Recommendations based on The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Geniusby Kristine Barnett

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

  1. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's

    by John Elder Robison
    An honest account of a man's life with Asperger's, exploring his unique perspectives.

    Ever since he was small, John Robison had longed to connect with other people, but by the time he was a teenager, his odd habits—an inclination to blurt out non sequiturs, avoid eye contact, ... (Goodreads)

  2. The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House

    by Ben Rhodes
    A memoir of Ben Rhodes' time as a speechwriter and foreign policy advisor in the Obama administration.

    This is a book about two people making the most important decisions in the world. One is Barack Obama. The other is Ben Rhodes. The World As It Is tells the full story of what it means to work ... (Goodreads)

  3. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids

    by Kim John Payne
    A guide to parenting with less stress and fewer material possessions, while creating more meaningful relationships with children.

    Today’s busier, faster, supersized society is waging an undeclared war . . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little ... (Goodreads)

  4. 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)

  5. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

    by Brené Brown
    An exploration of vulnerability, courage, and the strength to embrace imperfection.

    The #1, New York Times, bestseller. More than 2, million copies sold!,Look for Brené Brown’s new podcast,, Dare to Lead, as well as her ongoing podcast, Unlocking Us,!,From thought leader Brené ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. A House in the Sky

    by Amanda Lindhout
    A memoir of Amanda Lindhout's 15-month captivity in Somalia, and her journey towards forgiveness and healing.

    The dramatic and redemptive memoir of a woman whose curiosity led her to the world’s most beautiful and remote places, its most imperiled and perilous countries, and then into fifteen months of ... (Goodreads)

  7. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

    by Adele Faber
    A guide for parents to communicate effectively with their children, using empathy and respect to build strong relationships.

    The ultimate “parenting bible” (,The Boston Globe,), a timeless, beloved book on how to effectively communicate with your child from the #1, New York Times, bestselling authors. Adele Faber and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

    by Christopher McDougall
    A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.

    Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

    by Sally Lloyd-Jones
    Reimagining of Bible stories to bring the message of salvation through Jesus to children.

    If you are a parent, grandparent, pastor, or teacher looking for a way to teach the children in your life about God’s Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love, look no ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. The Hidden Messages in Water

    by Masaru Emoto
    An exploration into the connection between human emotion and the molecular structure of water.

    In this, New,, York,, Times, bestseller, internationally renowned Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto shows how the influence of our thoughts, words and feelings on molecules of water can positively ... (Goodreads)

  11. An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    Study of human behavior, exploring the complexities of neurological conditions.

    Paradoxical portraits of seven neurological patients, including a surgeon consumed by the compulsive tics of Tourette's syndrome unless he is operating; an artist who loses all sense of color in a ... (Goodreads)

  12. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

    by Susannah Cahalan
    A journalist's journey of survival and recovery from a rare autoimmune disorder.

    An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her ... (Goodreads)

  13. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

    by Immaculée Ilibagiza
    True story of a woman's faith and resilience in the face of the Rwandan genocide.

    Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family ... (Goodreads)

  14. Half Broke Horses

    by Jeannette Walls
    A novel based on the life of the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a resilient and adventurous woman who overcomes numerous obstacles in the American West.

    Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person ... (Goodreads)

  15. Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together

    by Ron Hall
    A story of unlikely friendship and redemption, set in the backdrop of racial and economic divides.

    A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Gene: An Intimate History

    by Siddhartha Mukherjee
    An exploration of the science of genetics and its implications for humanity.

    Spanning the globe and several centuries, The Gene is the story of the quest to decipher the master-code that makes and defines humans, that governs our form and function. The story of the gene ... (Goodreads)

  17. Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

    by Joshua Foer
    An exploration of the science of memory and its potential to unlock hidden abilities in the human mind.

    The blockbuster phenomenon that charts an amazing journey of the mind while revolutionizing our concept of memory An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, Moonwalking with Einstein ... (Goodreads)

  18. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog

    by John Grogan
    A heartfelt journey of a family and their beloved, but mischievous, dog.

    John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of ... (Goodreads)

  19. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

    by Katherine Boo
    Explores the lives of the people living in Mumbai's slums and the harsh realities they face.

    From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Man Who Listens to Horses

    by Monty Roberts
    A memoir of a horse trainer who develops a non-violent method of training horses based on communication and understanding.

    The bestselling memoir of the fascinating horse trainer who revolutionized a violent profession with his gentle method. Roberts's story is more fascinating and profound than any told in fiction.–San ... (Goodreads)

  21. Assholes Finish First

    by Tucker Max
    A comedic exploration of modern dating and relationships.

    From the Tucker Max website: What do you do when you've become rich and famous for writing a #1 best-selling book about your drunken, sexual misadventures? I'll tell you what I do: I write another ... (Goodreads)

  22. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

    by Irene Gut Opdyke
    A young Polish woman's harrowing experiences during WWII, including hiding Jews and working for the German army, and her journey to America.

    "You must understand that I did not become a resistance fighter, a smuggler of Jews, a defier of the SS and the Nazis all at once. One's first steps are always small: I had begun by hiding food under ... (Goodreads)

  23. 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)

  24. When I Was Puerto Rican

    by Esmeralda Santiago
    A young woman's memoir of her immigrant journey from Puerto Rico to New York City.

    Esmeralda Santiago is the oldest child her parents have together, although her father has an older daughter she doesn't know about. Her parents' relationship is damaged as her mother suspects her ... (Wikipedia)

  25. 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)

  26. Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity

    by Hugh MacLeod
    A witty and insightful guide to unlocking your creative potential, with practical advice and humorous illustrations.

    When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular ... (Goodreads)

  27. Homer's Odyssey

    by Gwen Cooper
    A cat's journey across the world, discovering the power of friendship and redemption.

    Once in nine lives, something extraordinary happens... The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken ... (Goodreads)

  28. Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

    by Max Lucado
    A guide to overcoming fear and living a life of courage, faith, and hope. Encourages readers to trust in God and let go of their fears.

    Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear. They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing ... (Goodreads)

  29. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch

    by Sally Bedell Smith
    A comprehensive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from her childhood to her reign as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of The Crown , this magisterial biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a close-up view of the woman we’ve known only from a distance—and a captivating window ... (Goodreads)

  30. I Have Lived a Thousand Years

    by Livia Bitton-Jackson
    The Holocaust memoir of a teenage girl who survived Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

    What is death all about? What is life all about? So wonders thirteen-year-old- Elli Friedmann, just one of the many innocent Holocaust victims, as she fights for her life in a concentration camp. It ... (Goodreads)