The New York Times lists its 100 notable books of the year and includes these five:
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard — “A deranged man shot James Garfield, but it was his incompetent doctors who killed him.”
George F. Kennan: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis — “Gaddis has written a magisterial biography of the man who both invented the cold war policy of containment and was one of its most perspicacious critics.”
The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama — “What countries are capable of ‘getting to Denmark’? Fukuyama’s answer emphasizes the role of contingency.”
The Quest by Daniel Yergin — “This comprehensive study makes clear that energy policy is not on the right course anywhere.”
Why the West Rules — for Now — “A Stanford historian argues that we face an immediate choice — East-West cooperation or catastrophe.”