The Spring
Reading List

For too long, the sport that gave Polo its name has lacked inclusivity. Kareem Rosser, who happens to have starred in several recent Polo campaigns, has helped change that. In this memoir, he details how he and his brothers defied the odds, going from their West Philadelphia upbringing (in a struggling neighborhood nicknamed “The Bottom”) to the highest levels of the sport, captaining the first all-Black squad to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. If you’re looking for inspiration this season, look no further.

(Macmillan, out now)

This country’s folk art has long been a mainstay in the World of Ralph Lauren, and in fact, Jerry Lauren, the brand’s longtime head of menswear (and brother to Ralph), is among the foremost collectors of weathervanes. This book documents the history of these beautiful, painstakingly crafted pieces of all-American art. It’s also a preview of sorts for the accompanying exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum, which opens on June 23, and like the book, includes a vane designed by George Washington and one that might have been crafted in Paul Revere’s foundry.

(Rizzoli, out now)

For decades now, Elizabeth Kolbert has chronicled the creeping threat of climate change in The New Yorker, where she’s been a staff writer since 1999, and through books including The Sixth Extinction, which earned a Pulitzer. Her latest ponders the future, and what, if anything, we can do to reverse or even just contain the effects of our rapidly warming planet. Her detailed (and sometimes humorous) reporting introduces readers to original thinkers like the physicists who are trying to cool the Earth by firing tiny diamonds into the sky, and the marine biologists trying to preserve the world’s rarest fish.

(Penguin Random House, out now)

For a lighter read, try this collection of musings on the great American pastime, fortuitously timed for the beginning of the 2021 season. Rather than a sepia-toned biography or a deep dive into stats and analytics, this is a thoughtful consideration of the sport, creatively told through scorecards, baseball cards, and open letters to Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese-born baseball star whose charismatic personality and achievements in the game have made him a fan favorite for two decades.

(Invisible Publishing, out now)

It’s a little hard to remember these days, but once upon a time we were all free to roam the world, experiencing its wonders. Perhaps no one did it better than Anthony Bourdain, who (quite literally) sucked the marrow from the bone of life until his untimely death in 2018. This book collects his tips on where to go, where not to go, and what to eat (of course). It’s supplemented by a series of essays by friends and even his brother, who shares what it was really like to travel with the beloved chef and television host.

(HarperCollins, April 20)

This book presents a series of conversations between Dr. Perry, an expert on childhood trauma, and Winfrey, the longtime television host, producer, and philanthropist who is no stranger to trauma herself. Through it, they aim to reframe the way we talk about adversity, asking the titular question rather than the unfortunately more familiar, “What’s wrong with you?”

(Flatiron Books, April 27)

Air Time is the latest in a series of coffee table books about timepieces that celebrate the aviation watch, arguably the earliest form of wristwatch (and a longtime inspiration to Ralph Lauren). Just one element that makes this one a must-see? The afterword by Scott Kelly, the longtime astronaut who famously spent a year aboard the International Space Station, and a devoted watch aficionado himself.

(Rizzoli, June 29)