One of my favorite books of all time is “Oranges” by John McPhee. When I tell people this, they ask me what it’s about. “Oranges,” I say. “No, seriously; what’s it about?” “Oranges.” This is when they ...

What’s scary? It’s often the little things. The sigh in the night. The stranger falling in step behind you. A creak. A slam. A sudden shiver. As with her last couple of books, Kane is publishing these ...

Since the 1960s, the reference book has cataloged how people actually use language, not how they should. That might be changing. An Object Lesson. Millions of publications—not to mention spy documents ...

Sometimes a spoon is just a spoon. By Joshua David Stein Joshua David Stein’s children’s books include “Lunch From Home,” “What’s Cooking?” and “Solitary Animals.” The spoon’s best-known role in the ...

How great has been the improvement in methods of teaching during recent years can be measured to some extent by a comparison of newly published books intended for use in public elementary schools with ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Last week, Ian wrote about the strange economy of gift giving. He ...