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Recommendations based on The Happiest Refugeeby Anh Do
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
Mao's Last Dancer
by Li Cunxin
A poor farmer's son's journey of hardship and triumph, rising from poverty to become an acclaimed ballet dancer.
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The extraordinary memoir of a peasant boy raised in rural Maoist China who was plucked from his village to study ballet and went on to become one of the greatest dancers ... (Goodreads)
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)
The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times
by Jennifer Worth
A midwife's story of bringing life into the world and the joys and struggles of living in poverty-stricken East London.
At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post war London's East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while ... (Goodreads)
The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need
by Scott Pape
A practical guide to managing personal finances, including budgeting, investing, and reducing debt.
This is the only money guide you'll ever need That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? Well, you won't be overwhelmed ... (Goodreads)
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)
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George Orwell
An exploration of the dark side of two cities, and how life can be different for the privileged and the destitute.
This unusual fictional memoir - in good part autobiographical - narrates without self-pity and often with humor the adventures of a penniless British writer among the down-and-outs of two great ... (Goodreads)
Desert Flower
by Waris Dirie
A harrowing autobiographical account of a young Somali girl's journey from oppression to freedom.
Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in the African desert when she was barely in her teens, illiterate and impoverished, with nothing to her name but a tattered shawl. She traveled alone ... (Goodreads)
Life and Death in Shanghai
by Nien Cheng
Autobiographical account of a woman's survival during China's Cultural Revolution.
In August 1966 a group of Red Guards ransacked the home of Nien Cheng. Her background made her an obvious target for the fanatics of the Cultural Revolution: educated in London, the widow of an ... (Goodreads)
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
by Jung Chang
A family memoir spanning decades of Chinese history, exploring the power of resilience.
The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten ... (Goodreads)
A Moveable Feast
by Ernest Hemingway
A memoir of Hemingway's life in 1920s Paris, exploring its rich bohemian culture.
Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the twenties are deeply personal, warmly affectionate, and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, ... (Goodreads)
Lucky
by Alice Sebold
A young woman's story of survival and resilience after being violently attacked.
In a memoir hailed for its searing candor and wit, Alice Sebold reveals how her life was utterly transformed when, as an eighteen-year-old college freshman, she was brutally raped and beaten in a ... (Goodreads)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain
An exploration of the power of introversion, examining the implications of modern society's emphasis on extroversion.
The book that started the Quiet Revolution, At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike ... (Goodreads)
Long Walk to Freedom
by Nelson Mandela
A remarkable story of courage, perseverance and hope in the face of oppression.
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel ... (Goodreads)
In a Sunburned Country
by Bill Bryson
Exploration of the unique and diverse land, people and animals of Australia.
A CLASSIC FROM THE, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF, ONE SUMMER , Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the ... (Goodreads)
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)
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
by Eric Metaxas
A biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who opposed the Nazi regime.
Who better to face the greatest evil of the 20 th -century than a humble man of faith? As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of ... (Barnes & Noble)
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.
"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)
Happy Accidents
by Jane Lynch
Memoir of Jane Lynch's journey to becoming a successful actress, embracing her sexuality and finding happiness in unexpected places.
In the summer of 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence. But it was a long way from the South Side ... (Barnes & Noble)
That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
by Marc Randolph
Co-founder Marc Randolph shares the story of how Netflix went from a small startup to a global entertainment powerhouse.
In the tradition of Phil Knight's, Shoe Dog, comes the incredible untold story of how Netflix went from concept to company-all revealed by co-founder and first CEO Marc Randolph. Once upon a time, ... (Barnes & Noble)
She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall
by Misty Bernall
The story of Cassie Bernall, a victim of the Columbine High School shooting, and her unwavering faith in the face of tragedy.
In a perverse celebration of Hitler's birthday, two heavily armed students stormed through a Colorado school on April 20, 1999, killing as many people as they could. Confronting 17-year-old Cassie ... (Goodreads)
The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search
by Martin Sixsmith
A true story of a mother's search for her son, who was taken away from her by nuns and sold for adoption in America.
When she became pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to a convent to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” Then the nuns took her baby from her and sold him, like ... (Goodreads)
The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
by Robin S. Sharma
A fable about a lawyer's journey to enlightenment through the teachings of a monk.
The much-anticipated new book in the number 1 bestselling Monk series, a compelling and timely fable about living your best life in these complex times Published in over 46 languages, with more than ... (Goodreads)
Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls
by Lauren Graham
An intimate memoir of the actor's experience playing Lorelai Gilmore and her journey to becoming an author.
NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of, Gilmore Girls, and, Parenthood, reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along ... (Barnes & Noble)
Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity
by Kerry Cohen
A candid memoir of a woman's journey through promiscuity, exploring the emotional and psychological effects of her experiences.
For everyone who was that girl., For everyone who knew that girl., For everyone who wondered who that girl was. Kerry Cohen is eleven years old when she recognizes the power of her body in the leer ... (Barnes & Noble)
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)
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee
by Sarah Silverman
A comedic account of a woman's journey to overcome her childhood bedwetting.
From the outrageously filthy and oddly innocent comedienne Sarah Silverman comes a memoir—her first book—that is at once shockingly personal, surprisingly poignant, and still pee-in-your-pants funny. ... (Goodreads)
My Story: "A Child Called It", "The Lost Boy", "A Man Named Dave"
by Dave Pelzer
An autobiographical account of a young boy's harrowing journey through childhood abuse and neglect.
Dave Pelzer's remarkable journey from a child who lived in terror of his unstable, violently unpredictable mother's every move, to his emergence as an inspiration the world over is a remarkable tale ... (Goodreads)
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)
Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
by Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox's memoir about his life with Parkinson's disease and how he maintains a positive outlook despite the challenges.
There are many words to describe Michael J. Fox: Actor. Husband. Father. Activist. But readers of Always Looking Up will soon add another to the list: Optimist. Michael writes about the hard-won ... (Goodreads)
A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson
A captivating overview of the natural sciences, spanning the history of the universe.
In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory ... (Goodreads)
