Recommendations based on Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfishby John Hargrove

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

  1. Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation

    by Bill Nye
    Bill Nye presents the evidence for evolution and debunks creationism in this accessible and informative book.

    Sparked by a provocative comment to BigThink.com last fall, and fueled by a highly controversial debate with Creation Museum curator Ken Ham, Bill Nye's campaign to confront the scientific ... (Goodreads)

  2. 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)

  3. Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology

    by Leah Remini
    An account of Leah Remini's journey of faith, fame, and a decades-long involvement with Scientology.

    The outspoken actress, talk show host, and reality television star offers up a no-holds-barred memoir, including an eye-opening insider account of her tumultuous and heart-wrenching thirty-year-plus ... (Goodreads)

  4. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

    by Jon Krakauer
    A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.

    When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)

  5. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

    by Barbara Demick
    Exploration of the lives of North Koreans during the famine and repression of the 1990s.

    Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the ... (Goodreads)

  6. Guts

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A graphic novel memoir about the author's struggles with anxiety and a fear of vomiting.

    A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1, New York Times, bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of, Smile,, Sisters,, Drama, and, Ghosts,! Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey

    by Dion Leonard
    A heartwarming memoir of a runner who finds an unlikely companion, a stray dog, during a grueling 155-mile race across the Gobi Desert.

    Like A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide… In 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a ... (Goodreads)

  8. Fresh Off the Boat

    by Eddie Huang
    Memoir of a Taiwanese-American chef and his family's struggles and triumphs in assimilating to American culture.

    Assimilating ain’t easy. Eddie Huang was raised by a wild family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) immigrants—his father a cocksure restaurateur with a dark past back in Taiwan, his mother a fierce ... (Goodreads)

  9. 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)

  10. The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal

    by Ben Mezrich
    The story of the founding of Facebook, from its humble beginnings in a Harvard dorm room to becoming a global phenomenon.

    The high-energy tale of how two socially awkward Ivy Leaguers, trying to increase their chances with the opposite sex, ended up creating Facebook. Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg were Harvard ... (Goodreads)

  11. North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail

    by Scott Jurek
    A memoir of Scott Jurek's journey running the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail, exploring his personal growth and connection to nature.

    From the author of the bestseller, Eat and Run, a thrilling memoir about his grueling, exhilarating, and immensely inspiring 46-day run to break the speed record for the Appalachian Trail. Scott ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't

    by Stephen Colbert
    Entertaining and thought-provoking exploration of America's history, politics and culture.

    Book nation, in the history of mankind there has never been a greater country than America . You could say we're the #1 nation at being the best at greatness. But as perfect as America is in every ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store

    by Cait Flanders
    A memoir of a woman's journey to simplify her life by embarking on a year-long shopping ban and decluttering her possessions.

    New in paperback: Millennial blogger recounts her yearlong shopping ban in a memoir that inspires readers to radically simplify their own lives and redefine what it means to have, and be, "enough." ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Hard Choices

    by Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Memoir of Clinton's time as Secretary of State, detailing her experiences and decisions on foreign policy and global issues.

    Hillary Rodham Clinton’s inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the ... (Goodreads)

  15. 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)

  16. 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)

  17. Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

    by Mark Adams
    An adventurous journey to uncover the secrets of Peru's Machu Picchu.

    THE, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLING TRAVEL MEMOIR,What happens when an unadventurous adventure writer tries to re-create the original expedition to Machu Picchu?,In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. If You Ask Me

    by Betty White
    Memoir of a beloved actress, full of stories and humor.

    It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between. Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit ... (Goodreads)

  19. American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land

    by Monica Hesse
    True crime story of a couple's arson spree in rural Virginia and the community's response. A portrait of a struggling small town.

    Shocked by a five-month arson spree that left rural Virginia reeling, Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse drove down to Accomack County to cover the trial of Charlie Smith, who pled guilty to ... (Goodreads)

  20. The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe

    by Steven Weinberg
    A comprehensive explanation of the first three minutes after the Big Bang, exploring the origins of the universe and its fundamental particles.

    A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic. Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder

    by Charles Graeber
    The true story of a nurse who killed hundreds of patients, and the detectives who worked tirelessly to bring him to justice.

    After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed "The Angel of Death" by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. The Laramie Project

    by Moisés Kaufman
    A theatrical exploration of the death of a young gay man, and the effect it had on the town of Laramie, Wyoming.

    For a year and a half following the murder of Matthew Shepard, Moisés Kaufman and his Tectonic Theater Project–whose previous play, Gross Indecency , was hailed as a work of unsurpassed ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom

    by Corrie ten Boom
    A remarkable testament to faith and courage in the face of unfathomable odds and unspeakable horrors.

    The book begins with the ten Boom family celebrating the 100th anniversary of the family business; they sell and repair watches under the family's elderly father, Casper ten Boom . The business takes ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Prose Edda

    by Snorri Sturluson
    A collection of Norse mythology and legends, including the creation of the world, the gods and goddesses, and the end of the world.

    'What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?', The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse ... (Goodreads)

  25. Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy and the New Science of Desire

    by Martin Lindstrom
    A study of the science behind consumer behavior and the subconscious factors that influence our purchasing decisions.

    How much do we know about why we buy? What truly influences our decisions in today’s message-cluttered world? An eye-grabbing advertisement, a catchy slogan, an infectious jingle? Or do our buying ... (Goodreads)

  26. How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You

    by Matthew Inman
    Witty and humorous illustrations of a cat's innermost thoughts.

    TheOatmeal.com’s most popular cat jokes, including “How to Pet a Kitty” and “The Bobcats,” plus 15 new and never-before-seen cat-themed comics, are presented in this hilarious #1, New York Times , ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

    by Craig Ferguson
    A comical and reflective account of an immigrant's journey to becoming an American citizen.

    “With American on Purpose , Craig Ferguson somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls of self-indulgence and self-importance that plague most (okay, all) Hollywood autobiographies. He has, instead, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

    by Brent Schlender
    A biography of Steve Jobs that explores his transformation from a brash young entrepreneur to a visionary leader of Apple.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller There have been many books—on a large and small scale—about Steve Jobs, one of the most famous CEOs in history. But this book is different from all the others. Becoming ... (Goodreads)

  29. I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

    by Nujood Ali
    A young girl's fight against early marriage in Yemen and her victory in court.

    “I’m a simple village girl who has always obeyed the orders of my father and brothers. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today I have decided to say no.” Nujood Ali's childhood ... (Goodreads)

  30. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

    by Neal Gabler
    A comprehensive biography of Walt Disney, exploring his life, career, and impact on American culture.

    From Neal Gabler, the definitive portrait of one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American entertainment and cultural history. Seven years in the making and meticulously researched ... (Goodreads)