Recommendations based on Joseph Anton: A Memoirby Salman Rushdie

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

  1. A Tale of Love and Darkness

    by Amos Oz
    A tale of love, loss, and identity set against the backdrop of the tumultuous history of Israel.

    Tragic, comic, and utterly honest, A Tale of Love and Darkness is at once a family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent ... (Goodreads)

  2. Hitch 22: A Memoir

    by Christopher Hitchens
    A journey through life, reflecting on the ideas and experiences that have shaped the author's beliefs.

    Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter ... (Goodreads)

  3. Letters to a Young Contrarian

    by Christopher Hitchens
    A collection of essays offering philosophical reflections on society and the power of dissent.

    From bestselling author and provocateur Christopher Hitchens, the classic guide to the art of principled dissent and disagreement In Letters to a Young Contrarian , bestselling author and world-class ... (Goodreads)

  4. The World of Yesterday

    by Stefan Zweig
    Autobiography of a Jewish writer, describing the intellectual and social life of fin de siècle Europe.

    The World of Yesterday, mailed to his publisher a few days before Stefan Zweig took his life in 1942, has become a classic of the memoir genre. Originally titled “Three Lives,” the memoir describes ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

    by Richard Dawkins
    An exploration of the evidence and science of evolution, highlighting its importance in understanding the history of life on Earth.

    Charles Darwin’s masterpiece, On the Origin of Species , shook society to its core on publication in 1859. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would ... (Goodreads)

  6. How Doctors Think

    by Jerome Groopman
    A look into the decision-making process of doctors, exploring how biases and assumptions can lead to misdiagnosis and medical errors.

    On average, a physician will interrupt a patient describing her symptoms within eighteen seconds. In that short time, many doctors decide on the likely diagnosis and best treatment. Often, decisions ... (Goodreads)

  7. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

    by Reza Aslan
    An examination of Jesus' life, death and legacy within the context of 1st century Judea.

    From the internationally bestselling author of No god but God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

    by Siddhartha Mukherjee
    A comprehensive account of the history and science of cancer, from its origins to modern treatments.

    An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found, here, and, here,. The Emperor of All Maladies is a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer - from its first documented ... (Goodreads)

  9. Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

    by Gabrielle Hamilton
    A memoir of a chef's journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring the struggles of creating an independent life.

    Before Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life. Blood, Bones & Butter follows an ... (Goodreads)

  10. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

    by Christopher Hitchens
    Criticism of organized religion, arguing it is the root of much suffering in the world.

    With his unique brand of erudition and wit, Hitchens describes the ways in which religion is man-made. "God did not make us," he says. "We made God." He explains the ways in which religion is ... (Goodreads)

  11. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

    by Erik Larson
    A family's struggle to cope with the darkness of Nazi Germany, as seen through one man's courage.

    The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from ... (Goodreads)

  12. Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

    by David Eagleman
    Uncovering the complex inner workings of the mind, exploring the neuroscience of identity and decision-making.

    If the conscious mind—the part you consider you—accounts for only a tiny fraction of the brain’s function, what is all the rest doing? This is the question that David Eagleman—renowned neuroscientist ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  14. Blue Nights

    by Joan Didion
    A reflective look back at motherhood, memory and the fragility of life.

    From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and ... (Goodreads)

  15. A Moveable Feast

    by Ernest Hemingway
    A memoir of Hemingway's life in 1920s Paris, exploring its rich bohemian culture.

    Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the twenties are deeply personal, warmly affectionate, and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, ... (Goodreads)

  16. A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing

    by Lawrence M. Krauss
    A scientific exploration of the origins of the universe, proposing that it could have arisen from nothing.

    Bestselling author and acclaimed physicist Lawrence Krauss offers a paradigm-shifting view of how everything that exists came to be in the first place. “Where did the universe come from? What was ... (Goodreads)

  17. Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East

    by Scott Anderson
    A biography of T.E. Lawrence, a British intelligence officer who played a key role in shaping the Middle East during World War I.

    A thrilling and revelatory narrative of one of the most epic and consequential periods in 20th century history – the Arab Revolt and the secret “great game” to control the Middle East The Arab Revolt ... (Goodreads)

  18. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments

    by David Foster Wallace
    Collection of essays and arguments, exploring the absurdities of contemporary culture.

    In this exuberantly praised book — a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

    by Richard Dawkins
    Exploring the science behind phenomena of the natural world, from the big bang to evolution.

    Magic takes many forms. Supernatural magic is what our ancestors used in order to explain the world before they developed the scientific method. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by ... (Goodreads)

  20. On the Move: A Life

    by Oliver Sacks
    An autobiography of the life and career of neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks.

    When Oliver Sacks was twelve years old, a perceptive schoolmaster wrote in his report: “Sacks will go far, if he does not go too far.” It is now abundantly clear that Sacks has never stopped going. ... (Goodreads)

  21. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

    by Michael Pollan
    An exploration of the power of cooking and the four classical elements to transform food.

    In Cooked , Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to ... (Goodreads)

  22. Istanbul: Memories and the City

    by Orhan Pamuk
    A personal exploration of Istanbul, an exploration of its culture, people, and history.

    A shimmering evocation, by turns intimate and panoramic, of one of the world’s great cities, by its foremost writer. Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul and still lives in the family apartment building ... (Goodreads)

  23. Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

    by Steven Pinker
    A data-driven argument for the progress of humanity through reason, science, and humanism.

    If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ... (Goodreads)

  24. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  25. Free Will

    by Sam Harris
    An exploration of the implications of determinism, examining the role of free will in our lives.

    Belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of ... (Goodreads)

  26. Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

    by Stephen Fry
    Reimagining of classic Greek myths, with a modern twist.

    Mythos is a modern collection of Greek myths, stylishly retold by legendary writer, actor, and comedian Stephen Fry. Fry transforms the adventures of Zeus and the Olympians into emotionally resonant ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

    by Steven Pinker
    Investigation into the causes of violence and the reasons why it has decreased in modern society.

    Believe it or not, today we may be living in the most peaceful moment in our species' existence. In his gripping and controversial new work, New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows that ... (Goodreads)

  28. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin

    by Timothy Snyder
    History of the mass extermination of civilians in Central and Eastern Europe during WWII.

    Americans call the Second World War “The Good War.” But before it even began, America’s wartime ally Josef Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the ... (Goodreads)

  29. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

    by Blaine Harden
    True story of a man who escaped from a North Korean prison camp and his journey to freedom.

    A, New York Times, bestseller, the shocking story of one of the few people born in a North Korean political prison to have escaped and survived. North Korea is isolated and hungry, bankrupt and ... (Goodreads)

  30. Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

    by Blake Snyder
    Step-by-step guide to writing a successful screenplay, using the "Save the Cat" approach.

    This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat! ... (Goodreads)