Recommendations based on The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's Worldby Alan Downs

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

  1. 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)

  2. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

    by Miguel Ruiz
    A guide to transforming one's life by adopting four simple agreements.

    In The Four Agreements , don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a ... (Goodreads)

  3. Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

    by Rachel Held Evans
    A memoir of a woman's journey through the ups and downs of faith, church, and spirituality.

    From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans comes a book that is both a heartfelt ode to the past and hopeful gaze into the future of what it means to be a part of the Church. Centered ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Goodbye to All That

    by Robert Graves
    Autobiographical account of Robert Graves' experiences during World War I and his disillusionment with the war and British society.

    An autobiographical work that describes firsthand the great tectonic shifts in English society following the First World War, Robert Graves's Goodbye to All That is a matchless evocation of the Great ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    by Charles Duhigg
    Uncovering the science of habit formation and how to use it to achieve success.

    A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns ... (Goodreads)

  6. The White Album

    by Joan Didion
    Collection of essays exploring 1960s counterculture in America.

    First published in 1979, Joan Didion's The White Album records indelibly the upheavals and aftermaths of the 1960s. Examining key events, figures, and trends of the era—including Charles Manson, the ... (Goodreads)

  7. Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look at the Right

    by Al Franken
    Satirical look at the right, exposing their lies and hypocrisies.

    Al Franken, one of our savviest satirists ( People ), has been studying the rhetoric of the Right. He has listened to their cries of slander, bias, and even treason. He has examined the Bush ... (Goodreads)

  8. Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now

    by Eckhart Tolle
    Exploring the teachings of Eckhart Tolle on living in the present moment, and how to apply them in daily life.

    New York Times, bestselling author Eckhart Tolle — A key to happiness is living in the now, Practice, The Power of Now,:, If you, like many others, have benefited from the transformative experience ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. The Ethical Slut: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities

    by Dossie Easton
    An exploration of ethical non-monogamy, providing insight into brave new approaches of intimate relationships.

    The essential guide for singles and couples who want to explore polyamory in ways that are ethically and emotionally sustainable. For anyone who has ever dreamed of love, sex, and companionship ... (Goodreads)

  10. Decision Points

    by George W. Bush
    Autobiography of former US President, chronicling the pivotal decisions of his life.

    In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life. George W. Bush served as president of the United States ... (Goodreads)

  11. Pedagogy of the Oppressed

    by Paulo Freire
    Analysis of the educational system, advocating a pedagogy of liberation.

    First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Gifts of Imperfection

    by Brené Brown
    A guide to self-acceptance, embracing imperfections and finding courage, compassion and connection.

    In this groundbreaking New York Times best seller, Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor and thought leader on vulnerability , courage , worthiness , and shame , shares ten guideposts on the power of ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Design of Everyday Things

    by Donald A. Norman
    Examining how design can influence human behaviour and improve user experience.

    Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans – from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools -- must read this book, and it is an equally tremendous read for anyone who has to ... (Goodreads)

  14. 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)

  15. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    by Stephen King
    A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.

    "Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

    by James McBride
    A memoir of a black man's journey to understand his white mother's past and how it shaped his own identity.

    Touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A ... (Goodreads)

  17. 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)

  18. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

    by Doris Kearns Goodwin
    A comprehensive study of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, and the unique cabinet he assembled.

    Winner of the Lincoln Prize Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from ... (Goodreads)

  19. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

    by Anne Lamott
    A witty and honest guide to writing and life, encouraging writers to embrace imperfection and find their own voice.

    A newer edition of this title can be found, here., "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to ... (Goodreads)

  20. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)

  21. 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)

  22. The God Delusion

    by Richard Dawkins
    Scientific exploration of the evidence for and against religious belief.

    A preeminent scientist - and the world's most prominent atheist - asserts the irrationality of belief in God, and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

    by Issa Rae
    A collection of humorous essays about the author's experiences as an awkward black girl navigating through life.

    In the bestselling tradition of Sloan Crosley’s I Was Told There’d Be Cake and Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? , a collection of humorous essays on what it’s like to be unabashedly ... (Goodreads)

  24. Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts

    by David Baggett
    A philosophical exploration of the Harry Potter series, examining the ethical and moral questions raised by the wizarding world.

    In Harry Potter and Philosophy, seventeen philosophical experts unlock some of Hogwarts' secret panels, and uncover surprising insights that are enlightening both for wizards and the most discerning ... (Goodreads)

  25. When Rabbit Howls

    by Truddi Chase
    A true story of a woman with dissociative identity disorder, detailing her 92 personalities and the trauma that caused them.

    Truddi Chase began therapy to discover why she suffered from blackouts. What surfaced was terrifying: she was inhabited by 'the Troops'-92 individual personalities. This groundbreaking true story is ... (Goodreads)

  26. Hard Choices

    by Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Memoir of Clinton's time as Secretary of State, detailing her experiences and decisions on foreign policy and global issues.

    Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the ... (Goodreads)

  27. 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)

  28. The Good Immigrant

    by Nikesh Shukla
    Exploring the experiences of immigrants in Britain, and the complex identity issues faced.

    How does it feel to be constantly regarded as a potential threat, strip-searched at every airport? Or be told that, as an actress, the part you’re most fitted to play is ‘wife of a terrorist’? How ... (Goodreads)

  29. My Booky Wook

    by Russell Brand
    Comedian's autobiographical account of his rise to fame and his struggle with addiction.

    In 2006 Russell Brand exploded onto the international comedy scene. He has been named Time Out’s Comedian of the Year, Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, and Most Stylish Man by GQ’s Men. ... (Goodreads)

  30. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

    by Marjane Satrapi
    Autobiographical account of a young girl's experience of the Iranian Revolution.

    Note: The summary of the English editions of the novel is divided into two sections, one for each book. Persepolis 1 begins by introducing Marji, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel ... (Wikipedia)