The best (??) nonfiction books of the century, a couple great neo-noirs, and a dreamy, vibey instumental album

Roundup 07/13/2024

Greetings from Read Max HQ! A reminder that I’m still seeking stories of A.I. slop, both in its natural home on platforms, but also and especially when it’s entered the real world in strange and funny (or dangerous) ways. Another example: The amateur mushroom foragers who bought an A.I. slop foraging guide from Amazon and accidentally picked a bunch of Death Cap mushrooms. If you have any good leads or stories, email me: maxread@gmail.com.

Welcome to our weekly roundup column, in which I pick out some worthwhile and often overlooked books, articles, movies, and music to recommend to paying subscribers. For this week’s round-up, I’ve got:

• as a follow up to my “best (??)” (but entirely fiction) books of the 21st century, a handful of nonfiction books from this century I might put on a ballot (plus, my actual ballot, recovered by the kind people at the Times!);

• some great neo-noirs available on streaming; and

• a gorgeous instrumental album.

If any of that sounds interesting -- and if you want to support Read Max in its continuing mission of explaining the future to relatively normal people -- please subscribe below. Subscribers get access to these weekly emails and to the comprehensive Read Max Master Lists of Good Movies to Watch and Good Books to Read--as well as preferred pricing on merchandise like the Read Max “EMAIL SUPPLY” caps. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you.

I love to hear from readers who want to recommend a cool book or movie (or whatever!) to me, or from readers who are looking for specific kinds of recommendations. Just leave a comment or drop me a line at maxread@gmail.com.

Finally, please note that I may receive a small commission if you purchase books via links in this email.

Now, the roundup.