Read Beat (...and repeat)

Evison's seventh novel chronicles 170 years of American history but it's not chronological. We skip back and forth between the California gold rush, the building of the transcontinental railroad and modern life. "Evison pulls off a wonderful high-wire act of storytelling that few would attempt," noted Jason Mott, author of "Hell of a Book."

Adam Tooze, a history professor at Columbia University, is the author of "Shutdown--How Covid Shook the World's Economy." Never before did the global economy contract by 20 percent in a matter of weeks as it did in 2020. While the number of people contracting covid as well as the heated debate over mask use and opening of facilities is finally easing, it's important to understand the impact of the worldwide pandemic. Tooze's article in the New York Times article referenced in the discussion was published in the Sept. 1, 2021 edition.

Interview with Nathaniel Philbrick, author of "Travels with George," an account of the tour of the colonies made by George Washington as he prepared to take office as the first president of the United States. Philbrick, along with wife Melissa and dog Dora, follow the same route that Washington made some 230 years earlier, providing both history and present updates at the various locations.