Recommendations based on Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Knowby Malcolm Gladwell

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

  1. Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life

    by Ali Wong
    Comedian Ali Wong shares personal stories and advice for women on love, sex, motherhood, and career in a humorous and candid way.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero) cover everything they need to know in life, like the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    by Cal Newport
    Strategies and techniques to help readers stay focused on tasks and achieve greater success.

    One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on ... (Goodreads)

  3. 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)

  4. Everything is Figureoutable

    by Marie Forleo
    Empowering guide to overcoming obstacles and achieving goals by adopting a "figure it out" mindset.

    Do you ever have trouble finishing what you start? Do amazing ideas come to you all the time but after the initial excitement wanes you struggle to follow through? If you're creative and ambitious, ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable on Real Success in Business and in Life

    by Robin S. Sharma
    A parable about a man who discovers the secrets to success and leadership, even without a formal title.

    For more than fifteen years, Robin Sharma has been quietly sharing with Fortune 500 companies and many of the super-rich a success formula that has made him one of the most sought-after leadership ... (Goodreads)

  6. How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems

    by Randall Munroe
    A humorous guide to solving everyday problems using absurd scientific methods and explanations.

    The world's most entertaining and useless self-help guide, from the brilliant mind behind the wildly popular webcomic xkcd and the #1, New York Times, bestsellers, What If?, and, Thing Explainer, For ... (Goodreads)

  7. Walk Through Walls: A Memoir

    by Marina Abramović
    A journey of self-discovery and exploration of the power of art and performance.

    “I had experienced absolute freedom—I had felt that my body was without boundaries, limitless; that pain didn’t matter, that nothing mattered at all—and it intoxicated me.” In 2010, more than 750,000 ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

    by Nadia Murad
    Nadia Murad's harrowing account of being kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS, and her subsequent fight for justice and awareness.

    WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, In this intimate memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story. Nadia Murad was born and raised in ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

    by Maxwell King
    A biography of Fred Rogers, the creator and host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," exploring his life, philosophy, and impact on children's television.

    The definitive biography of Fred Rogers, children’s television pioneer and American cultural icon, an instant, New York Times, bestseller Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors

    by Matt Parker
    A humorous exploration of mathematical errors and their consequences in real life situations.

    #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER , , ,, AN ADAM SAVAGE BOOK CLUB PICK,The book-length answer to anyone who ever put their hand up in math class and asked, “When am I ever going to use this in the real ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Ghost Boy: My Miraculous Escape from a Life Locked Inside My Own Body

    by Martin Pistorius
    Martin Pistorius describes his experience of being trapped in his own body for 12 years, and his miraculous escape from it.

    They all thought he was gone. But he was alive and trapped inside his own body for ten years. In January 1988 Martin Pistorius, aged twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and ... (Goodreads)

  12. Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

    by Jon Krakauer
    A collection of mountaineering stories, exploring the experiences of climbers and the beauty of the mountains.

    No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains ... (Goodreads)

  13. 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)

  14. The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest

    by Anatoli Boukreev
    An exploration of the struggle and danger of climbing Mount Everest, and the triumph of the human spirit.

    As the climbers of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster vanished into thin air, one man had the courage to bring them down alive... On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by expert leaders ... (Goodreads)

  15. Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

    by Brent Schlender
    A biography of Steve Jobs that explores his transformation from a brash young entrepreneur to a visionary leader of Apple.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller There have been many books—on a large and small scale—about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others. Becoming ... (Goodreads)

  16. Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

    by J. Mark G. Williams
    A practical guide to finding inner peace and balance through mindfulness.

    From one of the leading thinkers on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, a pioneering set of simple practices to dissolve anxiety, stress, exhaustion, and unhappiness.In "Mindfulness," Oxford ... (Goodreads)

  17. World Order

    by Henry Kissinger
    A comprehensive analysis of global politics and the dynamics of international relations.

    Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern ... (Goodreads)

  18. 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)

  19. Out of Africa

    by Isak Dinesen
    Memoir of a Danish author's life in Kenya, exploring nature and culture.

    'Out of Africa' is Isak Dinesen's memoir of her years in Africa, from 1914 to 1931, on a four-thousand-acre coffee plantation in the hills near Nairobi. She had come to Kenya from Denmark with her ... (Goodreads)

  20. Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

    by Lena Dunham
    Lena Dunham's memoir about her experiences growing up and navigating life as a young woman in New York City.

    "There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told," writes Lena Dunham, and it certainly takes guts to share the stories that make up her first ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

    by Stephen Brusatte
    A comprehensive account of the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs, from their origins to their ultimate demise.

    "THE ULTIMATE DINOSAUR BIOGRAPHY," hails, Scientific American,: A thrilling new history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists. , ,"A masterpiece of science writing." ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea

    by Sebastian Junger
    A harrowing account of a fishing boat's journey into the heart of an epic storm.

    "Takes readers into the maelstrom and shows nature's splendid and dangerous havoc at its utmost". October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"–a tempest that may happen only once in a century--a ... (Goodreads)

  23. NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

    by Steve Silberman
    Explores the history, science, and personal stories of autism.

    Going back to the earliest days of autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to ... (Goodreads)

  24. Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

    by Cal Newport
    A guide to reducing digital clutter and distractions, and finding balance in a world of constant connectivity.

    Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. In ... (Goodreads)

  25. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

    by Adam M. Grant
    Exploring the power of relationships and how giving can lead to success.

    Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change your Life and Achieve Real Happiness

    by Ichiro Kishimi
    Exploring the philosophical roots of happiness through the power of self-determination.

    The Japanese phenomenon that teaches us the simple yet profound lessons required to liberate our real selves and find lasting happiness. The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power ... (Goodreads)

  27. Ego Is the Enemy

    by Ryan Holiday
    Exploring the destructive power of ego and how to overcome it.

    “While the history books are filled with tales of obsessive, visionary geniuses who remade the world in their image with sheer, almost irrational force, I’ve found that history is also made by ... (Goodreads)

  28. Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

    by Ronan Farrow
    Investigative journalist Ronan Farrow exposes the cover-up of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men in media and politics.

    In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a ... (Goodreads)

  29. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

    by Hampton Sides
    An epic tale of survival and exploration in the unforgiving Arctic Ocean.

    On July 8, 1879, Captain George Washington De Long and his team of thirty-two men set sail from San Francisco on the USS Jeanette. Heading deep into uncharted Arctic waters, they carried the ... (Goodreads)

  30. Blue Highways

    by William Least Heat-Moon
    A pilgrimage across America, exploring the people, places and stories of small towns.

    Hailed as a masterpiece of American travel writing,, Blue Highways, is an unforgettable journey along our nation's backroads. William Least Heat-Moon set out with little more than the need to put ... (Goodreads)