When Atlas Books reinvents itself as an independent publishing house in early 2008, as opposed to its earlier incarnation as the creator of multi-volume series for bigger publishers, its books will be distributed by W.W. Norton. The two houses have previously been allied for the “Great Discoveries” series, which invited literary authors to write about scientific innovations. The new Atlas hasn’t abandoned its commitment to quality nonfiction, though their examples may be a bit more esoteric; the first season includes a memoir from a Chinese factory worker and a beginner’s tour of the Stalin archives.