What We Are Reading Today: The Jeffersonians by Kevin R.C. Gutzman

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Updated 19 January 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: The Jeffersonians by Kevin R.C. Gutzman

Kevin R.C. Gutzman’s “The Jeffersonians” chronicles the consecutive trio of two-term presidencies of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe.

The men, known as The Virginia Dynasty, served as president from 1801 to 1825 and implemented the foreign policy, domestic, and constitutional agenda of the radical wing of the American Revolution, setting guideposts for later American liberals to follow.

Their achievements were many, from the founding of the opposition Republican Party in the 1790s; the Louisiana Purchase; and the call upon Congress in 1806 to use its constitutional power to ban slave imports beginning on Jan. 1, 1808.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Turtles of the World’

Updated 15 April 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Turtles of the World’

Authors: Jeffrey E. Lovich & Whit Gibbons

“Turtles of the World” reveals the extraordinary diversity of these amazing reptiles.

Characterized by the bony shell that acts as a shield to protect the softer body within, turtles are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs and are even more ancient in evolutionary terms than snakes and crocodilians. Of more than 350 species known today, some are highly endangered. 

In this beautiful guide, turtle families, subfamilies, and genera are illustrated with hundreds of color photographs.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Naturekind’

Updated 14 April 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Naturekind’

Authors: Melissa Leach & James Fairhead

Are language and culture uniquely human, justifying an exceptionalism that sets people apart from the rest of nature?

New discoveries in the biological sciences have challenged this assumption, finding syntax, symbolism and social learning beyond the human, and identifying culture as a second inheritance system across the phyla from whales to insects and plants.

Biologists are constrained, however, by the mechanistic ways communication is understood.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Contemporary Kingdom’

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Updated 14 April 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Contemporary Kingdom’

  • Physically substantial, the book feels symbolic — like a literal building block in the ongoing construction of Saudi Arabia’s artistic future

The new edition of “Contemporary Kingdom” is a lush green coffee table volume that is more than worthy of the space it occupies.

Building on the original 2014 release, the new edition offers a sweeping insight into one of the world’s most dynamic art scenes. With expanded coverage, it dives deep into the Kingdom’s bold and vibrant creative landscape through essays and detailed profiles of contemporary Saudi artists.

This expanded volume charts the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s art scene. It highlights visionary artists, pivotal moments and cultural shifts that have pushed the Kingdom onto the global art stage.

From historical context to groundbreaking contemporary movements, the book captures a transformative journey in motion.

Physically substantial, the book feels symbolic — like a literal building block in the ongoing construction of Saudi Arabia’s artistic future.

Featuring a foreword by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Abdullah, Part 1 is titled “The Ecosystem” and includes essays by notable Saudi voices such as Ashraf Fagih and Dalal Majed, alongside international contributors.

Part 2 presents profiles of 55 Saudi artists, complete with suggestions for further reading.

Launched by Canvas Magazine in collaboration with the Visual Arts Commission under the Ministry of Culture, the book made its debut during the inaugural Art Week Riyadh, which ended on April 13.

“Contemporary Kingdom, Second Edition” is available for purchase at the Riyadh Art Building in JAX, Diriyah, adjacent to the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art, through the end of May.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Living Matter’ by Alex J. Levine

Updated 13 April 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Living Matter’ by Alex J. Levine

The frontiers of physics can seem impossibly remote — located in the invisible quantum realm or the farthest reaches of the cosmos. But one of physics’ most exciting frontiers lies much closer than we realize: within our own bodies and other living organisms, which display astonishingly intricate structural patterns and dynamic processes that we don’t yet understand.

In “Living Matter,” leading biophysicist Alex Levine explains why unraveling the mysteries of life may ultimately demand a new physics — one that takes full account of the fundamental differences between living and nonliving matter.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Games for Your Mind’

Updated 12 April 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Games for Your Mind’

Author: Jason Rosenhouse

Logic puzzles were first introduced to the public by Lewis Carroll in the late 19th century and have been popular ever since.

Games like Sudoku and Mastermind are fun and engrossing recreational activities, but they also share deep foundations in mathematical logic and are worthy of serious intellectual inquiry. 

“Games for Your Mind” explores the history and future of logic puzzles while enabling you to test your skill against a variety of puzzles yourself.