Recommendations based on Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...by Philip Plait

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

  1. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

    by Mary Roach
    Exploring the science, technology and culture of human space travel.

    The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new ... (Goodreads)

  2. A Man Without a Country

    by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
    A collection of essays and speeches by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. that reflect on his life, politics, and the state of the world.

    In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, one of the great men of letters of this era—or any era—holds forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of ... (Goodreads)

  3. Cosmos

    by Carl Sagan
    Voyage through the vastness of space, unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

    Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of ... (Goodreads)

  4. Why Evolution Is True

    by Jerry A. Coyne
    Comprehensive exploration of the evidence for evolutionary biology.

    Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact. In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design," there is an element of the controversy ... (Goodreads)

  5. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

    by Annie Dillard
    A reflective journey through nature, exploring the mysteries of the natural world.

    An exhilarating meditation on nature and its seasons—a personal narrative highlighting one year's exploration on foot in the author's own neighborhood in Tinker Creek, Virginia. In the summer, ... (Goodreads)

  6. 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)

  7. 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)

  8. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature

    by Steven Pinker
    The exploration of the science of human nature, including the implications for society.

    In The Blank Slate , Steven Pinker explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. He shows how many intellectuals have denied the existence of human nature by ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

    by Siddhartha Mukherjee
    A comprehensive account of the history and science of cancer, from its origins to modern treatments.

    An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found, here, and, here,. The Emperor of All Maladies is a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer - from its first documented ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Selfish Gene

    by Richard Dawkins
    A study of evolutionary biology, exploring how genes act and how they impact behavior.

    Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

    by Carl Sagan
    A critical look at superstition and pseudoscience, advocating for the power of science and reason.

    How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? ... (Goodreads)

  12. Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior

    by Ori Brafman
    A fascinating exploration of the irrational forces that shape our decisions and behavior, and how we can learn to recognize and resist them.

    A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making,, Sway, will change the way you think about the way you think., Why is it so difficult to sell a ... (Goodreads)

  13. 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot

    by Richard Wiseman
    Evidence-based self-help book that provides practical tips to improve various aspects of life in under a minute.

    In "59 Seconds," psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman presents a fresh approach to change that helps people achieve their aims and ambitions in minutes, not months. From mood to memory, persuasion ... (Goodreads)

  14. My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man's Best Friend

    by Matthew Inman
    A humorous and heartwarming comic book about the joys and challenges of owning a dog.

    Matthew Inman dishes another helping of hilarity from his online comic The Oatmeal in My Dog: The Paradox . After years of carefully observing his own dog, Rambo, Inman follows his #1 New York Times ... (Goodreads)

  15. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

    by Bethany Hamilton
    A young surfer's inspiring journey of resilience, healing and faith.

    In 2003, 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton lives in Kauai, Hawaii with her parents Tom and Cheri, and two older brothers, Noah and Timmy. All are surfers, but she and her best friend Alana Blanchard have ... (Wikipedia)

  16. 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)

  17. Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free

    by Héctor Tobar
    True story of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine and their miraculous rescue.

    When the San Jos mine collapsed outside of Copiap, Chile, in August 2010, it trapped thirty-three miners beneath thousands of feet of rock for a record-breaking sixty-nine days. Across the globe, we ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

    by Maxwell King
    A biography of Fred Rogers, the creator and host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," exploring his life, philosophy, and impact on children's television.

    The definitive biography of Fred Rogers, children’s television pioneer and American cultural icon, an instant, New York Times, bestseller Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

    by Leonard Susskind
    A physicist's account of his debate with Stephen Hawking over the nature of black holes and the implications for quantum mechanics.

    What happens when something is sucked into a black hole? Does it disappear? Three decades ago, a young physicist named Stephen Hawking claimed it did, and in doing so put at risk everything we know ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

    by Anonymous
    A collection of ancient records and testimonies of Jesus Christ's mission and teachings.

    The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement , which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Beatles: The Biography

    by Bob Spitz
    An in-depth look at the rise of the iconic band from their early days to their eventual global domination.

    Even before the Beatles hit the big time, a myth was created. This version of the Beatles legend smoothed the rough edges and filled in the fault lines, and for more than forty years this manicured ... (Goodreads)

  22. Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century

    by Sean Patrick
    A narrative of the life and inventions of the renowned scientist, Nikola Tesla.

    If you want to learn about one of history’s most fascinating minds and uncover some of his secrets of imagination—secrets that enabled him to invent machines light years ahead of his time and ... (Goodreads)

  23. Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

    by Richard Dawkins
    An exploration of science and spirituality, examining the importance of wonder in understanding the universe.

    Keats accused Newton of destroying the poetry of the rainbow by explaining the origin of its colours. In this illuminating and provocative book, Richard Dawkins argues that Keats could not have been ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe

    by Stephen Hawking
    Examining the laws of the universe and the search for a unifying theory.

    Stephen Hawking is widely believed to be one of the world’s greatest minds, a brilliant theoretical physicist whose work helped reconfigure models of the universe and define what’s in it. Imagine ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. My Story

    by Elizabeth Smart
    True story of a young girl's survival of abduction and captivity.

    The harrowing true story of abduction and survival from the courageous young woman who lived it—now the subject of a Lifetime original movie,, I Am Elizabeth Smart., In this memoir, Elizabeth Smart ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are

    by Danny Gregory
    A guide to unlocking creativity, encouraging personal expression and artistic exploration.

    When Danny Gregory's life was turned upside down by tragedy, he learned to cope by teaching himself to draw. The result was a complete transformation of his life, his priorities, his career, and the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems

    by Billy Collins
    Collection of poems exploring the beauty of everyday life.

    Sailing Alone Around the Room , by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, contains both new poems and a generous gathering from his earlier collections The Apple That Astonished Paris , Questions ... (Goodreads)

  28. 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)

  29. The Miracle of Forgiveness

    by Spencer W. Kimball
    A spiritual guide to understanding the power of forgiveness and achieving peace.

    During his earthly ministry, Jesus performed many miracles, including healing numerous diseased and disabled bodies. But perhaps his greatest miracle was the healing of people's souls, - the ... (Goodreads)

  30. Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

    by Ben Mezrich
    An inside account of a group of college students who won millions in Las Vegas casinos.

    An exclusive blackjack club came up with a system to take the worldUs most sophisticated casinos for all they were worth. In two years, this ring of card savants earned more than three million ... (Goodreads)