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Recommendations based on Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedomby David W. Blight
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
Grant
by Ron Chernow
Biography of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, exploring his life and legacy.
Ulysses S. Grant's life has typically been misunderstood. All too often he is caricatured as a chronic loser and inept businessman, fond of drinking to excess; or as the triumphant but brutal Union ... (Goodreads)
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson
An exploration of the life-changing journeys of the millions of African-Americans who migrated from the South to the North, Midwest, and West from 1915 to 1970.
In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black ... (Goodreads)
Leadership: In Turbulent Times
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A study of four US presidents and their leadership styles during times of crisis, providing insights into effective leadership.
Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the leader make the times or do the times make the leader? In Leadership , Goodwin ... (Goodreads)
Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency
by Bill O'Reilly
An examination of the attempted assassination of President Reagan and its aftermath.
In 1981, after delivering a speech at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, President Reagan is shot by John Hinckley, Jr. . Near death, Reagan's life is in the balance in the hands of doctors at ... (Wikipedia)
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention
by Manning Marable
A biography exploring the life of Malcolm X, civil rights activist and leader.
Selected by, The New York Times Book Review, as a Notable Book of the Year Years in the making-the definitive biography of the legendary black activist. Of the great figure in twentieth-century ... (Goodreads)
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
Exploring the roots and reality of systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
"Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting ... (Goodreads)
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"
by Zora Neale Hurston
The true story of Cudjo Lewis, the last known survivor of the transatlantic slave trade, as told by himself to Zora Neale Hurston.
In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America ... (Goodreads)
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Martin Luther King Jr.
A vivid account of MLK Jr.'s life, detailing his experiences in the civil rights movement.
This definitive box set includes all the landmark speeches of the great orator and American leader Martin Luther King, Jr., from his inspirational "I Have a Dream" to his firey "Give Us the Ballot." ... (Goodreads)
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)
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Ibram X. Kendi
Exploration of the history of racism in America, tracing its origins and its effects on society.
In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti–Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the ... (Goodreads)
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
An exploration of the Obama years, and the racial injustices that still plague America.
"We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. ... (Goodreads)
Born to Run
by Bruce Springsteen
Autobiographical journey of Bruce Springsteen's life and career as a musician.
“Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from ... (Goodreads)
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
by Timothy J. Keller
An exploration of faith and belief, examining the evidence for the Christian faith.
Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical , is a prequel to The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism . The End of Faith . The God Delusion . God Is Not Great . Letter to a ... (Goodreads)
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
by Richard Rhodes
Historical narrative of the scientists and engineers who developed the atomic bomb.
Here for the first time, in rich, human, political, and scientific detail, is the complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked inside ... (Goodreads)
The Abolition of Man
by C.S. Lewis
Argument against the corrosive effects of modern society on morality and values.
Alternative cover for ISBN: 978-0060652944 The Abolition of Man, Lewis uses his graceful prose, delightful humor, and keen understanding of the human mind to challenge our notions about how to best ... (Goodreads)
Master of the Senate
by Robert A. Caro
Detailed account of Lyndon Johnson's tenure as the leader of the US Senate, and his rise to power.
The most riveting political biography of our time, Robert A. Caro’s life of Lyndon B. Johnson, continues. Master of the Senate takes Johnson’s story through one of its most remarkable periods: his ... (Goodreads)
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
by Kai Bird
Biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, exploring his life and legacy.
American Prometheus is the first full-scale biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, "father of the atomic bomb," the brilliant, charismatic physicist who led the effort to capture the awesome fire of the ... (Goodreads)
The Guns of August
by Barbara W. Tuchman
A riveting account of the events leading up to World War I and its devastating consequences.
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time The Proud Tower, the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Guns of August, and The Zimmerman Telegram comprise Barbara W. ... (Goodreads)
Dispatches
by Michael Herr
A journalist's account of the Vietnam War, depicting the brutality, confusion and chaos of the conflict.
Written on the front lines in Vietnam, Dispatches became an immediate classic of war reportage when it was published in 1977. From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches ... (Goodreads)
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)
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
by Sarah L. Delany
Two African American sisters recount their lives spanning over a century, from slavery to the civil rights movement.
In their 200+ combined years, Sadie and Bessie Delany have seen it all. They saw their father, who was born into slavery, become America's first black Episcopal bishop. They saw their mother–a woman ... (Goodreads)
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth
by Sarah Smarsh
A memoir of growing up poor in rural Kansas, exploring the struggles and resilience of the working-class in America.
During Sarah Smarsh’s turbulent childhood in Kansas in the 1980s and 1990s, the forces of cyclical poverty and the country’s changing economic policies solidified her family’s place among the working ... (Goodreads)
John Lennon: The Life
by Philip Norman
A comprehensive biography of John Lennon, from his childhood to his untimely death, exploring his music, relationships, and activism.
For more than a quarter century, biographer Philip Norman's internationally bestselling, Shout!, has been unchallenged as the definitive biography of the Beatles. Now, at last, Norman turns his ... (Goodreads)
Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
by Ralph Helfer
The incredible true story of a boy and his elephant, Modoc, and their journey through life together.
Modoc tells the true story of Bram, a German boy , and his elephant , Modoc. They’re both born on the same day and the same hour. Bram’s father – a third-generation elephant trainer in a circus – has ... (Wikipedia)
Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth
by Rachel Maddow
Investigative journalism on the oil and gas industry's impact on democracy, corruption, and the environment.
In 2010, the words “earthquake swarm” entered the lexicon in Oklahoma. That same year, a trove of Michael Jackson memorabilia—including his iconic crystal-encrusted white glove—was sold at auction ... (Goodreads)
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery
by Robert Kolker
The true story of the unsolved murders of five young women in Long Island, and the societal issues that contributed to their deaths.
Award-winning investigative reporter Robert Kolker delivers a humanizing account of the true-life search for a serial killer still at large on Long Island and presents the first detailed look at the ... (Goodreads)
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)
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
by Roxane Gay
A collection of essays exploring the pervasive culture of sexual violence and harassment, and the impact it has on survivors.
Cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay has edited a collection of essays that explore what it means to live in a world where women are frequently belittled and harassed due to their ... (Goodreads)
Year of the Monkey
by Patti Smith
A memoir of a year of change, loss, and transformation, filled with dreams, reflections, and encounters with the surreal.
From the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids and M Train , a profound, beautifully realized memoir in which dreams and reality are vividly woven into a tapestry of one transformative ... (Goodreads)
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)
