Recommendations based on Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Futureby Pete Buttigieg

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

  1. A Fighting Chance

    by Elizabeth Warren
    Autobiographical account of the Senator's rise from a middle-class family to the halls of power.

    An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works—and really doesn't—in A Fighting Chance As a child in small-town Oklahoma, ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Truths We Hold: An American Journey

    by Kamala Harris
    Memoir of Kamala Harris, detailing her life and political career, and advocating for social justice and equality.

    From one of America's most inspiring political leaders, a book about the core truths that unite us, and the long struggle to discern what those truths are and how best to act upon them, in her own ... (Goodreads)

  3. Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose

    by Joe Biden
    A personal, reflective account of a momentous and difficult year.

    The Instant #1, New York Times, Bestseller,From President-Elect Joe Biden,, Promise Me Dad , is his deeply moving memoir about the year that would forever change both a family and a country.,“Biden ... (Goodreads)

  4. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  5. Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together

    by Ron Hall
    A story of unlikely friendship and redemption, set in the backdrop of racial and economic divides.

    A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so ... (Goodreads)

  6. Fear: Trump in the White House

    by Bob Woodward
    An inside look at the chaos and dysfunction within the Trump administration, revealing the president's erratic behavior and decision-making.

    With authoritative reporting honed through eight presidencies from Nixon to Obama, author Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House ... (Goodreads)

  7. 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)

  8. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

    by Timothy Snyder
    A study of history and a call to action against the rise of authoritarianism.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller •, A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism., The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

    by Mindy Kaling
    Humorous memoir reflecting on Mindy Kaling's life and career.

    Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck - impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Year of Magical Thinking

    by Joan Didion
    A woman's reflections on life and death after the sudden loss of her husband.

    'An act of consummate literary bravery, a writer known for her clarity allowing us to watch her mind as it becomes clouded with grief.' From one of America's iconic writers, a stunning book of ... (Goodreads)

  11. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

    by John Carreyrou
    The rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent blood-testing startup, and the deceitful actions of its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

    The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

    by Megan Mullally
    A comedic memoir of the love story between actors Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman.

    At last, the full story behind Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman's epic romance, including stories, portraits, and the occasional puzzle, all telling the smoldering tale that has fascinated Hollywood ... (Goodreads)

  13. Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir

    by Amanda Knox
    Amanda Knox's memoir of her wrongful conviction and imprisonment for the murder of her roommate in Italy.

    In the fall of 2007, twenty-year old college coed Amanda Knox left Seattle to study abroad in Perugia, Italy for one year. But that November 1, her life was shattered when her roommate, British ... (Goodreads)

  14. The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House

    by Ben Rhodes
    A memoir of Ben Rhodes' time as a speechwriter and foreign policy advisor in the Obama administration.

    This is a book about two people making the most important decisions in the world. One is Barack Obama. The other is Ben Rhodes. The World As It Is tells the full story of what it means to work ... (Goodreads)

  15. Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder

    by Arianna Huffington
    A call to redefine success beyond money and power, emphasizing well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving back to society.

    In Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world. Arianna Huffington's personal wake-up call came in the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    by Barack Obama
    An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.

    In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)

  17. Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope

    by Megan Phelps-Roper
    A memoir of a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church, detailing her journey from hate to empathy and compassion.

    The activist and TED speaker Megan Phelps-Roper reveals her life growing up in the most hated family in America,At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Dude, Where's My Country?

    by Michael Moore
    A satirical critique of American politics and foreign policy, calling for a more democratic and just society.

    In case anyone in Washington hasn't noticed, Americans are fed up with the status quo. In this, the first shot fired over the bow of the 2004 Presidential election, Michael Moore aims to unseat the ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google

    by Scott Galloway
    An analysis of the four tech giants and their impact on society, culture, and the economy.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER, USA TODAY, BESTSELLER,Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are the four most influential companies on the planet. Just about everyone thinks they know how they got there. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  20. Wildflower

    by Drew Barrymore
    A collection of autobiographical essays that explore the ups and downs of Drew Barrymore's life, from childhood to present day.

    Wildflower is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and ... (Goodreads)

  21. Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career

    by Scott H. Young
    A guide to mastering hard skills quickly and effectively through self-directed learning.

    Now a Wall Street Journal bestseller. Learn a new talent, stay relevant, reinvent yourself, and adapt to whatever the workplace throws your way., Ultralearning, offers nine principles to master hard ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

    by Melinda French Gates
    Melinda Gates shares stories of empowering women and girls around the world, and how it can transform societies and lift people out of poverty.

    A debut from, Forbes', third most powerful woman in the world, Melinda Gates, a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment. For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a ... (Goodreads)

  23. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

    by James Clear
    A practical guide to creating and maintaining good habits, and breaking bad ones, using small, incremental changes.

    No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach ... (Goodreads)

  24. I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank the Irishman Sheeran & Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa

    by Charles Brandt
    A hitman confesses to his involvement in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, revealing the dark side of organized crime and politics in America.

    The first words Jimmy Hoffa ever spoke to Frank "the Irishman" Sheeran were, "I heard you paint houses." To paint a house is to kill a man. The paint is the blood that splatters on the walls and ... (Goodreads)

  25. Lucky Man

    by Michael J. Fox
    Michael J. Fox's memoir about his life, career, and battle with Parkinson's disease.

    In September 1998, Michael J. Fox stunned the world by announcing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease – a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

    by Hallie Rubenhold
    A historical account of the five women killed by Jack the Ripper, revealing their lives and challenging the myths surrounding their deaths.

    Five devastating human stories and a dark and moving portrait of Victorian London—the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane are famous ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

    by Shauna Niequist
    A guide to living a simpler, more meaningful life by letting go of perfectionism and embracing the present moment.

    OVER 500,000 COPIES SOLD! Immerse yourself in this compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Yes, Chef

    by Marcus Samuelsson
    Autobiographical account of a chef's success, from childhood in Ethiopia to the pinnacle of the culinary world.

    It begins with a simple ritual: Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother’s house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. The grandmother is Swedish, a ... (Goodreads)

  29. 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)

  30. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)