Don’t miss the best new nonfiction from the past month, hand-picked by our editors! Here’s our roundup of this month’s must-read nonfiction books, which include a fascinating examination of the human body’s connection to nature, a masterful biography of an American literary icon, and more.

.
	FEATURED IN: Are the seven deadly sins actually moral failings — or just helpful biological functions? WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Explores the neuroscientific and psychological origins of behaviors like greed, gluttony, and sloth This “captivating examination of the neurological basis for ‘bad’ behavior raises questions about the existence of free will” (Nature) A Financial Times Best Book of the Year FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: How did a once-isolated Amazonian tribe come to run an illicit diamond mine? WHY IT’S READWORTHY: “Reads like a wondrous combination of Heart of Darkness and In Cold Blood” (Pulitzer Prize–winning author Greg Grandin) Explores the ongoing cultural and environmental consequences of capitalism and settler colonialism “Destined to become a modern classic of literary nonfiction” (Jon Lee Anderson) FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: From soap bubbles to shooting stars, learn how spectacles of nature come to be WHY IT’S READWORTHY: “Readers will marvel at the eye-opening science” (Publishers Weekly) behind nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena A Time Most Anticipated Book and a Best Book of Fall from Parade “Lightman points out many extraordinary things we take for granted, compellingly drawing our attention to their ‘miraculous’ elegance and intricacy” (Booklist) FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: This behind-the-scenes account is a must-read for bibliophiles and cinephiles alike WHY IT’S READWORTHY: The story of Giant, from its Pulitzer Prize–winning author to its transformation into a star-studded, Academy Award–winning film “Extraordinarily illuminating… a vital portrait of brilliant, righteous, and gutsy [Edna] Ferber” (Booklist) Named a most anticipated book by The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: In an era of pervasive medical sexism, one woman dared to defy the establishment WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Discover the story of Mary Putnam Jacobi, the pioneering physician who conducted the first studies of women’s reproductive biology “Lydia Reeder has a talent for uncovering little-known heroes from the past and making their stories compulsively readable” (New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Fitzharris) FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: Meet 10 remarkable people dedicated to preserving cultural traditions WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Reveals how individuals are protecting ancient customs — from the secret ingredient in Japan’s original soy sauce recipe to the last official Cuban cigar factory “Part travel, part anthropology, part memoir, part history… This book is one of the rare ones that take you where you’ve never been” (Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun) Will spark delight in our world’s treasures, comfort in our traditions, and awe at our vast diversity FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: Ignorance is bliss — but why? WHY IT’S READWORTHY: A “tour de force” from “an exuberant, inexhaustible storyteller” (Stephen Greenblatt, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Swerve) Deftly examines why humans have a strong desire not to know things and how that shapes our lives Required reading amid current debates over fake news and disinformation FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: Spending time in nature really is good for us, and here’s why WHY IT’S READWORTHY: Find out how being around plants benefits our blood pressure, stress levels, immune systems, and more “Willis offers pragmatic recommendations on how to take advantage of the research findings… This fascinates” (Publishers Weekly) Written by an Oxford professor of biodiversity FEATURED IN: Get on Amazon or Learn more... FEATURED IN: A timely portrait of two women who clashed at the forefront of America’s birth control movement WHY IT’S READWORTHY: “By turns analytical and dishy… This captivates” (Publishers Weekly) Sheds light on the creation of Planned Parenthood, the intersecting struggles surrounding race and class, and the fierce rivalry between Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett “A fascinating portrait of ambition and idealism, politics and passion” (Pulitzer Prize–winning author Debby Applegate) FEATURED IN: