Identity History

Romila Thapar is one of the most important indian academics writing today. Well-researched and thoroughly accessible, this volume is sure to become essential listening for those interested in Indian history and religion. It includes her experience of writing history textbooks for school, analysis of ancient history and interpretations of the epics, and the role history plays in contemporary politics.

When European missionaries first arrived in India in the sixteenth century, they entered a world both fascinating and bewildering. Hinduism, as they saw it, was a pagan mess: the worship of devils and monsters by a people who burned women alive, performed outlandish rites and fed children to...

Rainbow History Class is your entry into LGBTQ+ history, sharing queer and trans stories from Ancient civilisations all the way up to the internet. So much of queer and trans history and culture has been erased, but Hannah McElhinney, writer and creator of Rainbow History Class (as seen on TikTok), is here to help us all with this crash course.

Discover the empowering feminist history of style, where every garment is a weapon in the fight for bodily autonomy. Perfect for your daily commute or a reflective afternoon, this thought-provoking journey reframes apparel from mere decoration into a profound tool of systemic control and social...

Uncover the rise and fall of a lost civilization that forged the cultural heartbeat of modern Southeast Asian history. Perfect for an educational commute, this immersive narrative transports you from remote frontier outposts to a flourishing royal center. Experience the sweeping epic of an...

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to “the people”, who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole.

Brought to you by Penguin. The international best-selling author explores the revolutions—past and present—that define the chaotic, polarized and unstable age in which we live Populist rage, ideological fracture, economic and technological shocks, geopolitical dangers and an international...

What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? This sweeping history of the United States told through fifteen speeches relives the battle over American identity, from a New York Times bestselling author and one of President Barack Obama’s former speechwriters. “At a time of moral and...

A search for the meaning of one of nature's greatest riddles: why do so many creatures transform? “How many creatures walking on this earth / Have their first being in another form?” the Roman poet Ovid asked two thousand years ago. He could not have known the full extent of the truth: today...

Brought to you by Penguin. The internationally acclaimed masterpiece from one of Iran's most influential writers - a powerful and essential tale of female freedom Women Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women – including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a...

In this explosive book, Suraj Yengde, a first-generation Dalit scholar educated across continents, challenges deep-seated beliefs about caste and unpacks its many layers. He describes his gut-wrenching experiences of growing up in a Dalit basti, the multiple humiliations suffered by Dalits on a...

This standout creative nonfiction debut explores the lives and histories of plants considered nonnative or invasive as metaphors for the Black experience in America. In Tending the Vines, Ashia S. Ajani illuminates how eight unique plants tell the story of the Black diaspora in America. Each...

An exquisite debut collection on writing, exile, and rebuilding community after losing your homeland. In elegantly written and meticulously observed essays including “Afghanistan, the Beautiful Land of Endless Suffering,” “The Blood of Things,” and “Small Memories,” Jamaluddin Aram...

In this accessible guide for activists, scholar Lisa Mueller translates cutting-edge empirical research on effective protest to show how to make movements really matter We are in the middle of a historic swell of activism taking place throughout the world. From Occupy Wall Street and the Arab...

A Guardian “Best Book of 2021” Selection A powerful look at the impacts of anti-Black racism and a practical guide for overcoming racial trauma through radical self-care as a form of resistance Over the past 15 years, radical psychologist Guilaine Kinouani has focused her research, writing...

To understand who we are, we must know where and who we come from. Discover powerful practices to honour and heal your family lineage.Ancestral healing is the process of revealing and releasing inherited wounds and traumas that have been passed down by our ancestors. Anyone researching their...

"Subtly altered how I see the world." —Michelle Goldberg, New York Times “[Status and Culture] consistently posits theories I'd never previously considered that instantly feel obvious.” —Chuck Klosterman, author of The Nineties “Why are you the way that you are? Status and Culture...

If you're looking for a way to make a positive impact on the world, Matthew S. Friedman's inspiring book is the perfect guide. Through his incredible experiences and tireless activism over 35 years, he shows us that one person truly can create a ripple effect that leads to global change. As you...

A sweeping history of the Greeks, from the Bronze Age to today. “With suave latitude and dependable detail, Beaton takes his readers from a bright prehistoric ‘dawn’ in the Aegean to the heavy skies of contemporary geo-politics.” —The New Criterion More than two thousand years ago, the...