Recommendations based on Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracyby Cathy O'Neil

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

  1. Thinking, Fast and Slow

    by Daniel Kahneman
    An exploration of the two systems of the mind, and how they influence decision-making.

    In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow , Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and ... (Goodreads)

  2. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

    by John Carreyrou
    The rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent blood-testing startup, and the deceitful actions of its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

    The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face ... (Goodreads)

  3. Debt: The First 5,000 Years

    by David Graeber
    A history of money and debt, exploring the roots of our current financial system.

    Before there was money, there was debt Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systems—to relieve ancient people from having to haul ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

    by Richard Rothstein
    Examination of the US government's role in creating and enforcing racial segregation in housing.

    In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America’s cities came to be racially divided through ... (Goodreads)

  5. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

    by Angela Duckworth
    Examining how passion and perseverance can unlock hidden potential, and the power of resilience in achieving success.

    In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and business people both seasoned and new that the secret to ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

    by Michael Lewis
    A fascinating examination of the two psychologists who changed the way we view the human mind.

    Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original papers that invented the field of behavioral economics. One of the greatest ... (Goodreads)

  7. Between the World and Me

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.

    “This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)

  8. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

    by Bart D. Ehrman
    A historical analysis of the New Testament, exploring the discrepancies and alterations made by scribes and theologians throughout history.

    For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand––and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman ... (Goodreads)

  9. How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking

    by Jordan Ellenberg
    A journey through the power of mathematical thinking, and how it can be applied to everyday life.

    The, Freakonomics, of math — a math-world superstar unveils the hidden beauty and logic of the world and puts its power in our hands The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

    by Amy Schumer
    A comedic and candid exploration of the author's life, experiences and views.

    THE INSTANT #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER "This is your happy hour with Amy Schumer... It's, Bossypants, meets, Trainwreck, meets your long weekend." —,TheSkimm, “Amy’s got your back. She’s in your ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Fermat's Enigma

    by Simon Singh
    Uncovering the centuries-old mathematical mystery of Pierre de Fermat's Last Theorem.

    xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution "I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain." With these words, the ... (Goodreads)

  12. 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)

  13. Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment

    by Robert Wright
    An exploration into understanding how Buddhist philosophy and practices can bring about enlightenment.

    From one of America’s greatest minds, a journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness. Robert Wright ... (Goodreads)

  14. Chaos: Making a New Science

    by James Gleick
    Investigation of complex systems and the impact of chaos on scientific understanding.

    A work of popular science in the tradition of Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan, this 20th-anniversary edition of James Gleick’s groundbreaking bestseller Chaos introduces a whole new readership to ... (Goodreads)

  15. 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)

  16. The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

    by Olivia Laing
    A journey through the art world exploring themes of urban loneliness and creative connection.

    Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, ,#1 Book of the Year from Brain Pickings,, Named a best book of the year by NPR,, Newsweek, Slate, Pop Sugar,, Marie Claire,, Elle, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State

    by Glenn Greenwald
    Exposé of the US government's massive surveillance system, detailing the dangers of pervasive state power.

    By Glenn Greenwald, star of, Citizenfour, the Academy Award-winning documentary on Edward Snowden In May 2013, Glenn Greenwald set out for Hong Kong to meet an anonymous source who claimed to have ... (Goodreads)

  18. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    by Bryan Stevenson
    A powerful true story of justice and redemption, exposing the flaws of America's criminal justice system.

    In 1989, idealistic young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson travels to Alabama hoping to help fight for poor people who cannot afford proper legal representation. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

    by Jared Diamond
    Tracing the origins of human civilizations through the lens of geography, technology, and biology.

    "Diamond has written a book of remarkable scope ... one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller: ... (Goodreads)

  20. 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)

  21. The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

    by Leonard Mlodinow
    Examines how the role of chance and randomness shapes our lives, from our successes and failures to our everyday decisions.

    With the born storyteller's command of narrative and imaginative approach, Leonard Mlodinow vividly demonstrates how our lives are profoundly informed by chance and randomness and how everything from ... (Goodreads)

  22. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

    by Brené Brown
    An exploration of vulnerability, courage, and the strength to embrace imperfection.

    The #1, New York Times, bestseller. More than 2, million copies sold!,Look for Brené Brown’s new podcast,, Dare to Lead, as well as her ongoing podcast, Unlocking Us,!,From thought leader Brené ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

    by Ashlee Vance
    A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.

    Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)

  24. 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)

  25. The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

    by Simon Singh
    A comprehensive history of cryptography and its role in shaping our world.

    In his first book since the bestselling Fermat’s Enigma , Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, ... (Goodreads)

  26. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex

    by Mary Roach
    A humorous exploration of the science and research behind sex and human sexuality.

    In Bonk, the best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and insight on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Why doesn't Viagra help ... (Goodreads)

  27. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

    by Atul Gawande
    An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.

    In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    by Charles Duhigg
    Uncovering the science of habit formation and how to use it to achieve success.

    A young woman walks into a laboratory. Over the past two years, she has transformed almost every aspect of her life. She has quit smoking, run a marathon, and been promoted at work. The patterns ... (Goodreads)

  29. 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)

  30. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism

    by Benedict Anderson
    Exploration into the development of nations and nationalism, and its impact on society.

    What makes people love and die for nations, as well as hate and kill in their name? While many studies have been written on nationalist political movements, the sense of nationality–the personal and ... (Goodreads)