NONFICTION

Zapruder’s film, RBG and the big universe.

Politics and History

Ghostland An American History in Haunted Places Colin Dickey Viking, $27 In a book that is part history and part road trip chronicle, Dickey looks at America’s haunted locations, such as the Winchester Mystery House, and what they tell us about our nation’s fears. Time Travel A History James Gleick Pantheon, $26.95 An exploration of the history of time travel that also asks why the concept has had such an outsize effect on the human imagination. Other Minds The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Peter Godfrey-Smith Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $27 The philosopher, science historian and deep-sea diver combines his passions in a deeply intelligent book about intelligence, both human and cephalopod. Necessary Trouble Americans in Revolt Sarah Jaffe Nation Books, $26.99 This deep dive into contemporary American protest movements, such as the tea party and Black Lives Matter, comes at an appropriate time for a starkly divided country. Dolce Vita Confidential Fellini, Loren, Pucci, Paparazzi, and the Swinging High Life of 1950s Rome Shawn Levy W.W. Norton, $27.95 This fun tale tracks the 1950s Italian film scene, aided by glamorous fashion designers, American films and their stars, whose bad behavior fueled the proto-paparazzi. The Paths Men Take Jack London Contrasto, $24.95 Writer London was also a photographer. This stunning book combines excerpts from his nonfiction with related pictures he took at the cusp of the 20th century. Truevine Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Beth Macy Little, Brown, $28 A deeply-researched, almost-forgotten story of two African-American albino brothers who were kidnapped around 1900 in Virginia and forced to perform in circuses. Nothing Ever Dies Vietnam and the Memory of War Viet Thanh Nguyen Harvard University Press, $27.95 The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist examines how the Vietnam War has resonated in the cultures and histories of Vietnam and the United States. The Battle for Syria International Rivalry in the New Middle East Christopher Phillips Yale University Press, $30 The London-based academic argues that the Syrian civil war is the result of several countries, including the United States and Russia, jockeying for power in the Middle East. Crazy Is the New Normal Tom Tomorrow IDW Publishing, $19.99 A collection of “This Modern World” comic strips from 2013 to 2016 from the irreverent, alternative political cartoonist. The Attention Merchants The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads Tim Wu Knopf, $28.95 The author of “The Master Switch” presents a history of how companies and brands have long used advertising to invade the psyches of American consumers. Twenty-Six Seconds A Personal History of the Zapruder Film Alexandra Zapruder Twelve, $27 A look at how the famous footage of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was recorded and its legacy in American culture, written by the granddaughter of the man who filmed it.

L.A./the West

L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played George Geary Santa Monica Press, $45 An illustrated history of the city’s most iconic eateries, from the early days of Musso and Frank (it’s still around) to the era of Wolfgang Puck. Silver Lake Bohemia A History Michael Locke and Vincent Brook History Press, $21.99 paperback A chronicle of the hip Los Angeles neighborhood, which for decades has been home to authors, artists,

Los Angeles Central Library A History of Its Art and Architecture Arnold Schwartzman and Stephen Gee Angel City Press, $45 Photographer Schwartzman and historian Gee present a heavily illustrated history of the 90-year-old jewel of the Los Angeles library system. Down, Out, and Under Arrest Policing and Everyday Life in Skid Row Forrest Stuart Univ. of Chicago Press, $27.50 The 20-block region of L.A.’s Skid Row is the nation’s densest population of the homeless; this book examines the efforts (and mistakes) of police there.

Heroes and Changemakers

Writings on the Wall Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Time Books, $27.95 The Lakers legend and author presents essays that explore racism, politics, the contemporary moment and his experiences as an African American Muslim in the United States. How to Make A Spaceship A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight Julian Guthrie Penguin Press, $28 The story of Peter Diamandis, the entrepreneur who organized a competition among teams vying to become the first civilians to successfully send a pilot into space. When We Rise My Life In the Movement Cleve Jones Hachette Books, $27 In his new memoir, the San Francisco activist chronicles his years in the LGBTQ rights movement and his creation of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Settle for More Megyn Kelly Harper, $29.99 The Fox News anchor’s memoir about her road to success in journalism, including details about her difficult interactions with Roger Ailes and Donald Trump. A Truck Full of Money One Man’s Quest to Recover from Great Success Tracy Kidder Random House, $28 A look at the life of Paul English, the quirky entrepreneur who sold his website Kayak for $2 billion, then immediately went to work trying to figure out how to donate it all to charity. You Will Not Have My Hate Antoine Leiris Penguin Press, $23 In this short, powerful memoir, the husband of a woman killed in the attack on the Bataclan Theater in Paris writes about his grief and his refusal to give in to bitterness. They Can’t Kill Us All Ferguson, Baltimore and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement Wesley Lowery Little, Brown, $27 The Washington Post reporter examines police violence against African Americans and how communities and activists are trying to make a difference. Powerhouse The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency James Andrew Miller Custom House, $29.99 The juicy, bestselling, behind-the-scenes history of CAA, the talent agency that launched in 1975 and changed how Hollywood does business. Ray & Joan The Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away Lisa Napoli Dutton, $27 A look at the marriage of Ray Kroc, who made McDonald’s into a global empire, and his third wife, Joan, who eventually donated billions of dollars to charity (in ways Ray wouldn’t have liked). A Life Well Played My Stories Arnold Palmer St. Martin’s Press, $22.99 The new volume from the golf legend who died in September is part memoir told through stories and anecdotes, and part advice book. The French Chef in America Julia Child’s Second Act Alex Prud’homme Knopf, $27.95 The famous chef ’s great-nephew tells the story of her life after the publication of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” when she became an overnight celebrity in the U.S. Forward Abby Wambach Dey Street, $26.99 In this candid memoir, the soccer star and Olympic gold medalist discusses her record-breaking athletic career as well as her struggles with drug and alcohol abuse.