Stephen L. Carter, Columnist

The 15 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021

Maybe the lockdown was good for creativity, because it was an exceptional year for serious books.

December 18, 2021 at 1:00 PM UTC

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a professor of law at Yale University and author of “Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster.”

So many books, so little time.
Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe

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For the past several years I have been putting together a list of that year’s best nonfiction, with special attention to books that taught me things I didn’t know. This has been an exceptional year for serious books; perhaps being locked down is good for creativity. Never have I had such trouble winnowing my list to 15. Nevertheless, here are my picks, all highly recommended, presented in random order — as usual, no tyranny of the alphabet! — and concluding with my choice for best nonfiction book of the year.

Mary Roach, “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law”