The Economist reads

Africa

Our Africa editor chooses five books, and one album, as an introduction to the great continent

For a first taste of Africa, begin with these

Language

Our language columnist, Johnson, picks five of his favourite recent reads

This is a golden age for good books about every facet of language

Silicon Valley

The five best books for understanding Silicon Valley’s history

Pentagon officials, hippies and whizzkids all feature

The Economist reads

Our former Moscow correspondent picks seven books on Russia

A readers’ guide to the mystery that is Vladimir Putin

Cooking

What to read to become a better cook

A tasteful tour around the cuisines of the world

France

Our Paris bureau chief picks seven books to make sense of modern France

A readers’ guide to understanding the paradoxical country at the heart of Europe

Biographies

Our obituaries editor picks the five best biographies ever written

Reflections on one’s own life and the lives of others, from Suetonius to Dylan Thomas