Recommendations based on Humans of New York: Storiesby Brandon Stanton

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

  1. Humans of New York

    by Brandon Stanton
    Collection of stories and photographs of people from all walks of life in New York City.

    A beautiful, heartfelt, funny and inspiring collection of photographs capturing the spirit of a city, In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton set out on an ambitious project: to ... (Goodreads)

  2. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

    by Matthew Desmond
    An exploration of eviction’s devastating consequences on the lives of the urban poor.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF, TIME,’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • One of the most acclaimed books of our time, this modern classic “has set a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. When You Are Engulfed in Flames

    by David Sedaris
    Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.

    It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)

  4. Salt

    by Nayyirah Waheed
    A lyrical collection of poems about love, loss, identity and truth.

    salt. a literary work. ... (Goodreads)

  5. Modern Romance

    by Aziz Ansari
    A humorous exploration of contemporary love, using the latest research and personal anecdotes.

    At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. ... (Goodreads)

  6. 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)

  7. 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)

  8. When I Was Puerto Rican

    by Esmeralda Santiago
    A young woman's memoir of her immigrant journey from Puerto Rico to New York City.

    Esmeralda Santiago is the oldest child her parents have together, although her father has an older daughter she doesn't know about. Her parents' relationship is damaged as her mother suspects her ... (Wikipedia)

  9. We Should All Be Feminists

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.

    What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)

  10. You're Never Weird on the Internet

    by Felicia Day
    Memoir of an unconventional life in Hollywood, embracing individuality and creativity.

    The instant, New York Times, bestseller from “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day,, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (,Forbes,) memoir ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

    by Steve Martin
    A memoir of the comedian's rise to fame, from the early days of stand-up comedy to the heights of success.

    In the midseventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the ... (Goodreads)

  12. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory

    by Caitlin Doughty
    A journey through the funeral industry, exploring death, grief, and the beauty of life.

    "Morbid and illuminating" ( Entertainment Weekly )—a young mortician goes behind the scenes of her curious profession. Armed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

    by Barbara Demick
    Exploration of the lives of North Koreans during the famine and repression of the 1990s.

    Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

    by Amanda Palmer
    A memoir about the power of asking for help and the importance of connection in art and life.

    Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. ... (Goodreads)

  15. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

    The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir of the author's journey towards faith, filled with humor, honesty, and raw emotion.

    Despite–or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird , her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained ... (Goodreads)

  17. Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity

    by Andrew Solomon
    An exploration of how parents and children adjust to extraordinary differences, and how it affects their dynamic.

    Andrew Solomon’s startling proposition in Far from the Tree is that being exceptional is at the core of the human condition—that difference is what unites us. He writes about families coping with ... (Goodreads)

  18. 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)

  19. Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

    by J.K. Rowling
    An exploration of the power of imagination, and the importance of embracing failure.

    In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

    by James McBride
    A memoir of a black man's journey to understand his white mother's past and how it shaped his own identity.

    Touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A ... (Goodreads)

  21. Love Warrior

    by Glennon Doyle Melton
    A woman's story of overcoming past traumas to live an empowered life of love and redemption.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller Oprah's Book Club 2016 Selection A memoir of marriage and self-discovery by bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring account of ... (Goodreads)

  22. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    by John Berendt
    A journalist's exploration of a mysterious murder in Savannah, Georgia.

    A sublime and seductive reading experience. This portrait of a beguiling Southern city was a best-seller (though a flop as a movie). ~ Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, ... (Goodreads)

  23. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

    by Allie Brosh
    A humorous and candid account of the author's life, exploring the highs and lows of everyday life.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s, Hyperbole and a Half, showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

    by Chris Hadfield
    Experiences and insights from a veteran astronaut's career, empowering readers to achieve their greatest goals.

    Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a ... (Goodreads)

  25. Calypso

    by David Sedaris
    A collection of humorous and poignant essays about family, aging, and mortality, with Sedaris' signature wit and self-deprecating humor.

    David Sedaris returns with his most deeply personal and darkly hilarious book., If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what ... (Goodreads)

  26. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

    by Cary Elwes
    Behind the scenes stories from the making of the cult classic film, The Princess Bride.

    From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride , comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with ... (Goodreads)

  27. Columbine

    by Dave Cullen
    Investigation into the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, exploring the perpetrators and the aftermath.

    "The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . . " So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a ... (Goodreads)

  28. Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

    by Blake Snyder
    Step-by-step guide to writing a successful screenplay, using the "Save the Cat" approach.

    This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat! ... (Goodreads)

  29. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

    by Charles C. Mann
    Re-examination of the pre-Columbian Americas, uncovering new evidence of its history.

    In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.,Contrary to what so many ... (Goodreads)

  30. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls

    by David Sedaris
    A collection of humorous essays and stories, exploring the absurdities of everyday life through the lens of the author's unique perspective.

    A guy walks into a bar car and... From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you ... (Goodreads)