Recommendations based on Birds, Beasts and Relativesby Gerald Durrell

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

  1. My Family and Other Animals

    by Gerald Durrell
    A humorous memoir of a family's experiences living on the Mediterranean island of Corfu.

    When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss

    by Edmund de Waal
    A journey through time, tracing the history of a family's collection of art and their struggles with loss.

    The Ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the Rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in nineteenth-century Paris and Vienna society. Yet by the end of World War II, almost ... (Goodreads)

  3. Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference

    by Cordelia Fine
    Exposing the deeply embedded gender biases in our culture and beliefs.

    It’s the twenty-first century, and although we tried to rear unisex children–boys who play with dolls and girls who like trucks--we failed. Even though the glass ceiling is cracked, most women stay ... (Goodreads)

  4. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

    by Daniel C. Dennett
    Examines the origins of religious belief, exploring how it has shaped society.

    An innovative thinker tackles the controversial question of why we believe in God and how religion shapes our lives and our future. For a growing number of people, there is nothing more important ... (Goodreads)

  5. All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful

    by James Herriot
    Humorous tales of a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales, caring for animals and their owners.

    Twenty-five years ago, a volume of memoirs by an unknown Scottish veterinarian was first published– All Creatures Great and Small. Within a year, the book had become recognized as a masterpiece. It ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Elephant Whisperer

    by Lawrence Anthony
    A story of the unlikely bond between a conservationist and a herd of wild elephants.

    When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in South Africa, his commonsense told him to refuse. But he was the ... (Goodreads)

  8. Hamilton: The Revolution

    by Lin-Manuel Miranda
    A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the groundbreaking musical "Hamilton", and its impact on American culture.

    A backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical, Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

    by Stephen Fry
    Reimagining of classic Greek myths, with a modern twist.

    Mythos is a modern collection of Greek myths, stylishly retold by legendary writer, actor, and comedian Stephen Fry. Fry transforms the adventures of Zeus and the Olympians into emotionally resonant ... (Goodreads)

  10. Long Walk to Freedom

    by Nelson Mandela
    A remarkable story of courage, perseverance and hope in the face of oppression.

    Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel ... (Goodreads)

  11. Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

    by Gail Caldwell
    A memoir of the author's deep friendship with fellow writer Caroline Knapp, their bond, and Knapp's untimely death from lung cancer.

    The book opens "It's an old, old story: I had a friend and we shared everything, and then she died and so we shared that too.” , The connection between these women was charged from the beginning. ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

    by Elizabeth Bard
    A memoir of a young American woman who falls in love with a Frenchman and discovers the joys of French cuisine and culture.

    In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman — and never went home again. , Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. 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)

  14. Then Again

    by Diane Keaton
    Actress Diane Keaton reflects on her life, career, and relationships through journal entries and memories.

    Mom loved adages, quotes, slogans. There were always little reminders pasted on the kitchen wall. For example, the word THINK. I found THINK thumbtacked on a bulletin board in her darkroom. I saw it ... (Goodreads)

  15. Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life

    by Jenna Bush Hager
    Memoir of twin sisters, Jenna and Barbara Bush, sharing their unique experiences growing up in the public eye and their unbreakable bond.

    The former first daughters share intimate stories and reflections from the Texas countryside to the storied halls of the White House and beyond. Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía

    by Chris Stewart
    A humorous memoir of an Englishman's move to a remote Spanish village, where he learns to farm and embrace the laid-back lifestyle.

    No sooner had Chris Stewart set eyes on El Valero than he handed over a check. Now all he had to do was explain to Ana, his wife, that they were the proud owners of an isolated sheep farm in the ... (Goodreads)

  17. Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother and Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey, and France

    by Sue Monk Kidd
    A mother-daughter journey to sacred places in Greece, Turkey, and France, exploring the complexities of female relationships and personal growth.

    The, New York Times,–bestselling memoir of pilgrimage and metamorphosis by the author of, The Secret Life of Bees, and, The Invention of Wings, (Viking, January 2014) and her daughter Sue Monk Kidd ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son and a 50 Year Search

    by Martin Sixsmith
    A true story of a mother's search for her son, who was taken away from her by nuns and sold for adoption in America.

    When she became pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee was sent to a convent to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” Then the nuns took her baby from her and sold him, like ... (Goodreads)

  19. Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid

    by J. Maarten Troost
    A humorous and insightful travelogue of a man's journey through China, exploring its culture, history, and quirks.

    The bestselling author of, The Sex Lives of Cannibals, returns with a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China—a complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies ... (Barnes & Noble)

  20. Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear

    by Max Lucado
    Let go of the baggage that weighs you down and embrace a life of freedom and joy in Christ.

    Weary travelers. You've seen them – everything they own crammed into their luggage. Staggering through terminals and hotel lobbies with overstuffed suitcases, trunks, duffels, and backpacks. Backs ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Power of a Praying Woman

    by Stormie Omartian
    A guide for women to deepen their prayer life and connect with God on a deeper level, finding strength and peace in their faith.

    Stormie Omartian's bestselling The Power of a Praying® series (more than 28 million copies sold) is rereleased with fresh new covers and new material to reach a still-growing market of readers eager ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation

    by Tim Brown
    A guide to using design thinking to drive innovation and change within organizations.

    The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?

    by Seth Godin
    The Icarus Deception challenges readers to embrace their creativity and take risks in order to achieve success in today's changing world.

    In Seth Godin’s most inspiring book, he challenges readers to find the courage to treat their work as a form of art, Everyone knows that Icarus’s father made him wings and told him not to fly too ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. 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)

  25. 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)

  26. Notes on a Nervous Planet

    by Matt Haig
    A guide to navigating the overwhelming and anxiety-inducing aspects of modern life, offering practical advice and personal anecdotes.

    A follow-up to Matt Haig's internationally bestselling memoir,, Reasons to Stay Alive, a broader look at how modern life feeds our anxiety, and how to live a better life. The societies we live in are ... (Goodreads)

  27. Mary Queen of Scots

    by Antonia Fraser
    Biography of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and her tumultuous life as a monarch in 16th century Scotland and England.

    She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a ... (Goodreads)

  28. Cider with Rosie

    by Laurie Lee
    A poetic account of an idyllic childhood in the English countryside.

    At all times wonderfully evocative and poignant, Cider With Rosie is a charming memoir of Laurie Lee's childhood in a remote Cotswold village, a world that is tangibly real and yet reminiscent of a ... (Goodreads)

  29. Hammer of the Gods

    by Stephen Davis
    A biography of Led Zeppelin, exploring their rise to fame and the wild excesses of their rockstar lifestyle.

    They were legends based on myths myths of fantasy, power, and black magic. The tales of their tours were the most outrageous in the already excess-laden annals of modern music. The era of Led ... (Goodreads)

  30. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All

    by Tom Kelley
    A guide to unlocking creativity and innovation in all aspects of life, using practical exercises and inspiring stories.

    IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselli,ng, The Art of Innovation,, have written a powerful and compelling ... (Goodreads)