Behind the Scenes of Obama's Reading List

As a journalist covering the book-publishing industry, when an editor reaches out to me about a story, it's usually because there's something dark lurking under the cover. The (now failed) Penguin Random House/Simon & Schuster merger was a messy game of corporate maneuvers with the potential to leave employees and authors in the dust. The New York Times best-seller list is calculated with a secret formula that authors and publishers regularly attempt to cheat. I usually have anonymous sources falling all over themselves to spill industry secrets, so you can imagine that when I was assigned to investigate the methodology behind Barack Obama's annual lists of book recommendations, I set out to expose a secret apparatus of industry shenanigans. What I found was much more shocking.

View in Browser  SHOP EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBE Behind the Scenes of Barack Obama's Reading Lists As a journalist covering the book-publishing industry, when an editor reaches out to me about a story, it's usually because there's something dark lurking under the cover. The (now failed) Penguin Random House/Simon & Schuster merger was a messy game of corporate maneuvers with the potential to leave employees and authors in the dust. The New York Times best-seller list is calculated with a secret formula that authors and publishers regularly attempt to cheat. I usually have anonymous sources falling all over themselves to spill industry secrets, so you can imagine that when I was assigned to investigate the methodology behind Barack Obama's annual lists of book recommendations, I set out to expose a secret apparatus of industry shenanigans. What I found was much more shocking. Read More 4 Best Mesh Wi-Fi Router Systems, According to Esquire's Tech Experts Wave goodbye to dead spots. Read More Get a Load of Project 2025's Horrifying Series of "Training" Videos The vibe is like if a bunch of Scientologists took over a Model UN. Read More Joy Williams Remembers the Wildest Decades of Her Life Here at Esquire, writers are the backbone of our magazine. But while some contribute stories just once or twice, others journey with us for decades, becoming downright intertwined with our history. Joy Williams is one such writer. To celebrate the publication of her latest book, Concerning the Future of Souls, we asked Williams to share recollections of her Esquire years. Nowadays the eighty-year-old author lives in the Arizona desert, where she communicates by typewritten correspondence. When we sent over a questionnaire to Williams, what we received in return surprised even us. On vintage Esquire letterhead emblazoned with Hills's name, Williams sent back typewritten answers to our questions, all written in the blunt, lucid voice we know and love. Her memories are a time machine to the Esquire of years past—its people, its parties, its bygone pre-digital world. Below, you can read the interview in full. Read More Mormons Don't Want to Vote for Trump This could be a whopper of a problem for him in Arizona in particular. Read More This Smart Thermometer Is My Dummy-Proof Kitchen Essential The Meater 2 Plus will make sure you cook a perfect steak, every time. Read More Idris Elba Can Still Throw a Damn Good Party Idris Elba called from an airport the other day. The actor, who turns fifty-two next month, is in the midst of shooting the second season of Apple TV+'s Hijack, but he didn't ring us to talk about acting—or about the "next James Bond" chatter that has gotten stuck in his career like a broken record for half a decade. He wanted to chat about music and vodka, and here at Esquire we rarely say no to either. Elba, who's been DJing since his teen years in London and whose presence on the decks draws crowds at parties and festivals around the world, recently composed a track called "Pushing On" to dovetail with the release of Altius, a super-luxe vodka from the team behind Grey Goose. Advice from Elba, chilled and distilled: You're a better parent if you're a little selfish, and you need to send your mother-in-law a bottle of booze. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Read More Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779