Recommendations based on The Internet is a Playgroundby David Thorne

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

  1. Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World

    by Michael Lewis
    A journey through the economic crisis in Europe and the United States, and its global implications.

    The tsunami of cheap credit that rolled across the planet between 2002 and 2008 was more than a simple financial phenomenon: it was temptation, offering entire societies the chance to reveal aspects ... (Goodreads)

  2. Stitches

    by David Small
    A graphic memoir of a boy's struggle with illness, family secrets, and his own voice.

    One day David Small awoke from a supposedly harmless operation to discover that he had been transformed into a virtual mute. A vocal cord removed, his throat slashed and stitched together like a ... (Goodreads)

  3. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

    by Chuck Klosterman
    An exploration of pop culture and its influence on contemporary life.

    Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and an almost effortless ability to ... (Goodreads)

  4. I Am America

    by Stephen Colbert
    Humorous exploration of American culture, politics and history.

    Congratulations –just by opening the cover of this book you became 25% more patriotic. From Stephen Colbert, the host of television's highest-rated punditry show The Colbert Report , comes the book ... (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. 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)

  7. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

    by Jenny Lawson
    A humorous and candid memoir of a woman's life, incorporating stories from her childhood to adulthood.

    The #1, New York Times, bestselling (mostly true) memoir from the hilarious author of, Furiously Happy,.,“Gaspingly funny and wonderfully inappropriate.”—,O, The Oprah Magazine, When Jenny Lawson was ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. Naturally Tan

    by Tan France
    Memoir of Tan France's journey from a small town in England to becoming a fashion icon and Queer Eye star.

    A, USA Today, Hottest Book of the Summer for 2019! A Best Nonfiction Book for 2019 in, Women's Day,! One of Hello Giggles's "Most Anticipated Books of 2019 to Add to Your Reading List"! “Just when I ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast

    by Jonathan Safran Foer
    A call to action for individuals to make small changes in their daily lives to combat climate change and save the planet.

    Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change ... (Goodreads)

  10. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

    by David Sedaris
    A humorous collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on family relationships.

    David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother’s wedding. He mops his sister’s floor. He gives directions ... (Goodreads)

  11. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

    by James W. Loewen
    Exposing the inaccuracies in American history textbooks and exploring the forces that shaped them.

    “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed for history in our educational system and a one-volume education in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety

    by Sarah Wilson
    A personal account of living with anxiety and how to transform it into a positive force.

    New York Times Bestseller "Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read.” – Mark Manson, #1, New York Times, bestselling author of, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,, The ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

    by David Rakoff
    A collection of humorous essays on the absurdities of modern life, consumerism, and the pursuit of luxury.

    A bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess from an award-winning humorist. Whether David Rakoff's contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the ... (Goodreads)

  14. Naked

    by David Sedaris
    Collection of humorous essays exploring the absurdities of everyday life.

    Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked , Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, ... (Goodreads)

  15. The God Delusion

    by Richard Dawkins
    Scientific exploration of the evidence for and against religious belief.

    A preeminent scientist - and the world's most prominent atheist - asserts the irrationality of belief in God, and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With ... (Goodreads)

  16. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

    by Marc Weissbluth
    Guide to creating healthy sleep habits in children to ensure a lifetime of restful sleep.

    The child care classic is now totally revised and updated as Dr. Weissbluth, a leading researcher on sleep and children, promotes a revolutionary program to ensure healthy, happy sleep for a ... (Goodreads)

  17. A People's History of the United States

    by Howard Zinn
    An examination of American history from a perspective of marginalized people.

    In the book, Zinn presented a different side of history from the more traditional "fundamental nationalist glorification of country". Zinn portrays a side of American history that can largely be seen ... (Goodreads)

  18. Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories

    by Mike Birbiglia
    A collection of humorous and poignant autobiographical stories about love, life, and sleepwalking.

    Hello, I am Mike Birbiglia and I want you to read my book. Too on the nose? Sorry. Let me dial it back. I’m Mike Birbiglia and I’m a comedian. You may know me from Comedy Central or, This American ... (Goodreads)

  19. Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid

    by Denis Leary
    A humorous take on American culture, politics, and society, with a focus on self-deprecating humor and satire.

    A hilarious blast of scathing irreverence from the award-winning actor and comedian . "A pissed off Leary is the best Leary," says one critic of the writer and comic. In Why We Suck , Dr. Denis Leary ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee

    by Sarah Silverman
    A comedic account of a woman's journey to overcome her childhood bedwetting.

    From the outrageously filthy and oddly innocent comedienne Sarah Silverman comes a memoir—her first book—that is at once shockingly personal, surprisingly poignant, and still pee-in-your-pants funny. ... (Goodreads)

  21. My Booky Wook

    by Russell Brand
    Comedian's autobiographical account of his rise to fame and his struggle with addiction.

    In 2006 Russell Brand exploded onto the international comedy scene. He has been named Time Out’s Comedian of the Year, Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, and Most Stylish Man by GQ’s Men. ... (Goodreads)

  22. Eating the Dinosaur

    by Chuck Klosterman
    Collection of essays exploring pop culture, sports, and society through a philosophical lens.

    Chuck Klosterman has chronicled rock music, film, and sports for almost fifteen years. He's covered extreme metal, extreme nostalgia, disposable art, disposable heroes, life on the road, life through ... (Goodreads)

  23. Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion

    by Neil Gaiman
    A comedic exploration of the universe, using wit and science-fiction.

    Told in the same fanciful, irreverent style as the Hitchhiker trilogy, with scraps of scripts, letters and comments from Adams, Don't Panic is the perfect companion to one of the most successful ... (Goodreads)

  24. Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

    by Anthony Swofford
    A Marine's personal account of his experiences during the Gulf War and the psychological toll of war on soldiers.

    Jarhead recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the United States Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War , in which he served as a Scout Sniper Trainee with the Surveillance and Target ... (Wikipedia)

  25. A Wolf at the Table

    by Augusten Burroughs
    A memoir of childhood trauma, dark family secrets, and the power of forgiveness.

    “As a little boy, I had a dream that my father had taken me to the woods where there was a dead body. He buried it and told me I must never tell. It was the only thing we’d ever done together as ... (Goodreads)

  26. A Brief History of Time

    by Stephen Hawking
    Exploring the depths of time and space and the emergence of the universe.

    In the ten years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's classic work has become a landmark volume in scientific writing, with more than nine million copies in forty languages sold ... (Goodreads)

  27. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

    by Jeff Hertzberg
    A revolutionary guide to baking artisan bread, with a simple and easy method.

    The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, is a fully revised and updated edition of the bestselling, ground-breaking, and revolutionary approach to bread-making—a perfect gift for foodies and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. I Suck at Girls

    by Justin Halpern
    A humorous and honest account of a young man's awkward and often hilarious attempts to navigate the world of dating and relationships.

    "Growing up, every time I saw a men's magazine cover that had a headline about '73 Ways to Please Your Girlfriend', all I could think was 'I'm good with one; just tell me one way to please her. Also, ... (Goodreads)

  29. Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

    by Kathy Griffin
    Comedian Kathy Griffin recounts life stories and anecdotes from her career.

    Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It's ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Middle Place

    by Kelly Corrigan
    An exploration of family, faith, and the healing power of love.

    Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Corrigan opens her memoir with these words: "The thing you need to know about me is that I am George Corrigan's daughter, his only daughter." She continues ... (Goodreads)