Recommendations based on The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionismby Ross King

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

  1. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

    by Ross King
    An exploration of the artistic genius of Michelangelo, and the turbulent politics behind the Sistine Chapel.

    In 1508, despite strong advice to the contrary, the powerful Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the newly restored Sistine Chapel. With little experience as a painter ... (Goodreads)

  2. Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

    by Ross King
    A look into the remarkable life and legacy of the pioneering artist and architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.

    The, New York Times, bestselling, award winning story of the construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Renaissance genius who reinvented architecture to build it. On ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. Color: A Natural History of the Palette

    by Victoria Finlay
    Exploration of the history, science, and cultural significance of color.

    Discover the tantalizing true stories behind your favorite colors. For example: Cleopatra used saffron—a source of the color yellow—for seduction. Extracted from an Afghan mine, the blue ... (Goodreads)

  4. Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils

    by David Bayles
    A guide for artists on how to overcome the fears and doubts that come with creating art and how to persevere through the creative process.

    "This is a book about making art. Ordinary art. Ordinary art means something like: all art not made by Mozart. After all, art is rarely made by Mozart-like people; essentially-statistically ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Story of Art

    by E.H. Gombrich
    Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric to modern times.

    The Story of Art, one of the most famous and popular books on art ever written, has been a world bestseller for over four decades. Attracted by the simplicity and clarity of his writing, readers of ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Power of Art

    by Simon Schama
    Exploration of the ways in which art has shaped the world, from antiquity to the present.

    "Great art has dreadful manners," Simon Schama observes wryly at the start of his epic and explosive exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. "The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

    by Twyla Tharp
    A guide to developing and sustaining creativity, using tools and rituals for success.

    Creativity is not a gift from the gods, says Twyla Tharp, bestowed by some divine and mystical spark. It is the product of preparation and effort, and it's within reach of everyone who wants to ... (Goodreads)

  8. Concerning the Spiritual in Art

    by Wassily Kandinsky
    A philosophical examination of the spiritual and creative power of art.

    A pioneering work in the movement to free art from its traditional bonds to material reality, this book is one of the most important documents in the history of modern art. Written by the famous ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States

    by Founding Fathers
    America's foundation documents, outlining the nation's core values and ideals.

    The Declaration of Independence was the promise of a representative government; the Constitution was the fulfillment of that promise. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a ... (Goodreads)

  10. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

    by Betty Edwards
    Exploring creativity through the science of art, unlocking the power of the right side of the brain.

    When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty ... (Goodreads)

  11. 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)

  12. The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

    by Julia Cameron
    Exploring the power of the creative spirit and unlocking the potential of the inner artist.

    The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital ... (Goodreads)

  13. Orthodoxy

    by G.K. Chesterton
    An exploration of the spiritual and moral foundations of Christianity.

    This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative. Many critics complained of the book because it merely criticised current philosophies ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

    by Simon Winchester
    True story of a murderer's contribution to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.

    The book tells the story of the making of the, Oxford English Dictionary, (OED) and one of its most prolific early contributors, William Chester Minor , a retired United States Army surgeon . Minor ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Drawing from Memory

    by Allen Say
    A memoir of Allen Say's childhood in Japan and his journey to become an artist in America.

    DRAWING FROM MEMORY is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

    by Eric Schlosser
    An exploration of the industrial food system and its effects on U.S. society.

    Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list ... (Goodreads)

  17. Walden

    by Henry David Thoreau
    A reflective journey into nature, exploring the power of contemplation and simplicity.

    Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time that Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

    by Allison Hoover Bartlett
    A non-fiction account of a notorious book thief and the bibliophile detective who pursued him. A fascinating exploration of the world of rare book collecting.

    Set within the world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Shock of the New

    by Robert Hughes
    A critical analysis of modern art and its evolution from the Industrial Revolution to the present day.

    A beautifully illustrated hundred-year history of modern art, from cubism to pop and avant-garde. More than 250 color photos. ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Heart of a Woman

    by Maya Angelou
    A lyrical memoir of a woman's struggle for independence and self-fulfillment.

    Maya Angelou has fascinated, moved, and inspired countless readers with the first three volumes of her autobiography, one of the most remarkable personal narratives of our age. Now, in her fourth ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying

    by Nina Riggs
    A poignant memoir of a woman's journey through terminal cancer, exploring life, love, and mortality with grace and humor.

    * INSTANT, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER * “Stunning...heartrending...this year’s, When Breath Becomes Air,.” —Nora Krug,, The Washington Post, “Beautiful and haunting.” —Matt McCarthy, MD,, USA TODAY, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir on the author's journey through addiction, loss, and grief, finding hope and healing through faith, community, and creativity.

    “Lamott’s …most insightful book yet,, Stitches, offers plenty of her characteristic witty wisdom…this slim, readable volume [is] a lens on life, widening and narrowing, encouraging each reader to ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Lives of the Artists

    by Giorgio Vasari
    A collection of biographies of Italian Renaissance artists, revealing their lives, works, and techniques.

    Packed with facts, attributions, and entertaining anecdotes about his contemporaries, Giorgio Vasari's collection of biographical accounts also presents a highly influential theory of the development ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Lost Painting

    by Jonathan Harr
    The search for a lost masterpiece by Caravaggio, and the fascinating history behind its disappearance and rediscovery.

    An Italian village on a hilltop near the Adriatic coast, a decaying palazzo facing the sea, and in the basement, cobwebbed and dusty, lit by a single bulb, an archive unknown to scholars. Here, a ... (Goodreads)

  25. It Chooses You

    by Miranda July
    A collection of stories and interviews about the author's experience buying items from people who advertised them in the PennySaver classifieds.

    In the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the ... (Goodreads)

  26. Year of the Monkey

    by Patti Smith
    A memoir of a year of change, loss, and transformation, filled with dreams, reflections, and encounters with the surreal.

    From the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids and M Train , a profound, beautifully realized memoir in which dreams and reality are vividly woven into a tapestry of one transformative ... (Goodreads)

  27. In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

    by Steven Levy
    An inside look at the history, culture, and technology behind Google, the world's most powerful search engine and tech giant.

    Written with full cooperation from top management, including cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, this is the inside story behind Google, the most successful and most admired technology company of ... (Goodreads)

  28. Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field

    by Barbara Ann Brennan
    A comprehensive guide to understanding and working with the human energy field for healing and personal growth.

    With the clarity of a physicist and the compassion of a gifted healer with more than twenty years of professional experience observing 5,000 clients and students, Barbara Ann Brennan presents the ... (Goodreads)

  29. Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

    by Casey Cep
    The true crime story of Reverend Willie Maxwell and the trial that fascinated Harper Lee.

    The story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird . Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Americans

    by Robert Frank
    A photographic journey through America in the 1950s, capturing the essence of American culture and society.

    Introduction by Jack Kerouac. There is no question that Robert Frank's The Americans is the most famous and influential photography book ever published. It was 1959 when the book first came out: a ... (Goodreads)