MIT Press

@mitpress

Committed to the daily re-imagining of what a university press can be since 1962. Website: The Reader (our home for excerpts, essays, & interviews): MIT Press Direct:

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MIT Press@mitpress· 28d

In "North Stars of Emancipation," Antonio Roman-Alcalá reveals how greater racial inclusion can propel movements forward and help realize sustainable change: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205328...

A copy of the book "North Stars of Emancipation" against a plain white background.

MIT Press@mitpress· 28d

"The Military Entertainment Complex" is an insightful exploration of Zimbabwean liberation music—Chimurenga music—that investigates its role in shaping the history and politics of postcolonial Zimbabwe: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205331...

A copy of the book "The Military Entertainment Complex" against a plain white background.

MIT Press@mitpress· 28d

Offering the first comprehensive critical analysis of the ELIZA chatbot, “Inventing Eliza” illuminates how ELIZA transformed ideas about AI and society’s response to them: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205248...

A copy of the book "Inventing Eliza" against a plain white background.

MIT Press@mitpress· 28d

New this week from the MIT Press. Congratulations authors! 📚👇

An assortment of book covers over a blue and orange gradient: "The Military Entertainment Complex," "Inventing Eliza," and "North Stars of Emancipation."

MIT Press@mitpress· 29d

"We are, when we make decisions, like an artist desperately trying to create rational space on the canvas." thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/how-brunelle...

Screenshot of an article headline and subheading, above an image featuring 3 statues of Filippo Brunelleschi.

Headline: How Brunelleschi Changed the Way I Think About Decisions

Subheading: In trying to understand how we make better choices, I found an unlikely guide in the Renaissance architect’s experiments with linear perspective.

Author name: Elspeth Kirkman

MIT Press@mitpress· Jul 11

Congratulations to Anna Burel for being selected as the Adult Factual Runner-Up at this year’s V&A Illustration Awards for her work on “Conceiving Histories” by @drbeldavis.bsky.social! 🏆

Anna Burel receives her V&A Illustration award from author Lauren Child

Isabel Davis and Anna Burel pose with a copy of "Conceiving Histories" in front of Anna's artwork from the book.

Anna Burel poses with her V&A Illustration Award in front of her artwork from "Conceiving Histories."

MIT Press@mitpress· Jul 7

Always an honor to make The Browser's daily roundup. Read Taylor's piece here: thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/what-is-de-e...

Screenshot of The Browser's daily email with 5 words at the top (Mammoth, Cabin, Mystic, Virtue, Doomsday) teasing their 5 picks, followed by a short summary of their first pick, an article by Taylor Dotson.

Text reads as follows:

What Is De-Extinction Really For?

Taylor Dotson | MIT Press Reader | 6th July 2026 | U

Critics argue that it is a conservation “sideshow”, diverting vital resources from more pressing issues. This is overly simplistic. The effort to revive the woolly mammoth has led to discoveries which may protect Asian elephants from deadly viruses. Resurrection biology has a compelling narrative power and helps pique public interest in conservation. Perhaps it is time for conservation to be bolder (2,200 words)

MIT Press@mitpress· Jul 7

Just one new release this week: an engaging and timely essay collection on the challenges, risks, and opportunities of this historic moment in American law and governance, from the country’s leading legal scholars and experts: mitpress.mit.edu/978026206043...

A photo of the book "America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance" standing up at an angle against a white background.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jul 6

Warm congratulations to Stanislaw Dehaene on winning the 2026 Bourrienne prize! We're excited to publish the English translation of "The Lascaux Rectangle" next year. The book draws on 20 yrs of research into why humans alone create geometric symbols, and what they reveal about symbolic thought.

The author Stanislaw Dehaene holding a copy of the French edition of his book "The Lascaux Rectangle" ("Le Rectangle de Lascaux") as well as a clear award.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jul 5

Lee Alan Dugatkin's account of how a devastating outbreak of horse flu in the 1870s ground city life to a halt — and ultimately revolutionized animal rights, medicine, and transportation — is out SEPTEMBER 8! Learn more/pre-order here: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205454...

A 3D mockup of Lee Alan Dugatkin's book "Nary a Horse Left Standing"

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 30

In “The Invariance Principle,” David Lopez-Paz shows how statistical invariances will help us build AI systems exhibiting human-like performance by following human-like strategies: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205334...

A photograph of the book "The Invariance Principle" against a white background

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 30

A new, annotated edition of Jules Verne’s classic, which considers the past, present, and future of spaceflight from scientific as well as humanistic angles: mitpress.mit.edu/978026255386...

A photograph of the book "From the Earth to the Moon" against a white background

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 30

Two new releases today. Congrats authors and editors! 📚👇

Two book covers against a blue gradient: "From the Earth to the Moon" and "The Invariance Principle"

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 27

How computer models became fundamental to political practice—from winning elections to global affairs—and how we imagine political futures as a computing problem. Fenwick McKelvey's "SimPolitics" is available now, in paperback and #openaccess editions: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205319...

Photo of "SimPolitics" standing up at an angle.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 26

How the way we perceive our bodies plays a critical role in the way we perceive ourselves: stories of phantom limbs, rubber hands, anorexia, and other phenomena. ICYMI, neuroscientist Moheb Costandi's book "Body Am I" is available in paperback: mitpress.mit.edu/978026254836...

Cover of "Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness" over a yellow background.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 25

Some especially kind words about the MIT Press Bookstore; had to share them here (full text in the image alt text). Thank you, Niko!!

The MIT Press Bookstore is surprisingly delightful; among the best-curated bookstores I've visited.

I expected the space, in downtown Cambridge, to be almost entirely devoted to academic titles (and their own books). But it's not! There are a few thousand books on the shelves, neatly divided into scientific fields (biology, chemistry, AI, medicine, science + society, and also science fiction).

They carry lots of "popular science" books, but these titles are biased toward "deeper" or more ideas-driven writers; think Nick Lane, Siddhartha Mukherjee, and Atul Gawande. I vastly prefer this over most mainstream books about biology.

Their science fiction section is also excellent. Many titles from Neal Stephenson, Greg Egan, Ted Chiang, Vernor Vinge, etc.

And then there are books that I don't think I'd find anywhere else! I picked up a little red book about how bacteria have shaped cities and architecture over the last ~thousand years. It is packed with hundreds of images and short histories, and is from a press (Lars Müller Publishers) that I think would be difficult to find elsewhere if you weren't searching for this book explicitly.

I recommend visiting next time you're in the Boston area.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 25

ICYMI: "Blotter" is Erik Davis's illustrated history of LSD blotter paper, created in collaboration with Mark McCloud's Institute of Illegal Images, home to the world's largest archive of blotter art. Learn more/order here: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204850...

Spread from "Blotter," featuring some text and a small image of Beavis and Butthead in the upper corner of the left page and abstract blotter paper on the right.

Spread from "Blotter," featuring a psychedelic image on the left, text on the right

The cover of the book, "Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid medium"

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 25

The brain is built in two halves. So why does consciousness feel like one seamless experience? In an excerpt from "Consciousness," neuroscientist Christof Koch explores what split-brain patients reveal about the unity of the mind: thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/what-split-b...

Two illustrated faces with interconnected brains are on a vibrant background. The text below is a headline from "The MIT Press Reader," titled "What Split-Brain Patients Reveal About Consciousness," with a subheading about the brain's role in experience. The article is by Christof Koch.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

Out 7/7: An essay collection on the challenges, risks, and opportunities of this historic moment in American law and governance. Featuring essays by more than 50 Harvard Law School faculty members, including Stephen Breyer, Jill Lepore, & Annette Gordon-Reed. mitpress.mit.edu/978026206043...

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

Newly released in paperback, “The Abundant University” argues that embracing digital technologies is the only way to create a financially and morally sustainable higher education system that ends scarcity in enrollment, instruction, and credentials: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204855...

Mockup illustration of "The Abundant University" cover against a maroon background.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

This edited collection by @macrinephd.bsky.social, Jennifer M. B. Fugate, Arsen Abdulali, and Josie Hughes moves beyond the traditional focus on brains and code to explore embodied intelligence across various disciplines: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205349...

Photograph of "Embodied Intelligence," a large paperback standing up at an angle.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

"Digital Exiles" is a deep exploration of the opportunities and risks facing refugees in a global digital economy reveals how digital work serves as a financial lifeline for those excluded from local employment: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205245...

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

In “Owning the Green Grid,” @joshuabasseches.bsky.social examines how corporate ownership of the electricity grid affects state-level renewable energy policymaking and interest group preferences: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205358...

Photograph of "Owning the Green Grid." The book is standing up at an angle.

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

In "SimPolitics," Fenwick McKelvey traces how computer models became fundamental to political practice—from winning elections to forecasting coups—and transformed politics into a computing problem: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205319...

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

“Unwinding Privatization” look at how remunicipalization can restructure urban governance by transferring privatized public services such as water and energy back to public control: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205337...

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 23

New this week from the MIT Press. Lots of #openaccess titles. Congratulations authors! 📚👇

An assortment of book covers over a gradient: "Unwinding Privatization", "SimPolitics", "Digital Exiles", "Owning the Green Grid","Embodied Intelligence", and "The Abundant University"

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 18

COVER REVEAL! "Impossible Choices is a sharp and compelling exploration of the human cost for both patients and doctors of politically-driven medical care. A deeply necessary read." —Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD; author of "When We Do Harm" Out 8/18: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205470...

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 17

We're delighted to announce, together with Graham Foundation and Storefront for Art and Architecture, the Publication Award in Contemporary Architecture (PACA). Applications for the inaugural award cycle are now open, with submissions due in November 2026. Info: mitpress.mit.edu/announcing-t...

Text over a slide with geometric shapes.

Reads:

"What the award includes:

-Publication contract from the MIT Press
-Author grant
-Contribution toward high-quality book production

Text over slide. Reads:

"Winning submissions will demonstrate originality, skilled writing, intellectual rigor, bold positions, and contemporary relevance.

Submissions are welcome from architects, scholars, journalists, critics, theorists, and writers from any country.

Learn more and apply at mitpress.mit.edu

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 17

ICYMI: The much-anticipated sequel to "Butch Heroes," "More Butch Heroes" is an ingenious retelling of history that combines portraits and texts to recover—and celebrate—queer subjects from around the world. mitpress.mit.edu/978026204987...

Hands holding a copy of Ria Brodell's book "More Butch Heroes"

A spread from "More Butch Heroes," featuring an illustration of Johnny Williams on the left hand page and text (heading: Johnny Williams) on the right.

A spread from "Butch Heroes" featuring a portrait of Gregoria Piedra aka la Macho on the left and text on the right (under the chapter heading "Gregoria Piedra aka la Macho"

MIT Press@mitpress· Jun 16

Just one new release this week: An edited volume that brings together 25 of today’s most forward-thinking biologists and philosophers to discuss sign processes and meaning-making in organisms: mitpress.mit.edu/978026205361... (available #openaccess) Congrats to everyone involved!