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The Scotch whisky industry is dominated by a handful of big names. The likes of The Glenlivet, The Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Lagavulin tend to own the single malt conversation. But does that mean those well-known names are the “best” in any measurable sense?

That’s harder to say.

Sure, when you crack open a bottle of The Balvenie or Aberlour or Ardbeg, you can be pretty sure you’re about to enjoy some high-quality, well-made whisky. But there are dozens of other — often vastly underrated — single malt whiskies just waiting to be snatched off the shelves at your local liquor store. Many of which are bargains.

To help both your palate and your wallet, we decided to list eight of our picks for “underrated single malt Scotch whiskies” in the $40-$60 range. Perhaps you heard of them, maybe you haven’t. Either way, these bottles deserve a little more mainstream love.

If you want to try them, just click on the prices.

Deanston 12

ABV: 46.3%

Average Price: $55

The Story:

This award-winning bottle was recently re-launched with a higher proof than previous versions. Fans of higher proof scotches can definitely get behind this non-chill filtered, sweet, slightly smoky whisky that was aged for more than a decade in barrels that formerly held bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all sweetness with aromas of candied orange peels, sweet vanilla, and barley. The palate is surprisingly soft and mellow with notes of sticky treacle, wood char, buttery caramel, and a nice nutty sweetness. There’s just a kiss of smoke and salt that makes this dram highly memorable.

Bottom Line:

For the price, we have a hard time finding a bottle as underrated at Deanston 12. It ticks all the single malt boxes. It’s sweet and has a slight salinity that makes it tastes like salted caramel.

The Singleton Glendullan 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $40

The Story:

Originally launched as a bottle for travelers to pick up in duty-free shops at airports, it’s currently not available at other locations. This creamy, decadent, almost dessert-like whisky is aged in a combination of American oak barrels and European oak barrels. This results in a buttery, rich whisky you won’t soon forget.

Tasting Notes:

Breathe in the aromas of toasted vanilla beans, fresh leather, dried cherries, and a nutty sweetness. The palate of this single malt reveals dry notes of woody oak, caramel apples, butterscotch, and subtle cinnamon sugar. It evolves into crème brulee and dried fruits at the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a very complicated single malt. It’s bargain-priced but filled with so many different, unique flavors, it will take a few samplings to find them all.

Cardhu 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $60

The Story:

While Cardhu is owned by Diageo, it doesn’t have the name recognition of many of the others (in the U.S. anyway). Though, you’ve definitely tasted it if you drink Johnnie Walker. This Speyside expression is aged for twelve years in American oak barrels, resulting in a subtly spicy, sweet, fruity whisky.

Tasting Notes:

Scents of dried fruits, crisp apples, clover honey, and charred wood appear on the nose. The sip reveals in the notes of buttery caramel, raisins, toasted vanilla beans, and a nice kick of spice at the end. This is a highly sippable, mellow whisky you’ll savor all summer.

Bottom Line:

Like many of the whiskies historically used for blends, after one sip you’ll wonder why you never tried this expression in its single malt form before. It’s the priciest bottle on this list, but well worth it.

Loch Lomond 12

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $40

The Story:

This award-winning whisky begins by distillation using two different pot stills. The liquid is blended together. This results in a slightly smoky, fruity whisky that’s then aged for twelve years in a combination of ex-bourbon, re-charred, and refill barrels. The blending of these three barrels results in a highly complex, well-balanced juice.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is mostly fruit with hints of fresh pear, candied orange peels, and a nice kick of sweet, vanilla. Taking a sip brings you to a world of marmalade jam, caramel apples, crème brulee, and just a hint of sweet malts. The ending carries an added note of smoky peat that pulls everything together perfectly.

Bottom Line:

Fans who might be wary of trying seemingly harsh, peated whiskies from Islay should ease their way in with a bottle like Loch Lomond 12. The smoke is gentle and melds well with the other flavors.

Glengoyne 12

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $50

The Story:

Glengoyne’s tagline is that it runs “the slowest stills in Scotland.” This 12-year-old expression does taste like it was painstakingly made by true artisans. They never use peated barley. The whisky is then finished in sherry butts, giving this a unique, memorable, sweet flavor.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with aromas of candied orange peels, sweet honey, wood char, and vanilla beans. The palate continues the sweet trend with hints of sticky toffee, cinnamon sugar, orange zest, and sugar cookies. There’s a nice, sherry sweetness at the finish that leaves you wanting more.

Bottom Line:

If you’ve never tried peated whisky or you simply don’t like it, this is a great bottle for you. Glengoyne goes out of the way to express that its whiskies don’t have any smoky peat. The addition of sherry, however, gives this an extra, almost dessert-like sweetness.

Speyburn 10

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $45

The Story:

This award-winning whisky might be the best bargain in the single malt world. Known for its affordability to quality ratio, this Speyside single malt is aged in both ex-bourbon casks as well as sherry butts. The use of these two barrels imparts an extra sweetness to the flavor profile that far surpasses its price.

Tasting Notes:

Breathe in the aromas of candied orange peels, caramel apples, oaky wood, and cinnamon. The palate includes notes of butterscotch, vanilla, biscuity malts, and a nice, gentle kick of smoke at the very end. It’s fruity, rich, and has just the right amount of smoke.

Bottom Line:

For the price, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more complex, flavorful, sweet-sipping single malt Scotch. We’ll enjoy a dram of this value sipper any day.

Tomatin 12

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $45

The Story:

A few years ago, Tomatin increased its 12-year-old expression’s proof from 80 to 86 and higher proof drinkers rejoiced. One of the distillery’s most popular expressions in the years since it’s first matured in American oak barrels before spending as long as nine months in barrels that formerly held Oloroso sherry.

Tasting Notes:

If you give this whisky a proper nosing, you’ll be treated to the aromas of dried fruits, almond cookies, and sweet, toasted vanilla beans. The palate swirls with charred wood, candied orange peels, subtle cooking spices, and butterscotch. The ending is very fruity due to the sherry finishing.

Bottom Line:

Fans of sherried single malts tend to stick to what they know. But if you want to branch out you’re your usual bottle of The Macallan 12, give this single malt a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Glen Scotia Double Cask

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $55

The Story:

Sure, many of the other whisky-producing regions get more press, but you definitely shouldn’t sleep on single malts from Campbeltown. Glen Scotia Double Cask gets its name because it’s aged in both first-fill ex-bourbon barrels as well as Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

This is a fruity whisky. The nose is filled with scents of raisins, apricots, and crisp apples as well as wood char and salted caramel. The palate features buttery caramel, more dried fruits, buttercream frostings, and subtle spices. Unsurprisingly, the finish is filled with sherry sweetness.

Bottom Line:

Another for the sherry fans, this sweet, fruity single malt is well-suited for after-dinner drinking. We prefer it neat (or with a splash of water) in a Glencairn glass as we sit on a back porch or patio.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

The men’s USA Basketball team began its pre-Olympic run in disappointing fashion, to say the least. Gregg Popovich’s squad stunningly lost its exhibition opener to Nigeria, only to follow that up with a less maddening, yet still frustrating, defeat at the hands of Australia. Less than 24 hours after the defeat against Patty Mills and company, Team USA returned to action on Tuesday in Las Vegas and, this time, the results were much better in what became a 108-80 win over Argentina.

Team USA opened up in a much more encouraging way in this particular game, taking a 15-4 lead out of gate. In fact, Bam Adebayo caught a lob dunk for the first points of the day, and that gave the American team a lead they would never relinquish.

The U.S. led by 14 points at the end of the first quarter and, with few exceptions, led by double-digits the rest of the way. While much of the attention was paid to the offensive improvement, they also generated more chaos defensively, using their athleticism advantage to produce deflections and contest shots at a high level.

There were plenty of offensive fireworks, though, including a pair of absurd Zach LaVine dunks. One came just before halftime, with Kevin Durant then following that up with a shake-and-bake bucket in the closing seconds of the first half.

Team USA led by 16 points at the half and, while they could’ve given ground in the third, they did the opposite. The Olympic favorites stretched their advantage to as many as 25 points in the quarter, effectively putting the game away.

Putting a bit of an exclamation on the proceedings, LaVine delivered a memorable dunk in the fourth quarter, even with the outcome largely decided.

While it would be unwise to make too much of a singular performance, Team USA did look the part of a strong squad in this matchup. They shot 51 percent from the floor and 45 percent from three-point range, with all five starters in double figures. No one played more than 30 minutes for Team USA, with Durant and Bradley Beal leading the way with 17 points each and LaVine adding 15 points. Beyond the offense, they held Argentina to just 38 percent shooting while producing six steals and seven blocked shots.

Team USA will return to action on Friday with an exhibition rematch against Australia in Las Vegas. Between now and then, attention will be paid to Jayson Tatum, who missed Tuesday’s action with knee soreness.

The Weeknd had a monster year in 2020 thanks to his fourth album, After Hours. With a huge world tour set to begin next year, some might have expected the singer to rest up before hitting the road. But for the last few months he’s been teasing that he’s planning to release new music, which he hinted at again on Tuesday.

In a string of posts on Twitter, The Weeknd seemed to confirmed that a new project could arrive before the After Hours tour. “We gettin’ there [CD emoji],” he wrote, adding, “Really proud of this one. Wow… Massaging it now, being sweet to it. Giving it some tlc…” The singer then clarified what to expect. “Just so there’s no confusion, it’s a full body of work… [sunset emojis],” he wrote referencing “the dawn,” which he teased at the Billboard Music Awards back in May. He added, “The tour is gonna be MADNESS.”

The Weeknd first started teasing new music en route through a string of tweets back in April. “Made so much magic in the small quarantined room,” he wrote in one tweet before adding, “nothing’s ever random… now just piecing it all together… it’s so beautiful.”

You can read the tweets from The Weeknd above.

Five years is a century in today’s franchise movie-verse, but that’s how long it’s been since Star Trek Beyond, the third in the big screen revival that began all the way back in 2009. Since then, the team led by Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk has effectively been on standby, weathering a number of potential fourquels. But now it finally has a director, and it’s the guy who responsible for all nine episodes of WandaVision.

As per Deadline, Matt Shakman — whose TV career spans episodes of dramas, like Six Feet Under, House, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and Succession, and comedies, like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, You’re the Worst, Ugly Betty, and Psych — is the one who will get all of the Pine-era cast back together. (That is, minus Anton Yelchin, who died in 2016.) The news comes the same day Shakman received an Emmy nomination for WandaVision — one of seven other nominations, including Limited Series.

Star Trek Beyond, which was cowritten by its resident Scotty, Simon Pegg, mildly underperformed back in 2016, which was enough to put that wing of the franchise in jeopardy. But the other wings have thrived. There are now numerous Trek shows on streamers, even an animated one from a Rick and Morty alum. At one point Quentin Tarantino threatened to make his own, gleefully R-rated Trek movie as his swan song to filmmaking. But this news appears to put that one to bed.

(Via Deadline)

Britney Spears‘ has allegedly found a new lawyer to represent her in her much-publicized conservatorship battle — provieded the judge overseeing the case greenlights the move. Former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart has reportedly agreed to team with the pop star as she continues her legal battle to have her father Jamie Spears removed from control over her life and fortune, which his daughter hopes will end their legal arrangement altogether.

Over the weekend, TMZ reported that Britney contacted a large law firm, Greenberg, Traurig, LLP, to ask Rosengart to join her team. Less than a week after the request, Rosengart agreed, but he will not be allowed to officially represent the singer until a judge approves the addition. A hearing for the matter will occur remotely on Wednesday, according to TMZ, who cited “multiple sources with direct knowledge.” However, according to the singer’s conservatorship, Britney is not allowed to sign off on contracts of any substance without the approval of her father.

TMZ reports that Rosengart will argue that Britney has a constitutional right to select the lawyer of her choice to represent her in the matter, without Jamie’s approval. He adds that she is entitled to due process in court, which should legally allow her to pick her own attorney.

The singer was forced to get a new lawyer after Sam Ingham, her former court-appointed attorney, resigned after representing her for 13 years. The decision came after Ingham was “extremely upset” that the singer claimed in court “that she never knew she could end the conservatorship.” He denied it, saying he “regularly gave Britney options, including requesting that the conservatorship should end,” which she chose not to act upon.

It’s been four years since Bill O’Reilly was forced to leave Fox News over sexual harassment allegations, though it’s not like he’s hurting. On top of the $25 million settlement he received, he’s got a weekly WABC radio show, makes frequent guest appearances elsewhere, and is a bestselling popular history writer. Later this year he’ll even go on tour with disgraced former president Donald J. Trump.

But the allegations that pushed him out of his old TV job were far from the first. In a new piece by The Daily Beast, a former colleague, Andrea Mackris, broke a 17-year-old NDA concerning sexual harassment accusations she made in 2004. It was a big deal at the time, though much of the press questioned the veracity of her claims. Now Mackris is opening up about O’Reilly’s purported actions, and the details are horrifying.

Mackris, who was a producer on The O’Reilly Factor off and on between 2000 and 2004, claims she was bullied by her lawyers into signing a $9 million NDA — $3 million of which went to her legal team. She says that O’Reilly frequently sexually harassed her, including over numerous dinners she felt obligated to attend. When she confronted him, asking him to stop, he wasn’t moved:

“Instead, he said, ‘I know, but I’m going to make you play.’ Here was my boss, a man who held my career and future in his hands, acknowledging that he knew I’d never consented but he didn’t care.”

Some of the alleged details have been made public before, including an infamous bit involving him saying he would soap her down in a shower with either a “loofah” or a “falafel thing.” But she revealed many more blood-curdling ones in the Daily Beast article, saying he would dictate his sexual fantasies to her, involving “vibrators and masturbating” and that he “needed a younger lover.” One time, she says, he suggested they have a threesome with one of her female friends.

Mackris had recordings of some of their conversations, but those were destroyed as part of the settlement. She claims that she signed it out of duress — that one of her lawyers told her, “No one believes you, and you’ll never be hired again, and if you walk out of this room like this, no other lawyers will work with you.” He added, she says, “You didn’t hire us to go to trial, you hired us to make him stop.”

Mackris says she’s been all but blacklisted in the industry. When she thought about writing a book about her experiences, a literary agent told her she was “DOA,” claiming she’s “not a sympathetic character because you took the money.” Nearly two decades later, the ordeal continues to consume her life, that she misses the profession she worked her whole life to master.

Meanwhile, O’Reilly’s latest tome, Killing the Mob, is currently #3 on The New York Times Book Review‘s Hardcover Nonfiction chart.

(Via The Daily Beast)

A toddler found a gun in the back of a car and shot a 30-year-old woman in the back in Louisiana. A 4-year-old found a handgun and shot himself in Missouri. Another 4-year-old found a gun and did the same thing in Colorado. A 10-year-old in Pennsylvania accidentally shot and killed himself in front of his 8-year-old sister after finding his family’s loaded gun.

That’s just a sampling of headlines from just the past few weeks in the U.S. According to Everytown Research, a child was killed in an accidental shooting every day prior to the pandemic, and those numbers surged by nearly 30% in 2020. And that’s just the kids who are killed. Countless more are injured by accidental gunfire.

Laws exist to make sure toy guns don’t look exactly like real guns (orange tips are supposed to be the giveaway), but not vice versa. In light of the fact that gun violence is the second leading cause of death for children under age 19 in the U.S., the idea of someone intentionally making a real gun look like a toy is unfathomable. The idea of marketing and selling and a real gun that looks like a toy is even worse. And the idea of celebrating a gun that looks like a toy is so weird and disturbing it’s not even funny.

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That didn’t stop Utah custom gun maker Culver Precision from doing just that, though. The company shared a photo of its “Block19” is a Glock handgun covered in LEGO brick pieces. So bright and colorful, right? “SUPER FUN,” as the company described it, according to the Washington Post.

“We have been building guns out of blocks for the last 30 years and wanted to flip the script to aggravate Mom,” the Culver Precision website read, prior to the listing being removed. “There is a satisfaction that can ONLY be found in the shooting sports and this is just one small way to break the rhetoric from Anti-Gun folks and draw attention to the fact that the shooting sports are SUPER FUN! Here’s the thing. Guns are fun. Shooting is fun. 30 rounds full auto is fun.”

Maybe that’s true, for some people. And maybe this prototype was made as a joke “to aggravate Mom.” Well, mission accomplished. This mom is aggravated, because I don’t think there’s anything funny about making a Glock look like an actual toy when kids already have a hard time differentiating between a toy gun and a real gun and American children are being shot every day.

LEGO apparently doesn’t find it funny either, since they sent Culver Precision a cease and desist letter. (Worth noting that the company’s posts were careful not to mention LEGO by name.)

Culver Precision president Brandon Scott spoke to the Post about the gun, saying he’d sold less than 20 of them, but that the majority of online commenters thought it was “super cool,” “hilarious,” or a “10/10 meme gun.” Perusing the comments on their social media posts, it does appear that their fans see absolutely nothing wrong with a Glock that looks like a LEGO toy. It feels like an alternate universe where down is up, left is right, and preschoolers don’t shoot themeslves or their loved ones every damn day.

NEW: I tweeted about this gun meant to look like a toy last week and our organization reached out to Lego. The comp… https://t.co/Eb5c2LWsrc

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts)
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Scott told the Post that the company would not be responsible if a child got hold of this kind of gun and killed or harmed themselves or others, that parents are responsible for keeping their guns away from kids, but also that parents shouldn’t be held criminally liable in such a scenario.

In other words, Scott is living in a world divorced from reality. Yes, adults should be responsible gun owners. But far too often, they are not, and children pay the ultimate price. Sure, shooting might be fun for some people. But the last time I checked, an adult pasttime that is actually fun doesn’t need to be dressed up in a childlike way. (In fact, in most scenarios that would just be considered weird.) Absolutely, gun ownership is a constitutional right. But the entire gun rights argument for opposing government regulations hingest on responsible gun ownership, and creating a gun to look like LEGO toy is one of the most irresponsible things I’ve ever seen a gun enthusiast do.

As I’m sitting here writing this, just now, my 17-year-old looked over my shoulder at the photo of the Block19. Our brief conversation about it:

“What is that?”

“It’s a Glock covered in LEGOs.”

“That’s a real gun?”

“Yep.”

“Doesn’t it look like a toy, though?”

“Yep.”

“That is SO freaking stupid.”

“Yep.”

It really is that simple.

I’m well aware that people collect guns and that there are guns for display and guns for art purposes, and I’m also aware that this gun isn’t being marketed as a serious weapon. But that in and of itself is a problem, because a gun is a serious weapon. Responsible gun owners acknowledge that fact, respect it, and teach it. They don’t superglue LEGOs onto a Glock because they know that making a serious weapon look like a toy removes the seriousness from it and creates a confusing message.

You think shooting is fun? Have at it. But don’t pretend that making a gun look like a toy isn’t incredibly irresponsible when far more preschoolers are killed by guns than on duty police officers in the United States. It’s a bad look and absolutely flies in the face of every “responsible gun owner” argument used to argue against common sense gun legislation.

A new provision that passed the Texas State Legislature spring is one of the most aggressive anti-abortion laws in recent history. The provision, which takes effect on September 1, allows just about anyone in the U.S. to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion after a doctor detects a fetal heartbeat, usually about six weeks into the pregnancy.

Those who are successful in court will be awarded at least $10,000 from the state.

That means that just about anyone involved in the procedure can face legal consequences. The doctor, parent who gave permission, the abortion clinic, a friend who gave a ride, or the person who paid for the procedure could all be sued for participating.

The only person that can’t be sued for the procedure is the patient.

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“The state has put a bounty on the head of any person or entity who so much as gives a patient money for an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant,” Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “Worse, it will intimidate loved ones from providing support for fear of being sued.”

A new abortion law in Texas effectively deputizes citizens to enforce it — a legal innovation with broad implicatio… https://t.co/9s68tOw0yy

— The New York Times (@nytimes)
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Suits can be brought up by just about anyone whether it’s an anti-abortion activist on the other side of the country or a disapproving parent. The law is especially out-of-the-box because instead of allowing the state to police illegal abortions it deputizes and awards the average citizen to be the enforcer.

“Our creator endowed us with the right to life and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion,” Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said when he signed the legislation at a closed-door ceremony in May. “In Texas, we work to save those lives. That’s exactly what the Texas Legislature did this session.”

Heartbeat bill: ✅

Today @GregAbbott_TX signed the heartbeat bill into law — banning abortions the moment an unborn… https://t.co/rG3ejsz2n7

— Texans for Abbott (@AbbottCampaign)
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The law is also under scrutiny because it deems any abortion that happens after a fetal heartbeat can be heard is determined to be illegal. That’s in sharp contrast to federal protections that currently allow abortion to take place until the fetus is able to survive out of the womb, which is at about 23 to 24 weeks.

Six-week bans have been passed in other states but they’ve all been blocked as they make their way through the court system.

“It’s completely inverting the legal system,” Stephen Vladeck, a constitutional law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told The New York Times. “It says the state is not going to be the one to enforce this law. Your neighbors are.”

Abortion rights advocates and providers filed a lawsuit in Texas on Tuesday to block the law. The large group of plaintiffs includes the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, and multiple Texas abortion providers.

BREAKING: We’re suing Texas over its blatantly unconstitutional abortion ban.

Senate Bill 8 is extremely dangerous… https://t.co/ViRpEJ8e74

— ACLU (@ACLU)
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The ACLU says that the law encourages “bounty hunters” to enforce the law.

“SB 8 would allow anyone — including anti-abortion activists who have no connection to the patient to act as bounty hunters — to take doctors, health centers, and anyone who helps another person accesses abortion to court to collect at least $10,000 for each abortion if they win,” the organization said in a statement.

The lawsuit comes weeks after the Supreme Court announced it would consider the legality of Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Some abortion advocates believe that this is a signal the conservative bench is eyeing to overturn Rowe v. Wade.

A great book accomplishes many things: It should tell a powerful story, make you reflect on the subject at hand, and maybe even start a thoughtful conversation with other people in our lives. Around the holidays, especially leading up to the New Year, is a great time to kick back and treat our minds to some thoughtful and engaging prose.

Modern American literature is rich with a diverse set of stories from men and women across the political spectrum, sharing their takes on the art of living. And if you want to go deeper, our shared human history has a nearly endless abundance of tomes on how to live our best lives, in the most meaningful sense that transcends frivolous trends in popular culture.

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But a great book, especially one with a socially conscious edge, should challenge our ways of thinking, not just reaffirm that which we already know and believe. So, here is a list of 8 of our favorite books that meet this criteria. No one will be entirely satisfied by our list, and that’s the idea! These books are meant to educate, provoke, inspire and even cause debate. If you’re thinking of starting a book club this year, put down the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones and pick up one of these. You’ll be thankful for it and can proudly display any one of these on your bookshelf or around the office water cooler.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

You may truly never find a book full of more tragedy leading directly to direct inspiration and as the title affirms, meaning for life itself. Frankl was a successful psychiatrist in Germany before being sent to a concentration camp during World War II. Surrounded by death and despair, Frankl used the mental notes from a book he was working on to form the basis for logotherapy, a treatment that helps patients find meaning in their lives, something Frankl believed was essential for personal growth and emotional development. The short book (this paperback edition is 192 pages) is nearly evenly split between Frankl’s Holocaust memoir and a latter exploration of his breakthrough therapy. It has sold well over 10 million copies and become a trusted guidebook for mental healthcare professionals, member of 12-Step communities and virtually anyone willing to dig a little deeper for meaning. If you’re looking for the answer to what life is all about this a book that is quite literally full of answers both large and small.

Man’s Search for Meaning, $8.29; on Amazon

Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life by Cleo Wade

Only 30-years-old, Wade is already being called “the Millennial Oprah” in some circles. Starting her career as a poet and activist, Wade gave a Ted Talk in 2017 “Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care” that quickly went viral. The incredibly accessible book is full of illustrations, affirmations and images shared by Wade on living a life full of personal and spiritual fulfillment. We often equate wisdom with age but Wade has shown that even younger voices can tap into a timeless quality, remixing tried and true secrets for success into a brilliant and engaging read for people of all generations.

Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life, $9.98; on Amazon

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

A new generation of readers is discovering the literary brilliance of Baldwin, especially through the groundbreaking recent documentary I Am Not Your Negro. Often overlooked in modern American historical texts, Baldwin was an essential figure in the Civil Rights Movement, right alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The fact that Baldwin was also gay, makes his place all the more significant. Though told through the lens of his breakthrough novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” is a masterclass if race, sexuality, coming-of-age struggles and class warfare. Like so many of Baldwin’s public lectures and essays, the pages of this novel feel both out of time and deeply resonant in any time. You’ll not only find the novel impossible to put down, but don’t be surprise when you go down the Baldwin rabbit hold before, during and after you finish this one-of-a-kind story.

Go Tell It on the Mountain, $7.19; on Amazon

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

What if the president was Indiana Jones? OK, we already got that in the Harrison Ford film Air Force One but this Pulitzer Prize winning book is the real deal. Chronicling Roosevelt’s life right up until he becomes president, “Rise” is jam packed with adventures, wisdom and inspiration. Yes, Roosevelt was born into privilege. But unlike so many others, including our current president, TR chose to run away from his inheritance and make a life on his own as a rancher, a soldier and eventually a politician. He made so much history it’s hard to keep tabs on it all. This is the man who literally inspired the creation of the Teddy Bear. And along the way he helped launch the modern conservation movement, fought the corruption influence of money in politics, and embodied one of the many phrases attributed to him, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” And oh yeah, he swam with sharks. No really. He may not have been the most important president in history but he certainly was the most badass.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, $20.00; on Amazon

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Write what you know. The cliched advice to aspiring writers is both well-worn and often true. And Maya Angelou proved it’s wisdom in her debut memoir. Angelou went on to have a storied career in the letters and social activism but it’s hard to overestimate the importance of this book when it seemingly came out of nowhere. As James Baldwin himself said at the time of the book’s publication in 1969: “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, $6.11; on Amazon

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

With great power comes great responsibility and at the time there was no one more powerful in the world than the Roman Emperor. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, it’s amazing that more than a thousand years later, Aurelius might best be remembered for his small book full of life wisdom and reflections. Simply one of the most important and useful books ever written, “Meditations” is full of advice on getting along with others and one’s self that is just as relevant today as it was nearly 2,000 years ago. There’s a reason the philosophy of Stoicism has become so trendy again in recent years as we search for depth and purpose in our modern lives. There’s a lifetime of wisdom in these 256 pages — lessons you’ll want to return to time and again throughout your life. Meditations also makes for an incredible gift for just about anyone: the young student headed off to college, someone grappling with loss, or just anyone looking to drive their intellectual and spiritual curiosity. The wisdom of the ages is here for the taking.

Meditations: A New Translation, $9.47; on Amazon

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Coates may be the most important writer on social justice and racism in modern America. “Between the World an Me” is the book that catapulted him from the somewhat obscure world of essay journalism into international acclaim, something he has discussed at fascinating length in interviews and his writing. At times scathing, tragic and always heartfelt, Coates’ book explores race in American as he struggles to come to terms with his own philosophical leanings while passing along lessons to his young son. In more recent years, Coates has found a way to bridge his revolutionary writing into mainstream popular culture, penning several Black Panther comics and serving as a consultant on the blockbuster Marvel film of the same name. That makes his more serious writing the perfect bridge for someone who was interested in the themes touched upon in that film and those comics but wanting to go deeper with an unmistakable voice that will not be denied.

Between the World and Me, $14.08; on Amazon

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens

Looking for something controversial you say? Well, have we got the book for you! In the last decade of his life, Hitchens became best-known for his support of the War on Terror and his contrarian viewpoints that fit most comfortably alongside the American political right. But Hitch was nothing if not complicated and brilliant. Amongst his core beliefs was a lifelong support of socialism and a career as one of the world’s most prominent Atheists. His belief in non-belief is poured into a concentrated blast in “God Is Not Great” which systemically goes through the world’s largest religions, heroes and icons — dismantling the arguments in favor of organized religion. Yes, some of the arguments may prove difficult or even offensive for devout believers but Hitchens thrived on (mostly) cordial debate. That makes this book equally worthwhile for Atheists and believers alike. After all, if we cannot stand by our beliefs under duress, what good are they really? Stick around till near the end when Hitchens anoints Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the few icons worthy of saintliness – but not for the reasons you’re probably thinking. The world was a better place with Christopher Hitchens in it — he made intellectual thought and debate entertaining for the masses. We could sure use his wit and integrity in today’s world.

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, $11.99; on Amazon

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama

After all that shock and awe, let’s wind things down on a peaceful note. The Dalai Lama has spent his current lifetime expanding the reach of Buddhism’s teachings in a way that has proven historically accessible, fresh and new. Ancient wisdom has never felt so cutting edge and integral to our world. Like so many other authors on this list, he has experienced personal and transformative loss and yet has found boundless meaning and purpose in the face of adversity. After all, the Dalai Lama is almost always smiling in videos and photos. His book is one that practically invented the cottage industry of self-help books for those looking for greater happiness and meaning in their lives. When in doubt, go to the source. You will not be disappointed.

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, $14.99; on Amazon

GOOD Media Group may receive a percentage of revenue from items purchased that are mentioned in this article.

A video clip of Carl Sagan on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” from 1978 is making the rounds on social media because the astrophysicist’s thoughts on “Star Wars” (1977) were way ahead of their time.

Sagan died in 1996, aged 62, and made TV history in 1980 with the original version of “Cosmos.” It was revived in 2014 with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson at the helm.

Sagan found it peculiar that a film set a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away would feature so many human beings. “‘Star Wars’ starts out saying it’s in some other galaxy, and then you see there’s people,” he remarks.

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He then made a critique of the film that sounds like it was made in 2021, not the ’70s.

“It’s extremely unlikely that there would be creatures as similar to us as the dominant ones in ‘Star Wars.’ And there’s a whole bunch of other things; they’re all white,” Sagan said to a silent audience.

“The skin of all the humans in Star Wars, oddly enough, is sort of like this,” Sagan said, gesturing with his hands.

Sagan isn’t wrong. The only major non-white actor in the original “Star Wars” was James Earl Jones who played the voice of Darth Vader.

That time Carl Sagan called out Star Wars for being too white and the audience didn’t know what to do 💀 https://t.co/b3SrFE9vxJ

— Zeus Tipado (@tipado)
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Sagan also made a point about the film that would become a contentious issue for “Star Wars” creator George Lucas in the decades to come. Why didn’t Chewbacca get a medal at the end of the film after playing a pivotal role in blowing up the Death Star?

“I thought there was a large amount of human chauvinism in it. Also, I felt very bad that at the end, the Wookie didn’t get a medal also,” Sagan said. “I thought that was an example of anti-Wookie discrimination.”