Best nonfiction 2004
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MacCulloch spares neither Protestants nor Roman Catholics when pointing out the horrors of Europe's epic religious upheaval of the 16th and 17th centuries. (May 25)
With access to much previously classified material, Volkov has written a gripping account of the treacherous times in which Shostakovich and his colleagues in music, film, theater, and literature created works that engaged and enraged the Soviet dictator. (April 27)
Meyers rightly emphasizes the magnitude of Maugham's contribution to 20th-century literature. He also investigates his subject's personal life in fascinating detail. (Feb. 17)
A tale of daunting struggle, this sequel to the author's 1981 memoir of her convent experience is buoyed by keen intelligence and unflinching honesty. The title metaphor of the spiral staircase suggests spiritual progress that seems to go in circles while, in fact, moving upward into the light. (March 30)
Turner locates spices at the confluence of some major currents of human experience: life and death; God and religion; sex, love, and food. It was the desire for spices as much as for gold and silver that motivated the world's great voyages 500 years ago. (Aug. 3)
D'Antonio tells the extraordinary story of boys trapped by misdiagnosis in an abusive Massachusetts institution from the early 1900s into the 1960s. D'Antonio's analysis of the dark, unintended consequences of benevolent social programs makes this a fascinating read. (May 18)
In this accessible intellectual history, McGrath explores how atheism came to capture a wide swath of the public imagination as the road to human liberation and progress, and why, in a postmodern world, its appeal has faded. (Aug. 3)
Though barred from entering the US, Ramadan is one of Europe's most prominent Muslim reformers and a crucial voice of moderation. In this book, he argues for a reinterpretation of Islam that encourages Muslims' positive integration into Western society. (Sept. 21)
The protagonists of Johnson's book are ordinary Chinese facing extraordinary obstacles as they engage in bitter struggles against corruption and oppression. A peasant lawyer, an urban homeowner, and a victim's daughter together embody the increasingly universal desire for justice in China. (June 29)
"Under the right circumstances," Surowiecki argues, "groups are remarkably intelligent." For evidence, he cites how groups have been used to find lost submarines and even predict the president of the United States. Surowiecki is a vivid writer with a knack for culling entertaining examples. (May 25)
