Recommendations based on Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britainby George Mahood

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

  1. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

    by Adam Kay
    An honest, funny, and heartbreaking account of life on the NHS frontline.

    Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after ... (Goodreads)

  2. Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival

    by Joe Simpson
    Gripping account of a mountaineer's harrowing survival after a fall in the Peruvian Andes.

    Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

    by Peter Hessler
    A memoir of a Peace Corps volunteer's two-year stay in a small Chinese town on the Yangtze River, exploring the culture and history of the region.

    In the heart of China's Sichuan province lies the small city of Fuling. Surrounded by the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, Fuling has long been a place of continuity, far from the bustling ... (Goodreads)

  4. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

    by Aron Ralston
    A harrowing true story of one man's fight for survival after being trapped in a canyon.

    A brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life which will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. One ... (Goodreads)

  5. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

    by Laura Hillenbrand
    An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.

    There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)

  6. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

    by Chris Kyle
    An inside look at the life of the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history.

    From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyle's kills (the previous ... (Goodreads)

  7. My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward

    by Mark Lukach
    A memoir of a husband's journey with his wife's mental illness and their fight to keep their marriage alive.

    A heart-wrenching, yet hopeful, memoir of a young marriage that is redefined by mental illness and affirms the power of love. Mark and Giulia’s life together began as a storybook romance. They fell ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal

    by Ben Mezrich
    The story of the founding of Facebook, from its humble beginnings in a Harvard dorm room to becoming a global phenomenon.

    The high-energy tale of how two socially awkward Ivy Leaguers, trying to increase their chances with the opposite sex, ended up creating Facebook. Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg were Harvard ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir

    by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
    An exploration of the intersection between personal experience and a murder case, delving into questions of morality and justice.

    Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, they are ... (Goodreads)

  11. Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

    by Liz Murray
    A remarkable story of redemption and hope, tracing a young woman's journey from poverty and homelessness to Harvard.

    In the vein of, The Glass Castle, Breaking Night is the stunning memoir of a young woman who at age fifteen was living on the streets, and who eventually made it into Harvard. Liz Murray was born to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

    by Adam Kay
    A candid and darkly humorous account of a doctor's time working in the NHS.

    Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after ... (Goodreads)

  13. Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland

    by Amanda Berry
    True story of a woman taken captive and her struggle to stay alive and be reunited with her family.

    Two women kidnapped by infamous Cleveland school-bus driver Ariel Castro share the stories of their abductions, captivity, and dramatic escape, On May 6, 2013, Amanda Berry made headlines around the ... (Goodreads)

  14. Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

    by Stephen C. Lundin
    A novel about the importance of workplace morale and how to boost it.

    The powerful parable that has helped millions to see their lives and work in a new way — now revised and updated to celebrate 20 years of working with greater purpose! It's a rainy day in Seattle, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  15. This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.

    by Augusten Burroughs
    A humorous yet thoughtful collection of personal stories and advice on dealing with life challenges.

    If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong ... (Goodreads)

  16. Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever

    by Jack McCallum
    A behind-the-scenes look at the 1992 US Olympic basketball team, exploring their journey to gold and impact on the sport.

    They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 ... (Goodreads)

  17. Grace

    by Anne Lamott
    A collection of essays on faith, doubt, and grace. Lamott's witty and honest writing explores the complexities of spirituality and the human experience.

    From the New York Times, bestselling author of, Dusk, Night, Dawn,, Bird by Bird, Hallelujah Anyway, and, Almost Everything, ,"Lamott has chronicled her wacky and (sometimes) wild adventures in faith ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist

    by Michael J. Fox
    Michael J. Fox's memoir about his life with Parkinson's disease and how he maintains a positive outlook despite the challenges.

    There are many words to describe Michael J. Fox: Actor. Husband. Father. Activist. But readers of Always Looking Up will soon add another to the list: Optimist. Michael writes about the hard-won ... (Goodreads)

  19. A Short History of Nearly Everything

    by Bill Bryson
    A captivating overview of the natural sciences, spanning the history of the universe.

    In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory ... (Goodreads)

  20. Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World

    by Rita Golden Gelman
    A woman leaves her conventional life behind to travel the world, immersing herself in different cultures and discovering her true self.

    “I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities. ” —From the Preface Tales of a Female Nomad is the ... (Goodreads)

  21. Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs

    by Elissa Wall
    A memoir of a woman's experience growing up in a polygamous sect, being forced into marriage at 14, and ultimately escaping the cult.

    Stolen Innocence is the gripping New York Times bestselling memoir of Elissa Wall, the courageous former member of Utah’s infamous FLDS polygamist sect whose powerful courtroom testimony helped ... (Goodreads)

  22. In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

    by Steven Levy
    An inside look at the history, culture, and technology behind Google, the world's most powerful search engine and tech giant.

    Written with full cooperation from top management, including cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, this is the inside story behind Google, the most successful and most admired technology company of ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don't Have with People You Don't Like Doing Things You Don't Want to Do

    by Sarah Knight
    Practical guide to cutting out stress and self-imposed obligations, freeing up time for activities that matter.

    The "genius" national bestseller on the art of caring less and getting more — from the author of, Get Your Sh*t Together and You Do You, (,Cosmopolitan,). Are you stressed out, overbooked, and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works

    by Evelyn Tribole
    A guide to breaking free from diet culture and learning to trust your body's signals to nourish yourself intuitively.

    We've all been there-angry with ourselves for overeating, for our lack of willpower, for failing at yet another diet that was supposed to be the last one. But the problem is not you, it's that ... (Goodreads)

  25. Jim Henson: The Biography

    by Brian Jay Jones
    Biography of the creative genius behind the beloved Muppets, exploring his life, legacy and influence.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • For the first time ever—a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Bravo Two Zero

    by Andy McNab
    A thrilling account of a Special Air Service patrol mission gone wrong in the Iraqi desert.

    In January 1991, eight members of the SAS regiment embarked upon a top secret mission that was to infiltrate them deep behind enemy lines. Under the command of Sergeant Andy McNab, they were to sever ... (Goodreads)

  27. I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons

    by Kevin Hart
    A raw, honest memoir recounting life lessons learned through trials and tribulations.

    New York Times bestselling author, superstar comedian, and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the , ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It

    by Kamal Ravikant
    A short and powerful book that teaches readers how to love themselves unconditionally and transform their lives.

    THE SELF-PUBLISHED PHENOMENON —NOW FULLY REVISED AND EXPANDED , I almost didn’t publish, Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It,. Here I was, a CEO who’d fallen apart after his company failed, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

    by Conor Grennan
    An inspiring account of a man's journey to reunite lost Nepalese children with their families.

    “Funny, touching, tragic….A remarkable tale of corruption, child trafficking and civil war in a far away land—and one man’s extraordinary quest to reunite lost Nepalese children with their parents.” ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century

    by Sean Patrick
    A narrative of the life and inventions of the renowned scientist, Nikola Tesla.

    If you want to learn about one of history’s most fascinating minds and uncover some of his secrets of imagination—secrets that enabled him to invent machines light years ahead of his time and ... (Goodreads)