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Recommendations based on How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across Americaby Clint Smith
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Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup
A man's journey of survival and resilience after being kidnapped and sold into slavery in the antebellum South.
Twelve Years a Slave, sub-title: Narrative of Solomon Northup, citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in ... (Goodreads)
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.
“This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann
Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
Exploring the roots and reality of systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
"Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting ... (Goodreads)
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk
Examining the physical, psychological and emotional effects of trauma, and how to heal.
A pioneering researcher and one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for healing. Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful ... (Goodreads)
Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
Comprehensive biography of the Founding Father, delving into his contributions to the American Revolution.
An alternate cover edition can be found, here., Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, ... (Goodreads)
Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
by Hampton Sides
An exploration of the westward expansion of the United States, recounting the lives of those who lived it.
A Magnificent History of How the West Was Really Won - a Sweeping Tale of Shame and Glory, In the fall of 1846 the venerable Navajo warrior Narbona, greatest of his people’s chieftains, looked down ... (Goodreads)
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
An exploration of the reciprocal relationship between humans and nature, utilizing both Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge.
As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals ... (Goodreads)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
by Jon Krakauer
An exploration of the fundamentalist Mormon faith, its history, and the power of religious extremism.
A Story of Violent Faith A multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. This is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of ... (Goodreads)
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
by Richard Rothstein
Examination of the US government's role in creating and enforcing racial segregation in housing.
In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America’s cities came to be racially divided through ... (Goodreads)
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Ibram X. Kendi
Exploration of the history of racism in America, tracing its origins and its effects on society.
In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti–Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the ... (Goodreads)
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
by Cary Elwes
Behind the scenes stories from the making of the cult classic film, The Princess Bride.
From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride , comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with ... (Goodreads)
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande
An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.
In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)
Notes of a Native Son
by James Baldwin
A collection of essays exploring the complexities of race, identity, and society in America through the lens of Baldwin's personal experiences.
Since its original publication in 1955, this first nonfiction collection of essays by James Baldwin remains an American classic. His impassioned essays on life in Harlem, the protest novel, movies, ... (Goodreads)
Gender Queer
by Maia Kobabe
A graphic memoir exploring the author's journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with their gender identity.
2020 ALA Alex Award Winner 2020 Stonewall — Israel Fishman Non-fiction Award Honor Book In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last ... (Barnes & Noble)
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)
Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys
by Billy Crystal
A humorous autobiography of the actor and comedian's life and career.
Hilarious and heartfelt observations on aging from one of America's favorite comedians as he turns 65, and a look back at a remarkable career in this, New York Times, bestseller., Billy Crystal is ... (Barnes & Noble)
Heavy
by Kiese Laymon
A memoir of a black man's struggle with weight, trauma, and identity in America.
*Named a Best Book of 2018 by the, New York Times,, Publishers Weekly,, NPR,, Broadly, Buzzfeed (Nonfiction), The Undefeated,, Library Journal ,(Biography/Memoirs),, The Washington Post ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson
An exploration of the life-changing journeys of the millions of African-Americans who migrated from the South to the North, Midwest, and West from 1915 to 1970.
In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black ... (Goodreads)
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
by Erik Larson
Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.
#1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
by Amy Schumer
A comedic and candid exploration of the author's life, experiences and views.
THE INSTANT #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER "This is your happy hour with Amy Schumer... It's, Bossypants, meets, Trainwreck, meets your long weekend." —,TheSkimm, “Amy’s got your back. She’s in your ... (Barnes & Noble)
Women, Race & Class
by Angela Y. Davis
Examining the intersections of women's liberation, civil rights, and class struggle in the United States.
From one of our most important scholars and civil rights activist icon, a powerful study of the women’s liberation movement and the tangled knot of oppression facing Black women.,"Angela Davis is ... (Goodreads)
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
A journey into the natural world and exploration of a small creature's extraordinary life.
In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris —a common ... (Goodreads)
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
by Ed Yong
Exploration of the unseen world of microbes and their profound effect on our lives.
Joining the ranks of popular science classics like The Botany of Desire and The Selfish Gene, a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of the most significant ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
by Tom Reiss
Epic biography of the original Count of Monte Cristo, a forgotten black hero of the French Revolution.
Here is the remarkable true story of the real Count of Monte Cristo – a stunning feat of historical sleuthing that brings to life the forgotten hero who inspired such classics as The Count of Monte ... (Goodreads)
Bullshit Jobs: A Theory
by David Graeber
A critical analysis of meaningless jobs that contribute nothing to society, and the psychological toll they take on workers.
From bestselling writer David Graeber, a powerful argument against the rise of meaningless, unfulfilling jobs, and their consequences. Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In ... (Goodreads)
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
by Sonia Purnell
The incredible true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who worked undercover in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,Chosen as a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by, NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, the, Seattle Times, the, Washington Independent Review of Books,, PopSugar, the, ... (Barnes & Noble)
March: Book Two
by John Lewis
An inspiring narrative of the civil rights movement, highlighting the courage and resilience of its participants.
Congressman John Lewis, an American icon and one of the key figures of the civil rights movement, continues his award-winning graphic novel trilogy with co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Silent Spring
by Rachel Carson
Expose of the environmental damage caused by the widespread use of chemical pesticides.
Silent Spring is an environmental science book. The book documents the adverse environmental effects caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading ... (Goodreads)
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
by Jane Mayer
Exposes the network of ultra-wealthy individuals who have funded the radical right-wing political agenda for the last four decades.
Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again? Why ... (Goodreads)
