If you're looking for a way to gain an understanding of what's going on in society, politics and culture at a more foundational level (and who isn't these days?), we highly recommend American Nations: A History of the of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodward (2011). Admittedly, it's not going to make anyone's end-of-summer, escapist beach reading list, but the book offers some clarity on the "why" underlying what is going on in North America today.