Recommendations based on Wild Swans: Three Daughters of Chinaby Jung Chang

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

  1. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time

    by Greg Mortenson
    A man's mission to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan to promote peace.

    The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s ... (Goodreads)

  2. 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)

  3. Mao: The Unknown Story

    by Jung Chang
    Detailed history of Mao Zedong and his devastating impact on China.

    The most authoritative life of the Chinese leader ever written, Mao: The Unknown Story is based on a decade of research, and on interviews with many of Mao's close circle in China who have never ... (Goodreads)

  4. Life and Death in Shanghai

    by Nien Cheng
    Autobiographical account of a woman's survival during China's Cultural Revolution.

    In August 1966 a group of Red Guards ransacked the home of Nien Cheng. Her background made her an obvious target for the fanatics of the Cultural Revolution: educated in London, the widow of an ... (Goodreads)

  5. Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

    by Adeline Yen Mah
    An autobiography recounting a young woman's struggles with a difficult family life.

    Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and ... (Goodreads)

  6. 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)

  7. Schindler's List

    by Thomas Keneally
    Story of a German businessman who saved hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust.

    This novel tells the story of Oskar Schindler , self-made entrepreneur and, bon viveur, who almost by default found himself saving Polish Jews from the Nazi death machine. Based on numerous ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous and informative look at the many cultures, customs and curiosities of Europe.

    Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent , was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe ... (Goodreads)

  9. The God Delusion

    by Richard Dawkins
    Scientific exploration of the evidence for and against religious belief.

    A preeminent scientist - and the world's most prominent atheist - asserts the irrationality of belief in God, and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With ... (Goodreads)

  10. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood

    by Alexandra Fuller
    An autobiographical account of a white family in Rhodesia, struggling to survive in a war-torn land.

    Alexandra Fuller's book tells the story of her family of white Zimbabwean tenant farmers in the years before and after Independence. These are not the wealthy landowners demonised by the present ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

    by Doris Kearns Goodwin
    A comprehensive study of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, and the unique cabinet he assembled.

    Winner of the Lincoln Prize Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from ... (Goodreads)

  12. In a Sunburned Country

    by Bill Bryson
    Exploration of the unique and diverse land, people and animals of Australia.

    A CLASSIC FROM THE, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF, ONE SUMMER , Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World

    by Peter Frankopan
    An epic narrative of the discover of the world's trade routes, spanning more than 3,000 years.

    The New Silk Roads takes a fresh look at the relationships being formed along the length and breadth of the ancient trade routes today. The world is changing dramatically and in an age of Brexit and ... (Goodreads)

  14. Infidel

    by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
    A memoir of a woman's journey of faith, identity, and self-liberation.

    One of today’s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following the murder of Theo van Gogh by an Islamist who threatened that she would ... (Goodreads)

  15. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

    by Jared Diamond
    Tracing the origins of human civilizations through the lens of geography, technology, and biology.

    "Diamond has written a book of remarkable scope ... one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller: ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)

  17. Mao's Last Dancer

    by Li Cunxin
    A poor farmer's son's journey of hardship and triumph, rising from poverty to become an acclaimed ballet dancer.

    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The extraordinary memoir of a peasant boy raised in rural Maoist China who was plucked from his village to study ballet and went on to become one of the greatest dancers ... (Goodreads)

  18. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

    by Loung Ung
    An inspiring true story of survival and resilience during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

    From a childhood survivor of the Cambodian genocide under the regime of Pol Pot, this is a riveting narrative of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl and her ... (Goodreads)

  19. Peter the Great: His Life and World

    by Robert K. Massie
    Biography of the Russian Tsar, tracing his transformation of the country and the world.

    Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned at the age of 10. A barbarous, volatile feudal tsar ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Shadow of the Sun

    by Ryszard Kapuściński
    An epic account of a journey through Africa, navigating the continent's diverse cultures and politics.

    In 1957, Ryszard Kapuscinski arrived in Africa to witness the beginning of the end of colonial rule as the first African correspondent of Poland's state newspaper. From the early days of independence ... (Goodreads)

  21. 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)

  22. Fermat's Enigma

    by Simon Singh
    Uncovering the centuries-old mathematical mystery of Pierre de Fermat's Last Theorem.

    xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution "I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain." With these words, the ... (Goodreads)

  23. 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)

  24. Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

    by Antony Beevor
    The epic story of the Battle of Stalingrad and its devastating impact on WWII.

    The Battle of Stalingrad was not only the psychological turning point of World War II: it also changed the face of modern warfare. From Antony Beevor, the internationally bestselling author of, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. All Things Bright and Beautiful

    by James Herriot
    A heartwarming memoir of a veterinarian's journey in the Yorkshire countryside.

    A tie-in to the upcoming PBS Masterpiece series and Christmas special., The second volume in the multimillion copy bestselling series. Millions of readers have delighted in the wonderful storytelling ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic

    by Tom Holland
    An exploration of the events that led to the fall of the Roman Republic.

    In 49 B.C., the seven hundred fifth year since the founding of Rome, Julius Caesar crossed a small border river called the Rubicon and plunged Rome into cataclysmic civil war. Tom Holland’s ... (Goodreads)

  27. All Creatures Great and Small

    by James Herriot
    A charming tale of a veterinarian and his animal patients in the Yorkshire Dales.

    The classic multimillion copy bestseller Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic ... (Goodreads)

  28. Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

    by Bill Browder
    The true story of a man's fight for justice in the face of corruption, injustice and murder.

    A real-life political thriller about an American financier in the Wild East of Russia, the murder of his principled young tax attorney, and his dangerous mission to expose the Kremlin's corruption. ... (Goodreads)

  29. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

    by Candice Millard
    The riveting story of the assassination of President Garfield, a tragedy of medical science and mistake.

    James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)