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Almost 350 years after the short-lived Dutch rule came to an end on Manhattan, traces of “New Amsterdam” can still be found in everything from street names to the design of the official flag of New York City. Using the history of Amsterdam as a backdrop, critically acclaimed author Russell Shorto explains why we also have the Dutch to thank for some of New York’s most celebrated and enduring characteristics, including its cultural and religious diversity.

How does the Constitution, an 18th-century document, relate to and dictate the laws of a 21st-century society? Through the analysis of past cases, including those concerning slavery, the Cherokee Indians, and detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Justice Stephen Breyer examines the Court’s arduous—and often turbulent—journey to establish its legitimacy as guardian of the Constitution. Having earned the public’s confidence, he expounds how the Court can continue promoting a workable democracy going forward.