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Recommendations based on The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the Worldby Michael Pollan
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation
by Michael Pollan
An exploration of the power of cooking and the four classical elements to transform food.
In Cooked , Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to ... (Goodreads)
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
by Michael Pollan
An exploration of the history, science, and potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs.
Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? One of America's most admired writers takes us on a mind-altering journey to the frontiers of human consciousness When LSD was first discovered in the ... (Goodreads)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver
A family's journey to eat locally grown, sustainable food.
Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it ... (Goodreads)
High Tide in Tucson
by Barbara Kingsolver
A collection of essays exploring the natural world and human nature, with a focus on the author's experiences in the American Southwest.
With the eyes of a scientist and the vision of a poet, Barbara Kingsolver explores her trademark themes of family, community and the natural world. Defiant, funny and courageously honest, High Tide ... (Goodreads)
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)
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)
Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature
by Andy Goldsworthy
Exploring nature through art, and the beauty of the environment.
Illustrates outdoor sculptures created with a range of natural materials, including snow, ice, leaves, rock, clay, stones, feathers, and twigs. ... (Goodreads)
Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.
In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart
A pilgrimage across Afghanistan, uncovering the country's forgotten history.
Stewart arrives in Afghanistan in January 2002, beginning his journey in Herat and proceeding on foot to Kabul . He is initially accompanied by two armed guards, Qasim and Abdul Haq, at the ... (Wikipedia)
A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There
by Aldo Leopold
A reflection on nature, paying homage to the beauty of the Wisconsin countryside.
First published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac combines some of the finest nature writing since Thoreau with an outspoken and highly ethical regard for America's relationship to the land. Written ... (Goodreads)
A Small Place
by Jamaica Kincaid
A powerful essay on the legacy of colonialism in Antigua, exposing the exploitation and corruption that still exists today.
Lyrical, sardonic, and forthright, A Small Place magnifies our vision of one small place with Swiftian wit and precision. Jamaica Kincaid's expansive essay candidly appraises the ten-by-twelve-mile ... (Goodreads)
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
by Thich Nhat Hanh
A practical guide to meditation and mindfulness, exploring their power to bring peace and joy.
In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness–being awake and fully aware. From washing ... (Goodreads)
The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
by Steven Pressfield
A guide to overcoming procrastination and other inner obstacles to unleash creativity.
A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere,, The War of, Art, is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul. What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? ... (Barnes & Noble)
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 Wright Brothers
by David McCullough
The story of the Wright brothers and their pioneering invention of the airplane.
Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who ... (Goodreads)
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
A personal account of a season spent as a park ranger in the American wilderness.
First published in 1968, Desert Solitaire is one of Edward Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works and marks his first foray into the world of nonfiction writing. Written while Abbey was working as a ... (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)
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser
An exploration of the industrial food system and its effects on U.S. society.
Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list ... (Goodreads)
Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me
by Chelsea Handler
A collection of pranks and lies played by Chelsea Handler on her friends and family, as told by the victims themselves.
A hilarious #1 bestselling collection of essays from those nearest and dearest to comedian Chelsea Handler–the people she's lied to. "My tendency to make up stories and lie compulsively for the sake ... (Goodreads)
The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out
by Angela Liddon
A collection of delicious and healthy vegan recipes that will make you glow from the inside out.
After a decade of struggling with an eating disorder and subsisting on diet, low-calorie processed foods, Angela Liddon vowed to get healthy once and for all. Done with feeling sick and tired, she ... (Goodreads)
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.
In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)
How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age
by Dale Carnegie
A modern adaptation of the classic self-help book, offering practical advice on building relationships and influence in the digital age.
AN UP-TO-THE -MINUTE ADAPTATION OF DALE CARNEGIE ’S TIMELESS PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE DIGITAL AGE DALE CARNEGIE’s commonsense approach to communicating has endured for a century, touching millions and ... (Goodreads)
Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It
by Karl Weber
An eye-opening guide to the food industry, revealing the hidden costs of cheap food and offering solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future.
Food, Inc. is guaranteed to shake up our perceptions of what we eat. This powerful documentary deconstructing the corporate food industry in America was hailed by Entertainment Weekly as “more than a ... (Goodreads)
Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs
by Pete Souza
A photographic tribute to the 8-year presidency of Barack Obama.
This is the definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's presidency, captured in intimate, unprecedented detail by his official White House photographer. Pete Souza began photographing President ... (Goodreads)
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
by Robert B. Cialdini
An analysis of the psychology of persuasion and how to use it to influence people.
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding ... (Goodreads)
Dog Songs
by Mary Oliver
A lyrical collection of poems celebrating the companionship of dogs.
Mary Oliver's Dog Songs is a celebration of the special bond between human and dog, as understood through the poet's relationship to the canines that have accompanied her daily walks, warmed her ... (Goodreads)
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
by James Clear
A practical guide to creating and maintaining good habits, and breaking bad ones, using small, incremental changes.
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach ... (Goodreads)
Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions
by Christian Lander
Satirical exploration of the lifestyle preferences and cultural quirks of white people in the United States.
They love nothing better than sipping free-trade gourmet coffee, leafing through the Sunday New York Times , and listening to David Sedaris on NPR (ideally all at the same time). Apple products, ... (Goodreads)
It Chooses You
by Miranda July
A collection of stories and interviews about the author's experience buying items from people who advertised them in the PennySaver classifieds.
In the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the ... (Goodreads)
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence
by Inga Muscio
A powerful manifesto for reclaiming the word "cunt" and its power for female empowerment.
An ancient title of respect for women, the word cunt long ago veered off this noble path. Inga Muscio traces the road from honor to expletive, giving women the motivation and tools to claim cunt as a ... (Goodreads)
