Elite Class

NATE You know who who I am But you have no idea. My son hurt her now he will pay for hurting a good girl And she will know what it means to have a real man in her life!

The "Social Group" training camp has been announced, and this year it's going to focus on social interaction between grades and hands-on educational activities with no expulsion penalties or effect on class points at all. Pretty cool, huh? Well, not really, because behind the scenes of this relaxed atmosphere, Horikita is planning a grudge match against Amasawa—and she's not the only one cooking up some trouble! With the end of the school year quickly approaching, every class is making their move to come out on top!

As Ayanokouji and his classmates begin their second year at the Advanced Nurturing High School, they're greeted by a fresh gauntlet of exams and a fresh batch of rather unique first-year students. They'll have to get to know each other quickly, because the first special exam pairs the first-years with the second-years on a written test--with only the second-years facing expulsion if their team performs poorly! Worse yet? It seems one of the new first-years is also from the White Room. Can Ayanokouji avoid expulsion while sussing out the identity of this hidden foe?

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom—if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks!

Winter vacation is over, and there's no time to lose. The third semester kicks off with the announcement of the "Survival Elimination Special Exam," a battle between the four classes! They will face off against each other in various subjects to see who reigns supreme. But this isn't any ordinary exam: fail to snatch first place, and your class's points will be slashed! With the stakes this high, nobody can afford to hold back!

“Identity politics” is everywhere, polarizing discourse from the campaign trail to the classroom. But the “identity politics” so compulsively referenced bears little resemblance to the concept as first introduced by the radical Black feminist Combahee River Collective. While the Collective articulated a political viewpoint grounded in their own position as Black lesbians with the explicit aim of building solidarity across lines of difference, “identity politics” is now frequently weaponized as a means of closing ranks around ever-narrower conceptions of group interests.

With a postscript describing SEAL efforts in Afghanistan, The Warrior Elite takes you into the toughest, longest, and most relentless military training in the world. What does it take to become a Navy SEAL? What makes talented, intelligent young men volunteer for physical punishment, cold water, and days without sleep?

The second winter vacation at the Advanced Nurturing High School has arrived at last! But Ayanokouji's Christmas plans with Karuizawa fall through when she comes down with the flu, leaving him to spend the holidays alone... Or so he thinks, but the other classes' leaders won't stop blowing up his phone! Meanwhile Ayanokouji himself seems to have become the subject of gossip and speculation, as his classmates wonder: is he hiding something?

As the second semester begins, two additional events are announced: the school's sports festival and its first-ever cultural festival! But before these two can kick off, an unexpected special exam will be held. The rules seem simple, but the questions might be heavier than anyone expects... Are the students truly ready to cast their final votes?

Tensions are high as the students of the Advanced Nurturing High School enter the second week of this special exam taking place on an uninhabited island. Students from all grades are getting ready to make their final moves, and so is Acting Principal Tsukishiro. Who will come out on top? And who will be packing their bags to leave the island--and the school?

The final special exam of the semester is on the horizon: a cooperative written test where students answer problems in turn. Horikita's class is up against Sakayanagi's, and everyone rushes to prepare. As this goes on, Nagumo poses a question of his own--who will be the next student council president? The candidates are Horikita and Ichinose...or are they? Does Ichinose have other plans? December may be the end of the year, but the school's new state of chaos is only beginning.

In Second Class, working-class Americans of all races, political orientations, and occupations share their stories—cleaning ladies, health care aides, cops, truck drivers, fast food workers, electricians, and more. In their own words, these working-class Americans explain the struggles and triumphs of their increasingly precarious lives—as well as what policies they think would improve them.

The results of the Unanimous Special Exam weigh heavily on Ayanokouji's class. Kushida, Hasebe, and Wang haven't come to school in days. But time marches on, and when details of the Sports Festival are announced, Horikata's opponents disrupt the planning meeting. The class is now behind before the games can even begin! Can everyone live with the choices they've made and come out on top?

The second half of the special summer test finds the students duking it out aboard a luxurious cruise ship. Divided into 12 groups patterned after the signs of the Zodiac, all four classes are faced with a devilishly difficult test of their thinking skills. They may have survived the island, but they're not out of hot water yet!

There's upheaval in the air as another special exam approaches and Nagumo officially replaces Horikita Manabu as student council president. Meanwhile, Ryuuen is out for blood, and he's set his sights on Horikita Suzune as the next possible candidate for Class D's mysterious mastermind!

It's time for the school's first-ever Cultural Festival! Some refuse to participate, but the rest of Ayanokouji's class secretly works to build the maid cafe of their dreams. Ryuuen realizes what they're up to and declares war, forcing a head-to-head battle to see which cafe is more profitable. But as this goes on...what business does Ayanokouji have with Kanzaki and President Nagumo?

Ayanokouji's relationship with Karuizawa deepens, while the aftershock of his perfect mathematics score ripples through the school. Horikita asks to join the student council, and is accepted by Nagumo. And summer vacation brings with it no rest, but another special exam--a reprise of the earlier deserted island test. Except this time, it'll be a battle royale with all three grade levels duking it out against each other!

The special exam on an uninhabited island has begun! For two weeks, students will do their best to visit checkpoints and complete challenges to gain points with their groups. Well, except for Ayanokouji, who has opted to tackle this exam on his own... or has he? Nanase, a first-year student from Class D, breaks off from her own group and asks to tag along with him, but there doesn't seem to be anything in it for her. Just what is this under-classman's goal?

The grueling summer vacation special tests are finally at an end. As the clock ticks down on the last glorious days of summer, the students of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School frantically try to squeeze in all the things they've left undone and unsaid. Get a glimpse into the secret lives of supporting characters and watch romantic confessions and poolside drama unfold in this volume of short stories that bridges crucial gaps between the end of first semester--and the start of the second.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the National Book Award–winning author Evan Osnos comes a timely and provocative collection of essays exploring American oligarchy and the culture of excess, providing a wry, unfiltered look at how the ultrarich shape—and sometimes warp—our social and...