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Recommendations based on A Very Easy Deathby Simone de Beauvoir
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The Letters of Vincent van Gogh
by Vincent van Gogh
Collection of letters written by Vincent van Gogh, revealing his artistic struggles, personal life, and mental health battles.
A new selection of post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gough's letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh put a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this ... (Goodreads)
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)
The Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen Hawking
A concise and accessible explanation of the most complex theories in physics, from the Big Bang to black holes.
Stephen Hawking’s phenomenal, multimillion-copy bestseller, A Brief History of Time, introduced the ideas of this brilliant theoretical physicist to readers all over the world. Now, in a major ... (Goodreads)
Existentialism is a Humanism
by Jean-Paul Sartre
A philosophical exploration of the human condition, and the implications of freedom and responsibility.
It was to correct common misconceptions about his thought that Jean-Paul Sartre, the most dominent European intellectual of the post-World War II decades, accepted an invitation to speak on October ... (Goodreads)
Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason
by Michel Foucault
Examination of the changing attitudes towards mental illness over time and the implications of social control.
Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found, here,. Michel Foucault examines the archeology of madness in the West from 1500 to 1800 – from the late Middle Ages, when insanity ... (Goodreads)
Mythologies
by Roland Barthes
A collection of essays that deconstructs the myths of modern society, revealing their hidden meanings and cultural significance.
"No denunciation without its proper instrument of close analysis," Roland Barthes wrote in his preface to Mythologies . There is no more proper instrument of analysis of our contemporary myths than ... (Goodreads)
Escape from Freedom
by Erich Fromm
An examination of the psychological effects of modern freedom, exploring how to find a balance between freedom and security.
If humanity cannot live with the dangers and responsibilities inherent in freedom, it will probably turn to authoritarianism. This is the central idea of Escape from Freedom , a landmark work by one ... (Goodreads)
In Praise of Shadows
by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
A contemplative essay on the beauty of shadows and the traditional Japanese aesthetic. It contrasts Western and Eastern cultures' approach to light and darkness.
An essay on aesthetics by the Japanese novelist, this book explores architecture, jade, food, and even toilets, combining an acute sense of the use of space in buildings. The book also includes ... (Goodreads)
The Second Sex
by Simone de Beauvoir
A philosophical exploration of the history, struggles and oppression of women in society.
Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir’s masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of “woman,” and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality ... (Goodreads)
The World of Yesterday
by Stefan Zweig
Autobiography of a Jewish writer, describing the intellectual and social life of fin de siècle Europe.
The World of Yesterday, mailed to his publisher a few days before Stefan Zweig took his life in 1942, has become a classic of the memoir genre. Originally titled “Three Lives,” the memoir describes ... (Goodreads)
The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman
A graphic novel depicting a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and his son's journey to understand the past.
On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of its first publication, here is the definitive edition of the book acclaimed as “the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the ... (Goodreads)
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)
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas S. Kuhn
An analysis of how scientific progress is made, and the role of paradigms and paradigmatic shifts.
A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, ... (Goodreads)
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo
Explores the lives of the people living in Mumbai's slums and the harsh realities they face.
From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the ... (Goodreads)
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
by Timothy Snyder
A study of history and a call to action against the rise of authoritarianism.
#1, New York Times, Bestseller •, A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism., The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat ... (Barnes & Noble)
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
by Haruki Murakami
Reflections of a runner, exploring the physical and mental challenges of the sport.
In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such ... (Goodreads)
Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat
by Chrissy Teigen
A cookbook filled with delicious and accessible recipes for all types of cravings, from comfort food to healthy options.
Maybe she’s on a photo shoot in Zanzibar. Maybe she’s making people laugh on TV. But all Chrissy Teigen really wants to do is talk about dinner. Or breakfast. Lunch gets some love, too. For years, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Primates of Park Avenue
by Wednesday Martin
An anthropological study of the wealthy mothers of Manhattan's Upper East Side, exploring their social rituals and cultural practices.
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, Primates of Park Avenue is an “amusing, perceptive and…deliciously evil” ( The New York Times Book Review ) memoir of the most secretive and elite ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Moveable Feast
by Ernest Hemingway
A memoir of Hemingway's life in 1920s Paris, exploring its rich bohemian culture.
Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the twenties are deeply personal, warmly affectionate, and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, ... (Goodreads)
Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo
by Zlata Filipović
A young girl's diary chronicles her life during the Bosnian War, revealing the horrors and struggles of living in a war-torn city.
When Zlata’s Diary was first published at the height of the Bosnian War, it became an international bestseller and was compared to The Diary of Anne Frank , both for the freshness of its voice and ... (Goodreads)
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession
by Allison Hoover Bartlett
A non-fiction account of a notorious book thief and the bibliophile detective who pursued him. A fascinating exploration of the world of rare book collecting.
Set within the world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. ... (Goodreads)
Wildflower
by Drew Barrymore
A collection of autobiographical essays that explore the ups and downs of Drew Barrymore's life, from childhood to present day.
Wildflower is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and ... (Goodreads)
Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them
by Jennifer Wright
A witty and informative journey through the history of plagues, exploring the heroes who fought them and the lessons we can learn from them.
Throughout time, humans have been terrified and fascinated by the diseases history and circumstance have dropped on them. Some of their responses to those outbreaks are almost too strange to believe ... (Goodreads)
We Should All Be Feminists
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.
What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)
It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War
by Lynsey Addario
A photojournalist's gripping account of her time spent in war-torn countries, capturing stories of courage and resilience.
War photographer Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theater of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life. ... (Goodreads)
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)
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
by Maureen Callahan
The true story of Israel Keyes, a meticulous and elusive serial killer who terrorized America for over a decade.
INSTANT, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,An Amazon “Best Book of 2019”,A, Washington Post, “10 Books To Read in July”, A, Los Angeles Times, “Seven Highly Anticipated Books for Summer Reading”, A, USA ... (Barnes & Noble)
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
by Lucy Knisley
An autobiographical exploration of food, cooking, and how it shapes relationships.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Lucy Knisley loves food. The daughter of a chef and a gourmet, this talented young cartoonist comes by her obsession honestly. In her forthright, thoughtful, and funny ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
by Andy Warhol
An exploration of the life, works, and philosophy of the iconic Pop-Art figure.
A loosely formed autobiography by Andy Warhol, told with his trademark blend of irony and detachment In The Philosophy of Andy Warhol —which, with the subtitle "(From A to B and Back Again)," is less ... (Goodreads)
Small Wonder
by Barbara Kingsolver
A family's journey of self-discovery as they struggle to redefine their lives and their relationships.
Sometimes grave, occasionally hilarious, and ultimately persuasive, Small Wonder is a hopeful examination of the people we seem to be, and what we might yet make of ourselves. In her new essay ... (Goodreads)
