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Recommendations based on Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beachesby John Hodgman
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
Holidays on Ice
by David Sedaris
Collection of humorous essays, exploring the absurdities of the holiday season.
David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two ... (Goodreads)
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
An exploration of the Obama years, and the racial injustices that still plague America.
"We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. ... (Goodreads)
Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
by David Sedaris
A collection of diary entries from David Sedaris, showcasing his wit and humor while providing insight into his personal life and creative process.
David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making. For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard ... (Goodreads)
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.
“This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)
Yes Please
by Amy Poehler
Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.
In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain
A humorous and unflinching account of life in restaurant kitchens, exploring the culture and camaraderie of the culinary world.
A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute ... (Goodreads)
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
by David Sedaris
A collection of humorous essays and stories, exploring the absurdities of everyday life through the lens of the author's unique perspective.
A guy walks into a bar car and... From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you ... (Goodreads)
We Should All Be Feminists
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.
What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)
The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying
by Nina Riggs
A poignant memoir of a woman's journey through terminal cancer, exploring life, love, and mortality with grace and humor.
* INSTANT, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER * “Stunning...heartrending...this year’s, When Breath Becomes Air,.” —Nora Krug,, The Washington Post, “Beautiful and haunting.” —Matt McCarthy, MD,, USA TODAY, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
by Jenny Lawson
A humorous and candid memoir of a woman's life, incorporating stories from her childhood to adulthood.
The #1, New York Times, bestselling (mostly true) memoir from the hilarious author of, Furiously Happy,.,“Gaspingly funny and wonderfully inappropriate.”—,O, The Oprah Magazine, When Jenny Lawson was ... (Barnes & Noble)
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)
Nickel and Dimed: On
by Barbara Ehrenreich
A journalist's exploration of poverty in the U.S., exposing the struggles of low-wage workers.
Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which ... (Goodreads)
The Wright Brothers
by David McCullough
The story of the Wright brothers and their pioneering invention of the airplane.
Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who ... (Goodreads)
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)
Robin
by Dave Itzkoff
A comprehensive biography of Robin Williams, exploring his life, career, and struggles with addiction and mental health.
A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER A, NEW YORK TIMES,, BOOK REVIEW, EDITOR'S CHOICE A, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A, VULTURE, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "A generous, appreciative biography ... (Barnes & Noble)
Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics
by bell hooks
Exploration of feminist thought and its applications to everyday life.
Acclaimed cultural critic bell hooks offers an open-hearted and welcoming vision of gender, sexuality, and society in this inspiring and accessible volume. In engaging and provocative style, bell ... (Goodreads)
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
by Joan Didion
Collection of essays exploring the cultural landscape of 1960s America.
The first nonfiction work by one of the most distinctive prose stylists of our era, Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem remains, decades after its first publication, the essential portrait of ... (Goodreads)
A People's History of the United States
by Howard Zinn
An examination of American history from a perspective of marginalized people.
In the book, Zinn presented a different side of history from the more traditional "fundamental nationalist glorification of country". Zinn portrays a side of American history that can largely be seen ... (Goodreads)
What Happened
by Hillary Rodham Clinton
A candid look into the 2016 election, exploring the events leading up to her defeat.
“In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.” —Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the ... (Goodreads)
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan
Exploration of the modern food chain, examining the impact of food choices on our health and the environment.
What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire , how we answer it today, at ... (Goodreads)
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works
by Dan Harris
A story of self-improvement through mindfulness and meditation.
Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir, Nightline, anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of ... (Barnes & Noble)
Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils
by David Bayles
A guide for artists on how to overcome the fears and doubts that come with creating art and how to persevere through the creative process.
"This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially-statistically ... (Goodreads)
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
by A.J. Jacobs
An exploration of faith and morality through the lens of the Bible.
From the bestselling author of "The Know-It-All" comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith ... (Goodreads)
A Man Without a Country
by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A collection of essays and speeches by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. that reflect on his life, politics, and the state of the world.
In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, one of the great men of letters of this era—or any era—holds forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of ... (Goodreads)
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?
by Roz Chast
A graphic memoir about a daughter's relationship with her aging parents.
The book's storyline, spanning an eight-year period from 2001 to 2009, concerns Roz Chast's parents living in Brooklyn . The book describes various interactions between Chast and her parents. Chast, ... (Wikipedia)
The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made
by Greg Sestero
A memoir of the making of the cult classic film "The Room" and the bizarre friendship between its star, Tommy Wiseau, and author Greg Sestero.
From the actor who lived through the most improbable Hollywood success story, with an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer, comes the inspiring, fascinating and laugh-out-loud story of a ... (Goodreads)
Stumbling on Happiness
by Daniel Todd Gilbert
A scientific exploration of why we often fail to predict what will make us happy and how we can find happiness in unexpected ways.
• Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? • Why will sighted people pay more to avoid going blind than blind people will pay to ... (Goodreads)
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
by Brené Brown
A journey to find true belonging in an age of increasing polarization.
#1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 ... (Goodreads)
Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu
A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.
A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)
