Recommendations based on Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriageby Elizabeth Gilbert

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

  1. Half Broke Horses

    by Jeannette Walls
    A novel based on the life of the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a resilient and adventurous woman who overcomes numerous obstacles in the American West.

    Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person ... (Goodreads)

  2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    Overcoming the fear of creativity and living an inspired life.

    Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Gilbert offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

    by Michael Pollan
    Exploration of the modern food chain, examining the impact of food choices on our health and the environment.

    What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire , how we answer it today, at ... (Goodreads)

  4. 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)

  5. 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)

  6. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

    by Atul Gawande
    A guide to better decision-making, exploring the power of checklists in various fields.

    The, New York Times, bestselling author of, Better, and, Complications, reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the ... (Goodreads)

  7. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

    by John Gray
    A look at the different ways men and women communicate and interact.

    Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to Earth and amnesia set in: they ... (Goodreads)

  8. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog

    by John Grogan
    A heartfelt journey of a family and their beloved, but mischievous, dog.

    John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of ... (Goodreads)

  9. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

    by Cheryl Strayed
    Collection of heartfelt advice from a wise and compassionate storyteller.

    Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills - and it can be great: you've had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

    by Eckhart Tolle
    A journey of self-transformation, learning to live in the present moment and liberate oneself.

    Eckhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, ... (Goodreads)

  11. The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

    by Joshua Becker
    A guide to minimalism, encouraging readers to declutter and simplify their lives to find true happiness and purpose.

    Don’t Settle for More Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Orange Is the New Black

    by Piper Kerman
    A memoir of a woman's experiences in prison, exploring the effects of incarceration.

    With her career, live-in boyfriend and loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the rebellious young woman who got mixed up with drug runners and delivered a suitcase of drug money to Europe over ... (Goodreads)

  13. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

    by Nicholas D. Kristof
    Examining the global struggle of women and how to empower them in the face of oppression.

    From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. With Pulitzer ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Secret

    by Rhonda Byrne
    A journey of self-empowerment, unlocking the power of positive thinking.

    Alternate cover edition of, ISBN 9781582701707,. The worldwide bestselling phenomenon that has helped millions tap the power of the law that governs all our lives to create—intentionally and ... (Goodreads)

  15. Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture

    by Peggy Orenstein
    An exploration of the effects of the girlie-girl culture on young girls and their parents.

    The acclaimed author of the groundbreaking bestseller, Schoolgirls, reveals the dark side of pink and pretty: the rise of the girlie-girl, she warns, is not that innocent., Sweet and sassy or ... (Goodreads)

  16. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

    by Jon Krakauer
    An exploration of the fundamentalist Mormon faith, its history, and the power of religious extremism.

    A Story of Violent Faith A multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. This is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of ... (Goodreads)

  17. Letter to My Daughter

    by Maya Angelou
    Collection of essays from a mother to her daughter, exploring life lessons, history, and love.

    For a world of devoted readers, a much-awaited new volume of absorbing stories and inspirational wisdom from one of our best-loved writers. Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around ... (Goodreads)

  18. 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)

  19. The World Without Us

    by Alan Weisman
    A thought experiment exploring how the Earth and its species would fare without the presence of humans.

    A penetrating, page-turning tour of a post-human Earth In The World Without Us , Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to ... (Goodreads)

  20. Infidel

    by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
    A memoir of a woman's journey of faith, identity, and self-liberation.

    One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would ... (Goodreads)

  21. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

    by Christopher McDougall
    A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.

    Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)

  22. Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

    by Gabrielle Hamilton
    A memoir of a chef's journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring the struggles of creating an independent life.

    Before Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life. Blood, Bones & Butter follows an ... (Goodreads)

  23. Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace With Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan

    by Greg Mortenson
    True story of a man's determination to promote peace and education in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    From the author of the #1 bestseller Three Cups of Tea , the continuing story of this determined humanitarian's efforts to promote peace through education. In this dramatic first-person narrative, ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

    by Gretchen Rubin
    A memoir of a woman's year-long journey to find happiness by making small changes in her daily life.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller “An enlightening, laugh-aloud read. . . . Filled with open, honest glimpses into [Rubin’s] real life, woven together with constant doses of humor.” —,Christian Science ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

    by Wes Moore
    Two men of the same name, with different life stories, highlighting the power of choices.

    Two kids with the same name lived in the same decaying city. One went on to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated combat veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader. The other is serving a life ... (Goodreads)

  26. Under the Tuscan Sun

    by Frances Mayes
    A woman's journey of self-discovery and renewal through a move to Tuscany.

    The story details the trials that Frances and her husband Ed had to go through to renovate their Tuscan property, an abandoned villa ( Bramasole ) in rural Cortona in Tuscany . As university ... (Wikipedia)

  27. At Home: A Short History of Private Life

    by Bill Bryson
    An exploration of the extraordinary and often overlooked history of the home.

    “Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.” Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has ... (Goodreads)

  28. 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)

  29. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

    by Anne Fadiman
    Exploring the cultural divide between the Hmong people and the medical establishment.

    Lia Lee was born in 1982 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, ... (Goodreads)

  30. 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)