And the pursuit of happiness, by Maira Kalman

I occasionally enjoyed one of these pieces, which ran in the online version of The New York Times, and was delighted to find all twelve collected in this volume soI could catch up with the many I had missed. It is a love song to America, without overlooking its many faults. Ms Kalman's charming illustrations and witty commentary make this overview of 275+ years of American history, society, and culture an idiosyncratic and enlightening read. And there's food. As she maintains, "history makes you hungry." 471 pp. (So this is how all you graphic novel people pile up the page count!)