Lake Bluff Library Adult Reading Lists: Investigative Journalism

Nate Silver investigates “the River,” the community of like-minded people whose mastery of risk allows them to shape—and dominate—so much of modern life. These professional risk-takers—poker players and hedge fund managers, crypto true believers and blue-chip art collectors—can teach us much about navigating the uncertainty of the twenty-first century.
(Description from NoveList)

From the Pulitzer-prize winning reporters who broke the news of Harvey Weinstein's sexual harassment and abuse comes the thrilling untold story of their investigation and its consequences for the #MeToo movement.
(Description from catalog)

A manifesto for our time, Why Fascists Fear Teachers is necessary reading for every American worried about the future of our democracy.
(Description from NoveList)

An investigation into the growing radical right reveals a network of wealthy people with extreme Libertarian views, led by the Koch brothers, that has been systematically influencing and controlling academic institutions, the courts, and the United States government. (Description from NoveList)

A history of the CIA in the 21st century spans from 9/11 through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s battles with Russia and China – and with the President of the United States.
(Description from NoveList)

Describes the author's investigation of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape accusations against Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, and the many obstacles he faced, not only from Weinstein but also from his own employer, NBC. (Description from NoveList)

A groundbreaking chronicle of the birth--and death--of a pair of jeans, that exposes the fractures in our global supply chains, and our relationships to each other, ourselves, and the planet. (Description from catalog)

In this blistering exposé, an award-winning investigative journalist uncovers reams of evidence showing decades of Johnson & Johnson’s deceitful and dangerous corporate practices that have threatened the lives of millions.
(Description from NoveList)

The full inside story of Theranos and founder/CEO Elizabeth Holmes, a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Back by investors, Theranos sold shares that valued the company at $9 billion and put Holmes' net worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem...the technology didn't work.
(Description from catalog)

From Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, The Devil Reached Toward the Sky is the panoramic narrative of how ordinary people grapple with extraordinary wartime risks, sacrifices, and choices that will transform the course of history.
(Description from NoveList)

In a book that includes deeply human and unforgettable portraits of the families and first responders affected, the author takes readers into the epicenter of America's more than 20-year struggle with opioid addiction. (Description from NoveList)

Our country’s leaders all seem to agree: People who suffer from addiction need treatment. Today, more people have access to treatment than ever before. So why isn’t it working? The answer is that in America—where anyone can get addicted—only certain people get a real chance to recover. Despite record numbers of overdose deaths, our default response is still to punish, while rehabs across the United States fail to incorporate scientifically proven strategies and exploit patients.
(Description from NoveList)

Critiques the myth of American orphanhood by exploring its historical realities, including the oppressive nature of early orphanages, systemic classism and racism, and her personal experiences, urging a reevaluation of society's approach to child welfare and community care.
(Description from NoveList)

An investigation of the overlooked contributions of Martha "Marty" Goddard, who pioneered the rape kit and advocated for the rights of sexual assault survivors in the 1970s, while also confronting the troubling history of forensics in America and reflecting on her personal experiences with injustice.
(Description from NoveList)

Doctors took her cells without asking. Those cells never died. They launched a medical revolution and a multimillion-dollar industry. More than twenty years later, her children found out. Their lives would never be the same. (Description from catalog)

After returning to the United States, Kennan set out to generate public outrage over the plight of the exiles, writing the renowned Siberia and the Exile System. He then went on a nine-year lecture tour to describe the suffering of the Siberian exiles, intensifying the newly emerging diplomatic conflicts between the two countries which last to this day.
(Description from catalog)

An award-winning journalist takes us deep into the Appalachian Mountains where the last truly quiet town of America exists and where its residents live a life free from constant digital connectivity, challenging us to rethink the role of tech in our lives. (Description from catalog)

From the bestselling, prize-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.
(Description from NoveList)

Author, speaker, and addiction recovery expert Caroline Beidler offers friends and family members the gift of being able to understand the recovery lifestyle--a way of life that goes beyond anonymous meetings in church basements and fosters a sense of well-being, healthy coping strategies, discovering new passions, and nurturing a deep personal faith.
(Description from Amazon)

From Sarah Weinman, author of Scoundrel and The Real Lolita, comes an eye-opening story about the first major spousal rape trial in America and urgent questions it raised about women’s rights that would reverberate for decades.
(Description from NoveList)