Recommendations based on Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Lifeby Steven Johnson

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

  1. Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

    by V.S. Ramachandran
    An exploration of the human brain, examining its functions and mysteries.

    Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients

    by Irvin D. Yalom
    A guide to the principles of psychotherapy, exploring the relationship between therapist and patient.

    Acclaimed author and renowned psychiatrist Irvin D. Yalom distills thirty-five years of psychotherapy wisdom into one brilliant volume. The culmination of master psychiatrist Dr. Irvin D. Yalom’s ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression

    by Andrew Solomon
    Exhaustive exploration of depression, its causes, and its effects on individuals and society.

    With uncommon humanity, candor, wit, and erudition, award-winning author Andrew Solomon takes the reader on a journey of incomparable range and resonance into the most pervasive of family secrets. ... (Goodreads)

  4. On Bullshit

    by Harry G. Frankfurt
    A philosophical exploration of the concept of bullshit, and its implications in society.

    One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

    by Richard Dawkins
    An exploration of the evidence and science of evolution, highlighting its importance in understanding the history of life on Earth.

    Charles Darwin’s masterpiece, On the Origin of Species , shook society to its core on publication in 1859. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would ... (Goodreads)

  6. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

    by Jared Diamond
    Study of past societies' successes and failures in terms of environmental, economic, and political decisions.

    Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Art of Loving

    by Erich Fromm
    Philosophical treatise on the power of love, exploring its various forms and roles in society.

    The fiftieth Anniversary Edition of the groundbreaking international bestseller that has shown millions of readers how to achieve rich, productive lives by developing their hidden capacities for love ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

    by Brian Greene
    Exploring the hidden realms of physics, in pursuit of a unified theory of nature.

    Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of eleven dimensions, where the fabric of ... (Goodreads)

  9. 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)

  10. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

    by Siddhartha Mukherjee
    A comprehensive account of the history and science of cancer, from its origins to modern treatments.

    An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found, here, and, here,. The Emperor of All Maladies is a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer - from its first documented ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  12. 1776

    by David McCullough
    A riveting account of the events leading up to and during the American Revolution.

    In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence - when the whole American ... (Goodreads)

  13. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

    by David Allen
    A guide to improving efficiency and productivity through better organization.

    The book, Lifehack, calls ,"The Bible of business and personal productivity.","A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'",—,Fast ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. 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)

  15. The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

    by Marina Keegan
    Collection of essays and stories exploring love, loss, and the complexities of life.

    An affecting and hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate whose title essay captured the world’s attention in 2012 and turned her into an icon for ... (Goodreads)

  16. Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness

    by Tracy Kidder
    A young man escapes genocide in Burundi and arrives in New York City with nothing. His journey to rebuild his life is a testament to the human spirit.

    Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him – a brilliant testament to the power of will ... (Goodreads)

  17. 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)

  18. The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

    by Leonard Susskind
    A physicist's account of his debate with Stephen Hawking over the nature of black holes and the implications for quantum mechanics.

    What happens when something is sucked into a black hole? Does it disappear? Three decades ago, a young physicist named Stephen Hawking claimed it did, and in doing so put at risk everything we know ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Mind's Eye

    by Oliver Sacks
    An exploration of the mysteries of vision and perception, and the neurological basis of visual experience.

    In Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks explored music and the brain; now, in The Mind's Eye, he writes about the myriad ways in which we experience the visual world: how we see in three dimensions; how we ... (Goodreads)

  20. Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

    by Daniel Goleman
    Understanding the importance of social intelligence in our daily lives and how it shapes our relationships with others.

    Emotional Intelligence was an international phenomenon, appearing on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and selling more than five million copies worldwide. Now, once again, Daniel ... (Goodreads)

  21. Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics

    by Gary Zukav
    An exploration of the emergent theories of quantum physics, and their implications for our understanding of reality.

    Gary Zukav has written "the Bible" for those who are curious about the mind-expanding discoveries of advanced physics, but who have no scientific background. Like a Wu Li Master who would teach us ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

    by Vincent van Gogh
    Collection of letters written by Vincent van Gogh, revealing his artistic struggles, personal life, and mental health battles.

    A new selection of post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gough's letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh put a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this ... (Goodreads)

  23. Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

    by Joel Fuhrman
    Explores how to lose weight through nutrition and lifestyle changes.

    When Mehmet Oz or any of New York's leading doctors has a patient whose life depends on losing weight, they call on Joel Fuhrman, M.D. In EAT TO LIVE, Dr. Fuhrman offers his healthy, effective, and ... (Goodreads)

  24. Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days

    by Jessica Livingston
    Collection of stories from some of the greatest entrepreneurs, sharing their journey and experiences as founders.

    Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days is a collection of interviews with founders of famous technology companies about what happened in the very earliest days. These people are ... (Goodreads)

  25. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

    by David Sheff
    An intimate look at a father's struggle to understand and help his son through his addiction.

    With a new afterword Now a Major Motion Picture What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through ... (Goodreads)

  26. Where Good Ideas Come from: The Natural History of Innovation

    by Steven Johnson
    A study of the patterns and environments that foster innovation, from the coffeehouses of the Enlightenment to the internet age.

    The printing press, the pencil, the flush toilet, the battery–these are all great ideas. But where do they come from? What kind of environment breeds them? What sparks the flash of brilliance? How do ... (Goodreads)

  27. The C Programming Language

    by Brian W. Kernighan
    Classic guide to the C programming language, covering syntax, data types, control flow, and more. A must-read for any aspiring programmer.

    This book is meant to help the reader learn how to program in C. It is the definitive reference guide, now in a second edition. Although the first edition was written in 1978, it continues to be a ... (Goodreads)

  28. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy

    by Thomas Sowell
    An exploration of economic principles, providing an accessible introduction to the world of economics.

    Basic Economics is a citizen's guide to economics-for those who want to understand how the economy works but have no interest in jargon or equations. Sowell reveals the general principles behind any ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Post-American World

    by Fareed Zakaria
    Exploring the changing global order, and the implications for America's future.

    "This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else." So begins Fareed Zakaria's important new work on the era we are now entering. Following on the success ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

    by Christopher Hitchens
    Selection of essays, articles, and excerpts from some of the greatest minds in atheism.

    From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great , a provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages with never-before-published pieces by ... (Goodreads)