Recommendations based on The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopiaby Michael Booth

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

  1. Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire

    by Julia Baird
    Comprehensive account of Queen Victoria's life, from her early childhood to her death.

    The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen–a Victoria for our times. ... (Goodreads)

  2. Reasons to Stay Alive

    by Matt Haig
    A memoir exploring mental illness and its effects on the author's life.

    Matt Haig’s accessible and life-affirming memoir of his struggle with depression, and how his triumph over the illness taught him to live. Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from ... (Goodreads)

  3. Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

    by Jane Mayer
    Exposes the network of ultra-wealthy individuals who have funded the radical right-wing political agenda for the last four decades.

    Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again? Why ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century

    by Alex Ross
    A journey through the music of the 20th century, exploring its cultural and historical context, and its impact on society and politics.

    The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century is a voyage into the labyrinth of modern music, which remains an obscure world for most people. While paintings of Picasso and Jackson Pollock ... (Goodreads)

  5. 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)

  6. 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)

  7. Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

    by Tim Marshall
    Geopolitical exploration of global events and the impact of geography on politics.

    In the bestselling tradition of Why Nations Fail and The Revenge of Geography , an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of the world ... (Goodreads)

  8. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

    by Matthew Walker
    Exploring the science of sleep, uncovering its powerful effects on health, productivity, and wellbeing.

    “,Why We Sleep, is an important and fascinating book...Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” —Bill Gates A, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America

    by Jill Leovy
    In-depth examination of unsolved murder cases in inner-city Los Angeles, exploring themes of violence and racial injustice.

    On a warm spring evening in South Los Angeles, a young man was shot and killed on a sidewalk minutes away from his home, one of hundreds of young men slain in LA every year. His assailant ran down ... (Goodreads)

  10. Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data

    by Charles Wheelan
    Practical guide to understanding statistics, illuminating how vital it is to everyday life.

    Once considered tedious, the field of statistics is rapidly evolving into a discipline Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, has actually called “sexy.” From batting averages and political polls to ... (Goodreads)

  11. Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World

    by Rutger Bregman
    Explores bold ideas to improve the world, promoting a revolutionary shift in thinking.

    Universal basic income. A 15-hour workweek. Open borders. Does it sound too good to be true? One of Europe's leading young thinkers shows how we can build an ideal world today. "A more politically ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Feather Thief

    by Kirk Wallace Johnson
    A true story of a bizarre heist of rare bird specimens from a British museum and the obsessive fly-tier who stole them.

    On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British ... (Goodreads)

  13. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

    by Allie Brosh
    A humorous and candid account of the author's life, exploring the highs and lows of everyday life.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s, Hyperbole and a Half, showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

    by Richard H. Thaler
    An exploration of the principles of behavioral economics and its implications for society.

    Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Get ready to change the way you think about economics., Nobel laureate Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central ... (Barnes & Noble)

  15. The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America

    by George Packer
    An exploration of America's political and economic decline over the last few decades.

    A riveting examination of a nation in crisis, from one of the finest political journalists of our generation American democracy is beset by a sense of crisis. Seismic shifts during a single ... (Goodreads)

  16. 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)

  17. Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal

    by Ben Macintyre
    A thrilling tale of a double agent during World War II who lives a life of deception and espionage.

    Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside ... (Goodreads)

  18. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

    by Harold McGee
    A comprehensive guide to the science and history of cooking, exploring the fascinating world of food and flavors.

    Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World

    by Eric Weiner
    A humorous exploration of the pursuit of happiness, through visits to different countries.

    Weiner spent a decade as a foreign correspondent reporting from such discontented locales as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. Unhappy people living in profoundly unstable states, he notes, inspire ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

    by Oliver Burkeman
    Exploring alternative paths to happiness, rejecting traditional approaches of positive thinking.

    Success through failure, calm through embracing anxiety—a totally original approach to self-help Self-help books don't seem to work. Few of the many advantages of modern life seem capable of lifting ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

    by Nick Bostrom
    A philosophical exploration of the implications of artificial intelligence on humanity.

    Superintelligence asks the questions: what happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding ... (Goodreads)

  22. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

    by Sonia Purnell
    The incredible true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who worked undercover in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

    A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,Chosen as a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by, NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, the, Seattle Times, the, Washington Independent Review of Books,, PopSugar, the, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. A Year in Provence

    by Peter Mayle
    A humorous memoir of a British couple's first year in Provence, France, adjusting to the culture shock and idiosyncrasies of their new home.

    In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Death and Life of Great American Cities

    by Jane Jacobs
    Exposes the flaws of urban planning, advocating for a more organic approach.

    A direct and fundamentally optimistic indictment of the short-sightedness and intellectual arrogance that has characterized much of urban planning in this century, The Death and Life of Great ... (Goodreads)

  25. Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

    by Pamela Druckerman
    A mother's exploration of French parenting practices and their effects on her children.

    The runaway, New York Times, bestseller that shows American parents the secrets behind France's amazingly well-behaved children When American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby in Paris, she ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

    by Walter Isaacson
    A look at the people who changed our world by creating the digital age.

    Comment un groupe de hackers, de génies et de geeks a créé la révolution numérique L’auteur de la biographie magistrale de Steve Jobs parue quelques mois après la mort du patron d’Apple et ... (Goodreads)

  27. 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)

  28. So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

    by Cal Newport
    Passion is not enough for career success. Instead, develop rare and valuable skills to gain autonomy, mastery, and purpose in your work.

    In an unorthodox approach, Georgetown University professor Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice, and sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World

    by Peter Frankopan
    An epic narrative of the discover of the world's trade routes, spanning more than 3,000 years.

    The New Silk Roads takes a fresh look at the relationships being formed along the length and breadth of the ancient trade routes today. The world is changing dramatically and in an age of Brexit and ... (Goodreads)

  30. A History of Western Philosophy

    by Bertrand Russell
    A comprehensive overview of the major philosophical thinkers and their ideas.

    Since its first publication in 1945 Lord Russell's A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject—unparalleled in its ... (Goodreads)