Recommendations based on The Boy on the Wooden Boxby Leon Leyson

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

  1. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women

    by Kate Moore
    Uncovering the untold story of female factory workers poisoned by radium paint in 1920s America.

    A New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal , and Amazon Charts Bestseller! For fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives

    by Caitlin Alifirenka
    True story of the meaningful friendship between an American teen and a girl from Zimbabwe, sparked by a letter.

    The true story of an all-American girl and a boy from an impoverished city in Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever. It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin's ... (Goodreads)

  4. 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)

  5. Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

    by Todd Burpo
    A young boy's spiritual journey of dying and visiting Heaven, and the aftermath of his visions.

    Unglaublich oder erstaunlich? Urteilen Sie selbst: Colton ist vier Jahre alt, als er lebensgefährlich erkrankt und operiert werden muss. Er überlebt um Haaresbreite. Später erzählt er seinen Eltern, ... (Goodreads)

  6. Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors

    by Piers Paul Read
    Story of a group of Uruguayan rugby players who survive a plane crash in the Andes and must fight to stay alive.

    On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

    by Richard Preston
    An exploration of the discovery and containment of one of world's deadliest viruses.

    A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret ... (Goodreads)

  8. 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)

  9. Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

    by Steve Sheinkin
    A riveting account of the race to build the world's first atomic bomb during WWII.

    In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific ... (Goodreads)

  10. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

    by Peter Hessler
    A memoir of a Peace Corps volunteer's two-year stay in a small Chinese town on the Yangtze River, exploring the culture and history of the region.

    In the heart of China's Sichuan province lies the small city of Fuling. Surrounded by the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, Fuling has long been a place of continuity, far from the bustling ... (Goodreads)

  11. An Invisible Thread

    by Laura Schroff
    A miraculous story of an unlikely friendship that changed two lives forever.

    From #1, New York Times, bestselling authors Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski comes the young readers edition of an unbelievable memoir about an unlikely friendship that forever changed the lives ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

    by Brian Wansink
    An exploration of the psychological, environmental and physiological factors that drive us to eat more than we need.

    This book will literally change the way you think about your next meal. Food psychologist Brian Wansink revolutionizes our awareness of how much, what, and why we’re eating—often without realizing ... (Goodreads)

  13. 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)

  14. Mindfulness in Plain English

    by Henepola Gunaratana
    Comprehensive guide to the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, for achieving mental clarity and peace.

    Author Bhante Gunaratana, a renowned meditation master, takes us step by step through the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. This expanded edition includes ... (Goodreads)

  15. Life on the Mississippi

    by Mark Twain
    A journey down the Mississippi River, capturing the beauty and history of the American South.

    A stirring account of America's vanished past... The book that earned Mark Twain his first recognition as a serious writer... Discover the magic of life on the Mississippi. At once a romantic history ... (Goodreads)

  16. James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small

    by James Herriot
    Collection of delightful tales of animals and their human companions, filled with warmth and joy.

    Children have always found a delightful friend in James Herriot. His award-winning stories for young readers bring the farmyard world of Herriot's Yorkshire to vibrant life. Featuring a host of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust

    by Edith Hahn Beer
    An incredible true story of a Jewish woman's courage and determination to survive the Holocaust.

    Edith Hahn was an outspoken young woman studying law in Vienna when the Gestapo forced Edith and her mother into a ghetto, issuing them papers branded with a "J." Soon, Edith was taken away to a ... (Goodreads)

  18. Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe

    by Laurence Bergreen
    Exploration of Magellan's circumnavigation of the world and its implications.

    Ferdinand Magellan's daring circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century was a three-year odyssey filled with sex, violence, and amazing adventure. Now in Over the Edge of the World , ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

    by Paul Hattaway
    The inspiring story of a Chinese Christian's perseverance in the face of persecution.

    The dramatic autobiography of one of China's dedicated, courageous, and intensely persecuted house church leaders. This is the gripping story of how God took a young, half-starved boy from a poor ... (Goodreads)

  20. Letter to a Christian Nation

    by Sam Harris
    A refutation of religious dogma and an argument for the supremacy of reason.

    In response to The End of Faith , Sam Harris received thousands of letters from Christians excoriating him for not believing in God. Letter to A Christian Nation is his reply. Using rational ... (Goodreads)

  21. Tortured for Christ

    by Richard Wurmbrand
    The true story of a Romanian pastor's brutal imprisonment and torture for his faith in communist prisons.

    One Man Who Dared to Stand Up Months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, constant suffering from hunger and cold, the anguish of brainwashing and mental cruelty—these are the ... (Goodreads)

  22. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

    by David Platt
    A call to Christians to reject the materialistic American Dream and embrace radical obedience to Jesus Christ.

    WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU? , It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom

    by Corrie ten Boom
    A remarkable testament to faith and courage in the face of unfathomable odds and unspeakable horrors.

    The book begins with the ten Boom family celebrating the 100th anniversary of the family business; they sell and repair watches under the family's elderly father, Casper ten Boom . The business takes ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Black Like Me

    by John Howard Griffin
    A white journalist darkens his skin and travels through the segregated South, experiencing racism firsthand.

    THE HISTORY-MAKING CLASSIC ABOUT CROSSING THE COLOR LINE IN AMERICA'S SEGREGATED SOUTH,“One of the deepest, most penetrating documents yet set down on the racial question.”—,Atlanta Journal & ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. All Things Bright and Beautiful

    by James Herriot
    A heartwarming memoir of a veterinarian's journey in the Yorkshire countryside.

    A tie-in to the upcoming PBS Masterpiece series and Christmas special., The second volume in the multimillion copy bestselling series. Millions of readers have delighted in the wonderful storytelling ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

    by Immaculée Ilibagiza
    True story of a woman's faith and resilience in the face of the Rwandan genocide.

    Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family ... (Goodreads)

  27. 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)

  28. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A guide for raising children with feminist values, and advocating for gender equality.

    From the best-selling author of, Americanah, and, We Should All Be Feminists, comes a powerful new statement about feminism today–written as a letter to a friend. A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi ... (Goodreads)

  29. Brown Girl Dreaming

    by Jacqueline Woodson
    A poetic memoir of a young girl's coming-of-age in the Civil Rights era.

    Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. ... (Goodreads)

  30. Sh*t My Dad Says

    by Justin Halpern
    Collection of humorous musings and witticisms from an elderly father.

    After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Halpern found himself living at home with his seventy-three-year-old dad. Sam Halpern, who is "like Socrates, but angrier, ... (Goodreads)