Recommendations based on Letters to Milenaby Franz Kafka

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

  1. Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster

    by Svetlana Alexievich
    An oral history of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, as told by the survivors.

    Written by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature On April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear reactor accident in history occurred in Chernobyl and contaminated as much as three quarters of Europe. ... (Goodreads)

  2. War's Unwomanly Face

    by Svetlana Alexievich
    An exploration of the lives of Soviet women who served in World War II.

    This book is a confession, a document and a record of people's memory. More than 200 women speak in it, describing how young girls, who dreamed of becoming brides, became soldiers in 1941. More than ... (Goodreads)

  3. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments

    by David Foster Wallace
    Collection of essays and arguments, exploring the absurdities of contemporary culture.

    In this exuberantly praised book — a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary ... (Goodreads)

  4. Survival in Auschwitz

    by Primo Levi
    True story of a man's struggle to survive in a Nazi concentration camp.

    The true and harrowing account of Primo Levi’s experience at the German concentration camp of Auschwitz and his miraculous survival; hailed by The Times Literary Supplement as a “true work of art, ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Story of Art

    by E.H. Gombrich
    Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric to modern times.

    The Story of Art, one of the most famous and popular books on art ever written, has been a world bestseller for over four decades. Attracted by the simplicity and clarity of his writing, readers of ... (Goodreads)

  6. Being and Nothingness

    by Jean-Paul Sartre
    Philosophical exploration of the nature of being and consciousness.

    Being & Nothingness is without doubt one of the most significant philosophical books of the 20th century. The central work by one of the century's most influential thinkers, it altered the course of ... (Goodreads)

  7. Speak, Memory

    by Vladimir Nabokov
    Autobiographical journey exploring the intimate memories of author's past.

    This is an older alternate cover edition for ISBN 0141183225/ 9780141183220. A newer edition may be found here . From one of the 20th century's great writers comes one of the finest autobiographies ... (Goodreads)

  8. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter

    by Simone de Beauvoir
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery and exploration of her place in the world.

    A superb autobiography by one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century, Simone de Beauvoir's Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter offers an intimate picture of growing up in a bourgeois French ... (Goodreads)

  9. Fear and Trembling

    by Søren Kierkegaard
    Philosophical essay exploring the importance of faith, and the human struggle for faith.

    Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and religious author interested in human psychology. He is regarded as a leading pioneer of existentialism and one of the greatest philosophers ... (Goodreads)

  10. Ecce Homo

    by Friedrich Nietzsche
    A philosophical treatise on the meaning of life and the power of the individual.

    In late 1888, only weeks before his final collapse into madness, Nietzsche (1844-1900) set out to compose his autobiography, and Ecce Homo remains one of the most intriguing yet bizarre examples of ... (Goodreads)

  11. 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)

  12. Civilization and Its Discontents

    by Sigmund Freud
    Exploration of the psychological underpinnings of human civilization and its discontents.

    It stands as a brilliant summary of the views on culture from a psychoanalytic perspective that he had been developing since the turn of the century. It is both witness and tribute to the late theory ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Society of the Spectacle

    by Guy Debord
    A critical analysis of the commodification of society and the power of the media.

    Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative as Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle. From its publication amid the social upheavals of the 1960s up to the ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Anti-Christ

    by Friedrich Nietzsche
    An exploration of morality and its relationship to religion, with a focus on the concept of nihilism.

    The reference to the Antichrist is not intended to refer to the biblical Antichrist but is rather an attack on the "slave morality" and apathy of Western Christianity. Nietzsche's basic claim is that ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Myth of Sisyphus

    by Albert Camus
    An essay on understanding the absurdity of life, and realizing there is meaning in even the most mundane tasks.

    Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, ... (Goodreads)

  16. Ways of Seeing

    by John Berger
    A critical analysis of visual culture and how it shapes our perception of the world. It challenges traditional ways of seeing and encourages a new perspective.

    John Berger’s Classic Text on Art John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC ... (Goodreads)

  17. 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)

  18. Down and Out in Paris and London

    by George Orwell
    An exploration of the dark side of two cities, and how life can be different for the privileged and the destitute.

    This unusual fictional memoir - in good part autobiographical - narrates without self-pity and often with humor the adventures of a penniless British writer among the down-and-outs of two great ... (Goodreads)

  19. A Room of One's Own

    by Virginia Woolf
    Examining gender roles and societal expectations with an eye to achieving independence and creative freedom.

    A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton ... (Goodreads)

  20. 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)

  21. Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year

    by Demi Lovato
    Daily affirmations and personal anecdotes to help readers stay strong and positive throughout the year.

    Demi Lovato wakes up each morning and affirms her commitment to herself—to her health, her happiness, her being. Those commitments are the bedrock of her recovery and her work helping other young ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Depression & Other Magic Tricks

    by Sabrina Benaim
    A collection of poems exploring the complexities of mental health, relationships, and self-discovery.

    Depression & Other Magic Tricks is the debut book by Sabrina Benaim, one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time, whose poem "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" has become a cultural ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction

    by Michel Foucault
    Examination of the power dynamics and social constructions of sexual behavior.

    Michel Foucault offers an iconoclastic exploration of why we feel compelled to continually analyze and discuss sex, and of the social and mental mechanisms of power that cause us to direct the ... (Goodreads)

  24. Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story of a Forgotten Child

    by Cathy Glass
    An inspirational true story of a foster carer's fight to save a neglected child.

    Although Jodie is only eight years old, she is violent, aggressive, and has already been through numerous foster families. Her last hope is Cathy Glass.From the Sunday Times and New York Times ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. The Good Immigrant

    by Nikesh Shukla
    Exploring the experiences of immigrants in Britain, and the complex identity issues faced.

    How does it feel to be constantly regarded as a potential threat, strip-searched at every airport? Or be told that, as an actress, the part you’re most fitted to play is ‘wife of a terrorist’? How ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Funny Thing Is...

    by Ellen DeGeneres
    A collection of humorous essays and observations on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

    An indispensable reference for anyone who knows how to read—or wants to fool people into thinking they do—,The Funny Thing Is..., is sure to make you laugh. Ellen DeGeneres published her first book ... (Goodreads)

  27. 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)

  28. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery

    by Sam Kean
    A captivating exploration of the history of the human brain, unraveled through fascinating case studies.

    From the author of the bestseller, The Disappearing Spoon, tales of the brain and the history of neuroscience. Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

    by Timothy Egan
    A gripping account of the Dust Bowl, its causes, and the people who survived it. A tale of human resilience in the face of environmental disaster.

    The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Timothy Egan's critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic ... (Goodreads)