Books

The manuscript found in the attic

An Intern Saved a Museum by Finding This Revolutionary War Treasure in the Attic

The obvious lesson: never throw anything away

Best Gifts of 2015 for Museum Lovers

A host of gifts inspired by the Smithsonian collections, its scientists, curators, historians, photographers and gardeners

The Best Photography Books of the Year

These photographers see things differently and invite you into unfamiliar worlds

In Brazil, Subway Reading Means a Ticket to Ride

These books encourage reading by doubling as subway tickets

A Hemingway Book Has Hit the Paris Bestseller List After Recent Attacks

<i>A Moveable Feast</i> declares that "there is never any end to Paris"

Yes, we have no bananas: Bananas may be plentiful on store shelves today, but since Americans commercially eat only one variety, our banana supply (like many other foods) is vulnerable to disease or other dangers.

How Globalization and Climate Change Are Taking Away Our Favorite Foods

In a new book, author Simran Sethi argues that we are facing one of the most radical shifts in food ever.

In 1856, a Nantucket sailor sketched the killing of his crew’s “100-barrel” prize.

How Nantucket Came to Be the Whaling Capital of the World

Ron Howard's new film "In the Heart of the Sea" captures the greed and blood lust of the Massachusetts island

These French Vending Machines Sell Short Stories

Super-short fiction that's as good as any snack

The New Yorker Editor Who Became a Comic Book Hero

The amazing tale of a determined art director who harnessed the powers of the greatest illustrators around the world to blow kids' minds

A Lost Story by Edith Wharton Has Been Discovered in Yale's Library

"The Field of Honor" is about a failed marriage during World War I

When the Empire State Building Was Just an Architect's Sketch

How one of the world's most famous skyscrapers was built

A 17th-century engraving of the revolutionary printer

The Man Who Changed Reading Forever

The Venetian roots of revolutionary modern book printer Aldus Manutius shaped books as we know them today

Amazon Just Opened An Actual Bookstore in Seattle

And just like its online marketplace, Amazon's brick-and-mortar shop aims to shake up the industry

The Telegram That Broke News of the Civil War

After Confederate forces seized Fort Sumter, a U.S. Army officer dashed off this message to Washington

Detail from the cover of the 1948 Green Book, a guidebook for black travelers.

A Black American's Guide to Travel In the Jim Crow Era

For decades, <i>The Green Book </i> was the black traveler's lifeline

Why Marquis de Lafayette Is Still America's Best Friend

A conversation with Sarah Vowell about her new book, the American Revolution and what we can learn from the Founding Fathers

Tabulae Anatomicae Clarissimi Viri..., Bartolomeo Eustachi, 1722

The Grisly Details of Early Anatomy Textbooks

These images detail the inner workings of human bodies in all their gruesome glory

What Do the Most Innovative Chefs Keep in Their Fridges?

A new book gives a peek inside the home refrigerators—and minds—of some of Europe's top culinarians

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, part 2

These Brilliant Literary Maps Will Help You Understand Your Favorite Book

A lavishly illustrated atlas for Huckleberry Finn and other classics

27 Percent of U.S. Adults Didn't Read a Single Book Last Year

This new survey on reading habits isn't all doom and gloom, though

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