Recommendations based on Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Businessby Neil Postman

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. A People's History of the United States

    by Howard Zinn
    An examination of American history from a perspective of marginalized people.

    In the book, Zinn presented a different side of history from the more traditional "fundamental nationalist glorification of country". Zinn portrays a side of American history that can largely be seen ... (Goodreads)

  2. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

    by Mortimer J. Adler
    Comprehensive guide to achieving fluency and understanding in the art of reading.

    How to Read a Book, originally published in 1940, has become a rare phenomenon, a living classic. It is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. And now it ... (Goodreads)

  3. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

    by Eric Schlosser
    An exploration of the industrial food system and its effects on U.S. society.

    Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list ... (Goodreads)

  4. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

    by Jared Diamond
    Tracing the origins of human civilizations through the lens of geography, technology, and biology.

    "Diamond has written a book of remarkable scope ... one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller: ... (Goodreads)

  5. Knowing God

    by J.I. Packer
    Reflection on the nature of God and the relationship between God and humanity.

    For over 40 years, J. I. Packer's classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. In 2006, Christianity Today voted ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Abolition of Man

    by C.S. Lewis
    Argument against the corrosive effects of modern society on morality and values.

    Alternative cover for ISBN: 978-0060652944 The Abolition of Man, Lewis uses his graceful prose, delightful humor, and keen understanding of the human mind to challenge our notions about how to best ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Elements of Style

    by William Strunk Jr.
    A practical guide to written English, providing guidance on grammar and style.

    This style manual offers practical advice on improving writing skills. Throughout, the emphasis is on promoting a plain English style. This little book can help you communicate more effectively by ... (Goodreads)

  9. Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2 Vols

    by John Calvin
    An exploration of Reformed Christian theology and its implications for faith and practice.

    Institutes of the Christian Religion This limited edition of John Calvin's Reformation classic, "Institutes of the Christian Religion," commemorates the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth in ... (Goodreads)

  10. Confessions

    by Augustine of Hippo
    A spiritual autobiography tracing Augustine's journey from youthful excess to Christian faith.

    Augustine's Confessions is one of the most influential and most innovative works of Latin literature. Written in the author's early forties in the last years of the fourth century A.D. and during his ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

    by Nicholas Carr
    Examination of how technology is impacting the way we think and process information.

    “Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

    by Timothy J. Keller
    Exploring the complexities of marriage, offering wisdom and insight on the purpose of marriage.

    Renowned pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and author of The Songs of Jesus , Timothy Keller with his wife of 36 years, delivers The Meaning of Marriage , an extraordinarily ... (Goodreads)

  13. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

    by Timothy J. Keller
    Explores how modern idols such as money, sex, and power can never truly satisfy us, and how only a relationship with God can bring true fulfillment.

    The, New York Times, bestselling author of, The Reason for God, and, The Songs of Jesus, and a nationally renowned minister, Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things “ultimate” in this ... (Goodreads)

  14. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

    by John Piper
    Examination of the joys of Christian hedonism, finding pleasure in doing God's will.

    Scripture reveals that the great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. In this paradigm-shattering classic, newly revised and expanded, John Piper reveals that the debate ... (Goodreads)

  15. Walden

    by Henry David Thoreau
    A reflective journey into nature, exploring the power of contemplation and simplicity.

    Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time that Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and ... (Goodreads)

  16. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  17. Orthodoxy

    by G.K. Chesterton
    An exploration of the spiritual and moral foundations of Christianity.

    This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative. Many critics complained of the book because it merely criticised current philosophies ... (Goodreads)

  18. Consider the Lobster and Other Essays

    by David Foster Wallace
    Collection of essays exploring the human experience in a humorous, thoughtful and often absurd way.

    Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

    by Michael Pollan
    Exploration of the modern food chain, examining the impact of food choices on our health and the environment.

    What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire , how we answer it today, at ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

    by Jonathan Haidt
    Exploring the underlying moral foundations of political and religious beliefs and how they shape our views.

    An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780307377906 can be found, here., Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Knowledge of the Holy

    by A.W. Tozer
    A profound exploration of the attributes of God and the importance of knowing Him.

    This timeless gift breathes a spirit of devotion for all Christians, from those who are newly arrived to those who are committing themselves anew to Jesus Christ., The Knowledge of the Holy, by ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Republic

    by Plato
    A philosophical discourse on justice, examining morality, politics, and virtue.

    Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, this classic text is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. ... (Goodreads)

  23. Thinking, Fast and Slow

    by Daniel Kahneman
    An exploration of the two systems of the mind, and how they influence decision-making.

    In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow , Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

    by Naomi Klein
    Examination of the exploitation of economic crises and shock tactics by governments and corporations.

    In her ground-breaking reporting from Iraq, Naomi Klein exposed how the trauma of invasion was being exploited to remake the country in the interest of foreign corporations. She called it "disaster ... (Goodreads)

  25. A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph

    by Sheldon Vanauken
    An exploration of faith and love in the wake of tragedy and unexpected grace.

    A heart-rending love story described by its author as “the spiritual autobiography of a love rather than of the lovers” about the author’s marriage and search for faith. Vanauken chronicles the birth ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A study of the role of randomness in life, and how it can lead to unexpected events.

    A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Holiness of God

    by R.C. Sproul
    An exploration of the infinite holiness of God, and its implications for humanity.

    Central to God's character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God's holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because ... (Goodreads)

  28. Democracy in America

    by Alexis de Tocqueville
    A study of the political and social structure of the United States and its implications.

    Democracy in America has had the singular honor of being even to this day the work that political commentators of every stripe refer to when they seek to draw large conclusions about the society of ... (Goodreads)

  29. Meditations

    by Marcus Aurelius
    Reflections on Stoic philosophy, exploring the nature of existence and how to live life.

    Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey Into Christian Faith

    by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
    A professor's spiritual transformation and journey of faith, challenging traditional beliefs.

    Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which ... (Goodreads)