Carys Davies tackles communication, isolation and the Scottish Clearances in 'Clear'

Imagine living with the knowledge that you could lose your home at any time, for any reason. As sociologist Matthew Desmond explains in Evicted, millions of Americans live every day under the threat of eviction, and it takes a heavy toll on them both psychologically and financially.

This guide will start by explaining why Desmond believes evictions are out of control in the US today and his account of how that came about. We’ll then discuss how poverty and eviction each lead to the other, with predatory landlords and racial discrimination reinforcing that cycle. We’ll conclude with a few of Desmond’s ideas about how the US could empower its citizens to break that cycle permanently.

Our commentary will provide additional information about the history of poverty in the US and how it’s impacting people today. We’ll also examine the pros and cons of some potential solutions. Finally, we’ll present counterpoints to Desmond’s ideas from more fiscally conservative schools of thought, focusing on personal responsibility instead of systemic problems.

Think back to your US history classes—how much time did you spend studying Native American perspectives? According to some experts, it probably wasn’t much. History professor and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz fills that knowledge gap with An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States. Published in 2014, this book is a retelling of US history that makes two major arguments: First, the US’s global success can be traced directly to its genocide of Native Americans. Second, indigenous resistance holds the key to a more peaceful future.

In this guide, we’ll discuss life in precolonial America and explain what led Europe to colonize the Americas. Then, we’ll explain how patterns of genocide and resistance have played out over the course of US history. Our commentary will provide additional information and alternative ideas about the historical events Dunbar-Ortiz covers. We’ll also explore social issues related to colonization, explain how Native American resistance efforts intersect with other movements, and provide an update on US-indigenous relations in the 21st century.

Conventional accounts of American history tend to focus on the people at the top—presidents, generals, CEOs, and other influential figures and their struggles, ambitions, hopes, and dreams. But what about average people? The ones who had to live with the consequences of elite decisions, and who often struggled in obscurity? In A People’s History of the United States, historian Howard Zinn aims to tell their story, providing a bottom-up view of American history focusing on Indigenous people, Black Americans, women, laborers, and activists.

Our guide outlines Zinn’s interpretation of significant events, themes, and historical trends in American history. Through our commentary, we’ll provide alternative opinions on the motivations behind and consequences of historical events. We’ll also further explain Zinn’s approach to history and provide additional context for his arguments as well as his perspective on events that happened after the book’s publication.

Around 1.5 billion people around the world speak English—roughly 20 percent of the human population. How has our language achieved this global status? How did English evolve over time into the language we speak and write today? What are its unique quirks, strengths, and shortcomings that set it apart from the world’s other languages? The Mother Tongue takes us on a journey through the history of the English language, exploring its richness and variety, and pointing the way toward what the future might have in store for it.

In The Language Instinct, experimental psychologist Steven Pinker argues that language is an innate, biological ability in humans—not just an element of human culture that gets passed from person to person. Pinker contends that just like the chameleon’s ability to camouflage itself or the falcon’s high-speed flight, the ability to produce and interpret complex language is an evolved human superpower.

Pinker aims to inspire readers to appreciate the unique qualities of human language. He also advocates for a functional, rather than a purist, approach to language and grammar, arguing that if a new slang term or speech pattern helps people communicate nuanced ideas, then it enhances language rather than diminishes it.

In the guide, we’ll explore many facets of human language: how our brains process speech, why children can rapidly master new languages, and why we shouldn’t be afraid to toss out arbitrary grammar conventions. Throughout the guide, we’ll also provide updates on research that explains the inner workings of language and discuss counterarguments by Pinker’s critics.

Love and desire aren’t driven by the same things. In fact, sometimes their ingredients are polar opposites. The ingredients for a loving, stable relationship are commitment, intimacy, and egalitarianism, while the ingredients for desire are mystery, distance, risk, and playfulness. Throw in some external pressures such as cultural messages and parenthood, and it might seem impossible to have a good erotic life within a long-term relationship.

Mating in Captivity looks at what makes up our individual sense of desire and our desire for our partners. Although desire and love may have some fundamental contradictions, there are ways to balance the clashes, and ways to manage extra-relationship stresses.