Structurally, narrative nonfiction tends to work either like a freight train (progressing in a straight line from Point A to Point B) or like a horseback rider (jumping fences to gallop across fields of unwieldy facts); count Mask among the horsy set. The Address Book is her first book, and she is already a master at shoehorning in fascinating yet barely germane detours just for kicks.

... charming and engaging.

Engaging, illuminating, and with highly relevant current subject matter, this book is recommended for all readers, especially fans of popular history and politics..

Addresses might seem a prosaic subject to write a book about. But read Deirdre Mask’s fascinating deep dive into the world of Mill Lane and Martin Luther King Street and you will begin to realise just how important these geographical markers are, how pregnant with meaning, and what a difference they make to everything from the proper functioning of society to questions of wealth, poverty and democracy.

Mask’s globe-trotting examination of street addresses will have readers thinking more deeply about the logistics of where they are, where they’re going, and how they’re able to get there. This history of the street address is filled with anecdotes, history lessons, and thought-provoking benefits and drawbacks to a system most of us take for granted.

... impressive.

... entertaining and wide-ranging.