Recommendations based on Reckoning: A Memoirby Magda Szubanski

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

  1. Eggshell Skull

    by Bri Lee
    A memoir of a young woman's experience as a judge's associate in the Australian legal system, and her own journey seeking justice for sexual assault.

    EGGSHELL SKULL: A well-established legal doctrine that a defendant must 'take their victim as they find them'. If a single punch kills someone because of their thin skull, that victim's weakness ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Happiest Refugee

    by Anh Do
    A memoir of an immigrant family's struggles and triumphs as they seek a better life in Australia.

    Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous ... (Goodreads)

  3. Dark Emu

    by Bruce Pascoe
    A groundbreaking work that challenges the colonial myth of Indigenous Australians as hunter-gatherers, revealing their sophisticated agricultural practices.

    Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for precolonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Snow Leopard

    by Peter Matthiessen
    A spiritual journey to the Himalayas, seeking to observe a rare snow leopard.

    When Matthiessen went to Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and, possibly, to glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard, he undertook his five-week trek as winter snows were sweeping into the ... (Goodreads)

  5. M Train

    by Patti Smith
    A memoir of Patti Smith's travels, musings, and creative inspirations, from cafes in New York to graves in Paris.

    M Train begins in the tiny Greenwich Village café where Smith goes every morning for black coffee, ruminates on the world as it is and the world as it was, and writes in her notebook. Through prose ... (Goodreads)

  6. H is for Hawk

    by Helen Macdonald
    A journey of grief and healing, told through the eyes of a goshawk.

    Obsession, madness, memory, myth, and history combine to achieve a distinctive blend of nature writing and memoir from an outstanding literary innovator. When Helen Macdonald's father died suddenly ... (Goodreads)

  7. Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

    by Ralph Helfer
    The incredible true story of a boy and his elephant, Modoc, and their journey through life together.

    Modoc tells the true story of Bram, a German boy , and his elephant , Modoc. They’re both born on the same day and the same hour. Bram’s father – a third-generation elephant trainer in a circus – has ... (Wikipedia)

  8. On Ugliness

    by Umberto Eco
    A philosophical exploration of the concept of ugliness in art, culture, and society, challenging our perceptions and prejudices.

    In the mold of his acclaimed "History of Beauty," renowned cultural critic Umberto Eco's "On Ugliness" is an exploration of the monstrous and the repellant in visual culture and the arts. What is the ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People

    by Meik Wiking
    A guide to finding happiness through the Danish concept of "lykke" (happiness). Practical tips and insights from the world's happiest people.

    From the author of the international bestseller, The Little Book of Hygge, Lykke (Luu-kah) (n): Happiness It's easy to see why Denmark is often called the world's happiest country. Not only do they ... (Goodreads)

  10. Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist

    by Richard Shepherd
    A memoir of a forensic pathologist's career, detailing high-profile cases and the impact of death on his personal life.

    As the UK's top forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd has spent a lifetime uncovering the secrets of the dead. When death is sudden or unexplained, it falls to Shepherd to establish the cause. ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster

    by Sarah Krasnostein
    The biography of Sandra Pankhurst, a trauma cleaner who tidies up after deaths, suicides, and hoarders. A story of resilience and compassion.

    Winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature, Sarah Krasnostein’s, The Trauma Cleaner:,, One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster, is the fascinating biography of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Principle-Centered Leadership

    by Stephen R. Covey
    A guide to developing leadership skills based on principles and values, rather than personality or charisma.

    Learn the powerful principles Stephen R. Covey has taught to many of the world's top executives and most influential leaders. Align your organization's resources and structures to increase long-term ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

    by Helen Russell
    A British woman's experience immersing in the culture of Denmark, learning lessons on living a better life.

    Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth. When Helen Russell is forced to move to rural Jutland, can she discover the secrets of their happiness? Or will the long, dark winters and pickled ... (Goodreads)

  14. 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)

  15. My Life on the Road

    by Gloria Steinem
    Steinem's memoir of her travels as a feminist activist, sharing stories of the people and experiences that shaped her life and work.

    Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an ... (Goodreads)

  16. A Man Named Dave

    by Dave Pelzer
    A man's journey of recovery and healing, overcoming a traumatic childhood of abuse.

    More About Dave, A Man Named Dave, is the conclusion to a trio of autobiographical books by Dave Pelzer, who to millions of readers of, A Child Called "It", and, The Lost Boy, has become an ... (Goodreads)

  17. Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback

    by Robyn Davidson
    A woman's journey of self-discovery, solo-trekking through Australia's Outback.

    NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Robyn Davidson's opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the ... (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. A Long Way Home

    by Saroo Brierley
    Autobiography of a man's journey to find his family after becoming lost in India as a child.

    When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost home town half a world away, he made global headlines. Saroo had become lost on a train in India at the age of five. Not knowing the name ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Shepherd's Life: A People's History of the Lake District

    by James Rebanks
    A chronicle of life in the Lake District of England, exploring the traditional way of life of shepherds.

    Some people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

    by Michael Bungay Stanier
    Strategies for effective leadership, emphasizing the power of asking questions.

    Look for Michael’s new book,, The Advice Trap, which focuses on taming your Advice Monster so you can stay curious a little longer and change the way you lead forever. In Michael Bungay Stanier's The ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media

    by Walter Benjamin
    Reflection on the impact of technology on art, culture and society.

    Benjamin’s famous 'Work of Art' essay sets out his boldest thoughts–on media and on culture in general--in their most realized form, while retaining an edge that gets under the skin of everyone who ... (Goodreads)

  23. Boy: Tales of Childhood

    by Roald Dahl
    A humorous and heartwarming memoir of Roald Dahl's childhood in Wales and England.

    In Boy, Roald Dahl recounts his days as a child growing up in England. From his years as a prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's, Roald Dahl's ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

    by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
    A journey into the natural world and exploration of a small creature's extraordinary life.

    In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris —a common ... (Goodreads)

  25. Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing

    by Caroline Myss
    A comprehensive look at the science of spiritual healing and how to access personal power.

    Building on wisdom from Hindu, Christian, and Kaballah traditions, this comprehensive guide to energy healing reveals the hidden stresses, beliefs, and attitudes that cause illness. , Anatomy of the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. 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)

  27. Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives

    by Brian L. Weiss
    A psychiatrist discovers the power of past-life regression therapy through a young patient's experiences.

    From author and psychotherapist Dr. Brian Weiss comes the classic bestseller on the true case of the past-life therapy that changed the lives of both the prominent psychiatrist and young patient ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. The White Album

    by Joan Didion
    Collection of essays exploring 1960s counterculture in America.

    First published in 1979, Joan Didion's The White Album records indelibly the upheavals and aftermaths of the 1960s. Examining key events, figures, and trends of the era—including Charles Manson, the ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Rebel

    by Albert Camus
    Philosophical meditation on the individual's search for meaning in an absurd world.

    By one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of our century, The Rebel is a classic essay on revolution. For Albert Camus, the urge to revolt is one of the "essential dimensions" of human ... (Goodreads)

  30. Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo

    by Hayden Herrera
    The story of a passionate, revolutionary and pioneering Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo.

    Hailed by readers and critics across the country, this engrossing biography of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality, an artist whose sensual vibrancy came ... (Goodreads)