"In 1417, Poggio Bracciolini discovers Lucretius’ ancient poem, “On the Nature of Things.” This poem had been lost for more than a thousand years and its ideas threatened contemporary views of science and human contentment. Its return to circulation altered the entire course of history, and Greenblatt writes about this shift in an accessible, meaningful way."

"Nonfiction that reads like Jackie Collins, “Air Guitar” is the contemporary classic in cultural criticism, and further to that, more of a celebration than a critique on the cringe-worthy. You might never love being American more than after you read this. The section "Unbreak My Heart, An Overture,” has loosely defined my practice and life."

"The Dardenne I had to choose. Their documentary realism was crazily influential and it gave contemporary film language a new urgency—but it can now actually seem mannered compared to how forceful it was when it first appeared. The most accessible Dardenne, about a troubled kid—suspenseful, emotionally overwhelming, and in the end a mystical experience about hope."