his dark secrets and mysterious past. This richly [...]

A People’s History of the United States tells the story of America from the point of view of those who have been traditionally left out of most history books. Author Howard Zinn draws on extensive research to paint a vivid and often shocking picture, showing how American democracy has always been flawed and biased in [...]

Alexander Hamilton tells the riveting story of one of America’s most prominent and controversial Founding Fathers, from his humble beginnings on the Caribbean island of Nevis to his role in creating the United States government. Raised by a single mother, Hamilton was orphaned at a young age and later became a penniless refugee. He taught [...]

The Warmth of Other Suns is a historical account of the great migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North and West between 1915 and 1970. Isabel Wilkerson meticulously researched and documented this little-known chapter in American history, amassing over 3000 interviews with former migrants. The result is a gripping, eye-opening [...]

This is a book about the end of history and the last man. It was written by Francis Fukuyama, who is a political scientist. In it, he argues that we have reached the END OF HISTORY as we know it, and that modernity has essentially won out over all other ideologies. He also predicts that [...]

The Road to Unfreedom is a comprehensive and alarming look at the current state of Russia, Europe, and America. Timothy Snyder provides readers with an in-depth analysis of how democracies can succumb to authoritarianism, detailing the warning signs that we should all be aware of. The book is essential reading for anyone who wants to [...]

The Color of Law tells the forgotten story of how our government segregated America. Using extensive research and compelling storytelling, author Richard Rothstein provides a timely and important history lesson that is essential for understanding race relations in America today. For who is this book for ? This book is for anyone who wants to [...]

Red Notice tells the story of how Russian oligarch, Sergei Magnitsky exposed a $230 million tax fraud scheme perpetrated by government officials and their cronies. When Magnitsky reported the crime to authorities, he was arrested and thrown in prison where he was tortured until he died. Furious at this injustice, Bill Browder set out to [...]

In 1995, Barack Obama visited Kenya for the first time since he was two years old. He had come to see the land of his father’s birth and to learn more about the country where his family came from. Nearly two decades later, as president of the United States, he returned to Africa—this time with [...]