Powered by a book like {foo}
Recommendations based on How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern Worldby Steven Johnson
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
by Randall Munroe
A humorous exploration of science, tackling the most bizarre questions with real-world scenarios.
Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has ... (Goodreads)
Where Good Ideas Come from: The Natural History of Innovation
by Steven Johnson
A study of the patterns and environments that foster innovation, from the coffeehouses of the Enlightenment to the internet age.
The printing press, the pencil, the flush toilet, the battery–these are all great ideas. But where do they come from? What kind of environment breeds them? What sparks the flash of brilliance? How do ... (Goodreads)
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
by Atul Gawande
An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.
In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven Johnson
The discovery of the source of a cholera outbreak in London and its implications for modern science and urban living.
From Steven Johnson, the dynamic thinker routinely compared to James Gleick, Dava Sobel, and Malcolm Gladwell, The Ghost Map is a riveting page-turner about a real-life historical hero, Dr. John ... (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)
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World
by Mark Miodownik
In-depth exploration of everyday materials and their properties, revealing their importance in our lives.
An adventure deep inside the everyday materials that surround us, packed with surprising stories and fascinating science. Why is glass see-through? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does a paper clip ... (Goodreads)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
by William Kamkwamba
An inspiring tale of a young boy from Malawi who, against all odds, invents a windmill to power his village.
Now a Netflix Film, Starring and Directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land ... (Barnes & Noble)
Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman
An exploration of the two systems of the mind, and how they influence decision-making.
In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow , Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and ... (Goodreads)
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
A personal account of a season spent as a park ranger in the American wilderness.
First published in 1968, Desert Solitaire is one of Edward Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works and marks his first foray into the world of nonfiction writing. Written while Abbey was working as a ... (Goodreads)
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
by Hans Rosling
A data-driven book that challenges common misconceptions about the world and presents a more accurate, optimistic view of global progress.
Factfulness:, The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends— what percentage of the world’s ... (Goodreads)
Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
by Neil Shubin
Exploration of human evolution through the lens of anatomy, revealing our connection to our ancient ancestors.
Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of ... (Goodreads)
Why Evolution Is True
by Jerry A. Coyne
Comprehensive exploration of the evidence for evolutionary biology.
Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact. In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design," there is an element of the controversy ... (Goodreads)
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
by Ashlee Vance
A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)
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)
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
by James Gleick
A biography of physicist Richard Feynman, exploring his life and scientific contributions to quantum mechanics and the Manhattan Project.
An illuminating portrayal of Richard Feynman—a giant of twentieth century physics—from his childhood tinkering with radios, to his vital work on the Manhattan Project and beyond Raised in ... (Goodreads)
Mastery
by Robert Greene
A guide to developing the skills and abilities to reach the highest level of success.
In this book, Robert Greene demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself. By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and ... (Goodreads)
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
by Yuval Noah Harari
An exploration of humanity's future, and the potential paths of our species.
Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed, New York Times, bestseller and international phenomenon, Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning ... (Goodreads)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean-Dominique Bauby
A paralyzed man's memoir, transcribed through blinking his left eye.
On December 8, 1995, Bauby, the editor-in-chief of French, Elle, magazine, suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma . He awoke 20 days later, mentally aware of his surroundings, but physically ... (Wikipedia)
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)
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
by Daron Acemoğlu
Examination of the economic and political forces that shape the success and failure of nations.
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail, answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health ... (Goodreads)
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
by Chris Voss
A former FBI hostage negotiator shares his tactics and strategies for successful negotiations in both personal and professional settings.
A former FBI hostage negotiator offers a new, field-tested approach to negotiating – effective in any situation. After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined ... (Goodreads)
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
by John M. Barry
Chronicling the 1918 influenza pandemic, examining the medical, social and governmental responses.
At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It ... (Goodreads)
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood
by Jennifer Senior
A thoughtful exploration of parenthood in the modern age, examining the joys and struggles of raising children.
Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. Award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents? "All Joy and No Fun is ... (Goodreads)
The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
by Olivia Fox Cabane
A guide to developing charisma, with practical tips and exercises to improve communication skills and personal presence.
What if charisma, could, be taught? The charisma myth is the idea that charisma is a fundamental, inborn quality—you either have it (Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Oprah) or you don’t. But that’s simply ... (Barnes & Noble)
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
by Neil Patrick Harris
A comedic and personal journey through the life of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.
Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened? Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in ... (Goodreads)
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
by Jonathan Haidt
Exploring the underlying moral foundations of political and religious beliefs and how they shape our views.
An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780307377906 can be found, here., Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about ... (Goodreads)
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
The story of one man's dream to start a business and the obstacles he encountered along the way.
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of ... (Goodreads)
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now
by Meg Jay
Guidance for millennials on navigating the tumultuous decade of their twenties.
Our "thirty-is-the-new-twenty" culture tells us that the twentysomething years don't matter. Some say they are an extended adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. But thirty is not the ... (Goodreads)
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman
by Jeffrey Robbins
A collection of essays and speeches by physicist Richard Feynman, exploring the beauty and wonder of science and the joy of discovery.
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a magnificent treasury of the best short works of Richard P. Feynman,from interviews and speeches to lectures and printed articles. A sweeping, wide-ranging ... (Goodreads)
No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline
by Brian Tracy
An exploration of the power of self-discipline, and how it can help you achieve your goals.
Most people think success comes from good luck or enormous talent, but many successful people achieve their accomplishments in a simpler way: through self-discipline. No Excuses! shows you how you ... (Barnes & Noble)
