Recommendations based on Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Businessby Danny Meyer

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

  1. Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

    by Rachel Held Evans
    A memoir of a woman's journey through the ups and downs of faith, church, and spirituality.

    From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans comes a book that is both a heartfelt ode to the past and hopeful gaze into the future of what it means to be a part of the Church. Centered ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

    by Philip G. Zimbardo
    An inquiry into the psychological forces that drive individuals to act immorally.

    Renowned social psychologist and creator of the "Stanford Prison Experiment," Philip Zimbardo explores the mechanisms that make good people do bad things, how moral people can be seduced into acting ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal

    by Jim Loehr
    Strategies to reduce stress and improve performance through managing energy, rather than time.

    “Combines the gritty toughmindedness of the best coaches with the gentle-but-insistent inspiration of the most effective spiritual advisers” (,Fast Company,). This groundbreaking, New York Times, ... (Goodreads)

  4. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  5. Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

    by W. Chan Kim
    A guide to creating unique and profitable business strategies by surpassing competition.

    The global phenomenon, embraced by business worldwide and now published in more than 40 languages. This international bestseller challenges everything you thought you knew about the requirements for ... (Goodreads)

  6. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

    by David Epstein
    Argues that generalists, not specialists, are better equipped to succeed in today's complex and rapidly changing world.

    What's the most effective path to success in any domain? It's not what you think. , Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should ... (Goodreads)

  7. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

    by Seth Godin
    A guide to standing out and becoming remarkable in the modern business world.

    The acclaimed Wall Street Journal and Business Week Bestseller. You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. What do Starbucks and JetBlue and ... (Goodreads)

  8. Meditations

    by Marcus Aurelius
    Reflections on Stoic philosophy, exploring the nature of existence and how to live life.

    Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual ... (Goodreads)

  9. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

    by Chip Heath
    Exploring why certain ideas are remembered and others are forgotten, focusing on practical ways to make ideas ‘stick’.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - The instant classic about why some ideas thrive, why others die, and how to improve your idea's chances–essential reading in the "fake news" era. Mark Twain once ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Fire Next Time

    by James Baldwin
    Reflection on the plight of African Americans in a candid and deeply moving essay.

    A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation and gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement. At once a powerful evocation of James ... (Goodreads)

  11. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

    by Michael Lewis
    How an unconventional approach to baseball changed the competitive landscape.

    Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball , had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every ... (Goodreads)

  12. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    by Cal Newport
    Strategies and techniques to help readers stay focused on tasks and achieve greater success.

    One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on ... (Goodreads)

  13. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

    by Donald Miller
    A Christian's exploration of faith and spirituality, navigating its relevance in the modern world.

    The runaway New York Times bestseller that became a cornerstone of Christian nonfiction, Blue Like Jazz is a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption. ,"I never liked jazz music ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. 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)

  15. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

    by Malcolm Gladwell
    An exploration of unlikely success stories, examining conventional wisdom and biases.

    In his #1 bestselling books The Tipping Point , Blink , and Outliers , Malcolm Gladwell has explored the ways we understand and change our world. Now he looks at the complex and surprising ways the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

    by Erik Larson
    Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. The Headspace Guide to Meditation & Mindfulness

    by Andy Puddicombe
    A practical guide to meditation and mindfulness, offering techniques to calm the mind and improve overall well-being.

    Quiet the mind, feel less stressed, less tired, and achieve a new level of calm and fulfillment in just ten minutes a day Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, the Voice of Headspace, and the UK’s ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

    by Martha Stewart
    A cookbook with simple and quick recipes for everyday meals, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

    No matter how busy you are, at the end of the day you want fresh, flavorful meals that are easy to prepare. And you want lots of choices and variations—recipes that call for your favorite foods and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time

    by Greg Mortenson
    A man's mission to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan to promote peace.

    The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s ... (Goodreads)

  20. Rent

    by Jonathan Larson
    Struggling artists in New York City navigate love, friendship, and poverty amidst the AIDS epidemic.

    In these pages, Rent offers what most theater books can't: a chance to step behind the curtain and feel the electricity of a stage phenomenon as it unfolds. Rent has single-handedly reinvigorated ... (Goodreads)

  21. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    by Barack Obama
    An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.

    In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)

  22. Your Erroneous Zones

    by Wayne W. Dyer
    A guide to liberating oneself from self-destructive thoughts and habits.

    THE RECORD-BREAKING, #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER – OVER 35 MILLION COPIES SOLD The first book by Wayne Dyer, author of the multimillion-copy bestseller, Pulling Your Own Strings, and national ... (Goodreads)

  23. Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation

    by Tim Brown
    A guide to using design thinking to drive innovation and change within organizations.

    The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas ... (Goodreads)

  24. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  25. The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

    by Timothy Ferriss
    A guide to mastering cooking and learning any skill quickly, using unconventional methods and principles.

    WHAT IF YOU COULD BECOME WORLD-CLASS IN ANYTHING IN 6 MONTHS OR LESS? The 4-Hour Chef isn’t just a cookbook. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure guide to the world of rapid learning. #1 New York Times ... (Goodreads)

  26. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

    by James Clear
    A practical guide to creating and maintaining good habits, and breaking bad ones, using small, incremental changes.

    No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach ... (Goodreads)

  27. Venture Deals

    by Brad Feld
    A comprehensive guide to venture capital deals, from term sheets to negotiations, for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

    Praise for Venture Deals "My biggest nightmare is taking advantage of an entrepreneur without even realizing it. It happens because VCs are experts in financings and most entrepreneurs are not. Brad ... (Goodreads)

  28. 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)

  29. Zodiac

    by Robert Graysmith
    A true crime account of the Zodiac Killer, who terrorized Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

    Who was Zodiac? A serial killer who claimed 37 dead. A sexual sadist who taunted police with anonymous notes. A madman who was never apprehended. This is the first, complete account of Zodiac's reign ... (Goodreads)

  30. Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow: A Landmark Study of Great Leaders, Teams, and the Reasons Why We Follow

    by Tom Rath
    A study of successful leaders and teams, focusing on their strengths and how they utilize them to achieve greatness.

    From the author of the long-running #1 bestseller StrengthsFinder 2.0 comes a landmark study of great leaders, teams and the reasons why people follow. Nearly a decade ago, Gallup unveiled the ... (Barnes & Noble)