Recommendations based on The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Foodby Dan Barber

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

  1. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

    by Michael Pollan
    An exploration of the power of cooking and the four classical elements to transform food.

    In Cooked , Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to ... (Goodreads)

  2. 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)

  3. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer
    An exploration of the reciprocal relationship between humans and nature, utilizing both Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge.

    As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making

    by Alana Chernila
    A guide to making pantry staples from scratch, including bread, cheese, and condiments, with recipes and tips for beginners.

    “This is my kitchen. Come on in, but be prepared—it might not be quite what you expect. There is flour on the counter, oats that overflowed onto the floor, chocolate-encrusted spoons in the sink. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. 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)

  6. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate

    by Naomi Klein
    Examination of global capitalism's role in exacerbating climate change and potential solutions.

    Forget everything you think you know about global warming. It's not about carbon—it's about capitalism. The good news is that we can seize this crisis to transform our failed economic system and ... (Goodreads)

  7. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

    by Lindy West
    A humorous and honest memoir about growing up as a woman, challenging societal norms.

    Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible–like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you--writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered ... (Goodreads)

  8. Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

    by Mary Roach
    A journey through the digestive system, exploring its secrets and mysteries.

    The irresistible, ever-curious, and always best-selling Mary Roach returns with a new adventure to the invisible realm we carry around inside. “America’s funniest science writer” ( Washington Post ) ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. The World Without Us

    by Alan Weisman
    A thought experiment exploring how the Earth and its species would fare without the presence of humans.

    A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth In The World Without Us , Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to ... (Goodreads)

  10. Travels with Charley: In Search of America

    by John Steinbeck
    A road trip across America, exploring the culture and landscape of the country.

    A quest across America, from the northernmost tip of Maine to California’s Monterey Peninsula To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the ... (Goodreads)

  11. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    Overcoming the fear of creativity and living an inspired life.

    Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Gilbert offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us ... (Goodreads)

  12. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    A candid exploration of marriage, examining its ups and downs with a humorous and skeptical eye.

    At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love , Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. ... (Goodreads)

  13. Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

    by Yvon Chouinard
    Reflections on the journey of an environmentally conscious businessman, and the lessons learned along the way.

    In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of ... (Goodreads)

  14. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

    by Ruth Reichl
    A restaurant critic's journey to understand the art of food and dining, while hiding her true identity.

    Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be ... (Goodreads)

  15. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

    by David Quammen
    An exploration of zoonotic diseases, how animal infections spread and threaten human life.

    "[Mr. Quammen] is not just among our best science writers but among our best writers, period." —Dwight Garner,, New York Times, The next big human pandemic—the next disease cataclysm, perhaps on the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. 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)

  17. Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany

    by Bill Buford
    A culinary journey of personal & professional growth, from apprentice to master.

    The book that helped define a genre: Heat is a beloved culinary classic, an adventure in the kitchen and into Italian cuisine, by Bill Buford, author of Dirt . Bill Buford was a highly acclaimed ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. 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)

  19. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    by Charles Duhigg
    Uncovering the science of habit formation and how to use it to achieve success.

    A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns ... (Goodreads)

  20. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

    by Christopher McDougall
    A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.

    Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)

  21. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

    by Robert M. Sapolsky
    An exploration of biology, behavior, and human nature, uncovering why we act the way we do.

    Why do we do the things we do? More than a decade in the making, this game-changing book is Robert Sapolsky's genre-shattering attempt to answer that question as fully as perhaps only he could, ... (Goodreads)

  22. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

    by David Epstein
    Argues that generalists, not specialists, are better equipped to succeed in today's complex and rapidly changing world.

    What's the most effective path to success in any domain? It's not what you think. , Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should ... (Goodreads)

  23. Orange Is the New Black

    by Piper Kerman
    A memoir of a woman's experiences in prison, exploring the effects of incarceration.

    With her career, live-in boyfriend and loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the rebellious young woman who got mixed up with drug runners and delivered a suitcase of drug money to Europe over ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

    by Dalai Lama XIV
    Exploring how to find true and lasting happiness in a constantly changing world.

    Two great spiritual masters share their own hard-won wisdom about living with joy even in the face of adversity. The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in ... (Goodreads)

  25. Men Explain Things to Me

    by Rebecca Solnit
    Examines the cultural phenomenon of men explaining things to women without full understanding of the topic.

    In her comic, scathing essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things ... (Goodreads)

  26. Lab Girl

    by Hope Jahren
    A memoir about a young woman's journey to discover her scientific calling and resilience.

    Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she’s studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book is a revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also so much ... (Goodreads)

  27. Half Broke Horses

    by Jeannette Walls
    A novel based on the life of the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a resilient and adventurous woman who overcomes numerous obstacles in the American West.

    Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person ... (Goodreads)

  28. My Life in France

    by Julia Child
    A memoir of Julia Child's life in Paris, cooking and exploring French cuisine.

    The bestselling story of Julia's years in France–and the basis for Julie & Julia , starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams--in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach ... (Goodreads)

  29. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

    by Jenny Lawson
    A witty memoir of overcoming struggles with mental illness, with a focus on finding joy in the midst of darkness.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller In Furiously Happy , a humor memoir tinged with just enough tragedy and pathos to make it worthwhile, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. One Summer: America, 1927

    by Bill Bryson
    A vivid portrait of America in the summer of 1927, featuring a host of historical figures and events.

    In One Summer Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in American life. The summer of 1927 began with one of ... (Goodreads)