The long life of the Declaration of Independence, wartime survival in Ukraine, the joy of soccer fandom, early human societies and more. Don’t miss our list of May’s best fiction. Read the articleThe long life of the Declaration of Independence, wartime survival in Ukraine, the joy of soccer fandom, early human societies and more.Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for UsbookBy Maria Tatar | PrincetonIn many cultures, the spider’s ability to weave threads is understood as a symbol of divine, elemental power. Review by Brandy SchillaceRead the reviewDefending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with ChinabookBy Eyck Freymann | OxfordSupporting Taiwan’s security in the face of Chinese threats of invasion is vital both for the island and the rest of the world. Review by Kate B. OdellRead the reviewFeel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy BradleybookBy Maureen Footer | Beacon PressThe dancer and choreographer was a virtuoso performer in his own right—and a valued mentor to others. Review by John CheckRead the reviewHomesick for a World Unknown: The Life of George B. SchallerbookBy Miriam Horn | Penguin PressThe zoologist George Schaller traveled the globe to get up close and personal with tigers, gorillas and other animals. Review by Sara WheelerRead the reviewLost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our WorldbookBy Patrick Wyman | HarperBetween the end of the Ice Age and the recorded history of the ancient world, numerous human communities rose and fell. Most have left little trace behind. Review by Kyle HarperRead the reviewNational Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made AmericabookBy Michael Auslin | Avid ReaderHow the Founders’ redefinition of what it meant to be a free citizen echoed down the decades. Review by William Anthony HayRead the reviewSteve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American VisionarybookBy Geoffrey Cain | PortfolioSteve Jobs had a reputation for arrogance when he was forced out of Apple in 1985. His struggles at NeXT humbled him. Review by Frank RoseRead the reviewThe Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine WarbookBy James Verini | Simon & SchusterBefore it was destroyed, Mariupol’s theater served as a bomb shelter whose denizens cut across social, economic and cultural classes. Review by Matt GallagherRead the reviewTransported: The Everyday Magic of Musical DaydreamsbookBy Elizabeth Margulis | LiverightWe store memories as a jumble of sensory fragments. Music can snap the pieces together and conjure up old feelings. Review by Sarah L. KaufmanRead the reviewThe Village on the Edge of the World: Writing and Surviving in Ceaușescu’s RomaniabookBy Herta Müller | PegasusHerta Müller’s account of growing up in Ceaușescu’s Romania documents how the state insinuated oppression into every corner of life. Review by Robert D. KaplanRead the reviewWe Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting EventbookBy Roger Bennett | Dey StreetSoccer fans all around the globe have used the experience of the quadrennial World Cup as a way to mark the stages of life. Review by Tunku VaradarajanRead the reviewThe Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of SailbookBy Eric Jay Dolin | LiverightThe crew of the Mentor traveled halfway around the world before pausing to take on supplies. The ship set a course for Guam in the Pacific but never arrived. Review by Michael O’DonnellRead the reviewGet great reading recommendations delivered to your inbox. Sign up for the weekly Books newsletter.