The 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2018

In a year that felt saturated by mud-slinging political memoirs, a handful of writers broke through to tell deeply personal stories with universal impact. Tara Westover detailed the power and importance of education through her story of escaping her survivalist family in Idaho. Alexander Chee sifted through tales from his past to present golden insights into the way art can shape a life. Nicole Chung delved into her own cross-cultural adoption to unpack our collective strengths and weaknesses when it comes to responding to our differences. These authors, alongside writers of history, business, science and democracy, comprise the best of 2018.