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Recommendations based on Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Wordsby Randall Munroe
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What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
by Randall Munroe
A humorous exploration of science, tackling the most bizarre questions with real-world scenarios.
Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has ... (Goodreads)
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
by Atul Gawande
A guide to better decision-making, exploring the power of checklists in various fields.
The, New York Times, bestselling author of, Better, and, Complications, reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the ... (Goodreads)
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.
“This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
by Robert C. Martin
A guide to writing maintainable, efficient computer code through principles of good design.
Even bad code can function. But if code isn't clean, it can bring a development organization to its knees. Every year, countless hours and significant resources are lost because of poorly written ... (Goodreads)
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master
by Andy Hunt
A guide to mastering the craft of programming, using practical techniques and approaches.
Straight from the programming trenches,, The Pragmatic Programmer, cuts through the increasing specialization and technicalities of modern software development to examine the core process–taking a ... (Goodreads)
Lab Girl
by Hope Jahren
A memoir about a young woman's journey to discover her scientific calling and resilience.
Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she’s studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book is a revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also so much ... (Goodreads)
How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems
by Randall Munroe
A humorous guide to solving everyday problems using absurd scientific methods and explanations.
The world's most entertaining and useless self-help guide, from the brilliant mind behind the wildly popular webcomic xkcd and the #1, New York Times, bestsellers, What If?, and, Thing Explainer, For ... (Goodreads)
Dataclysm: Who We Are
by Christian Rudder
Exploring the hidden truths revealed by big data and how this data paints a picture of humanity.
A, New York Times, Bestseller,An audacious, irreverent investigation of human behavior—and a first look at a revolution in the making Our personal data has been used to spy on us, hire and fire us, ... (Goodreads)
Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman
An exploration of the two systems of the mind, and how they influence decision-making.
In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow , Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and ... (Goodreads)
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
by Eric Ries
Systematic approach to launching and managing successful businesses in an ever-changing market.
Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched. ... (Goodreads)
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)
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
by John Carreyrou
The rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent blood-testing startup, and the deceitful actions of its founder Elizabeth Holmes.
The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face ... (Goodreads)
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
by Ashlee Vance
A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
by Jordan Ellenberg
A journey through the power of mathematical thinking, and how it can be applied to everyday life.
The, Freakonomics, of math — a math-world superstar unveils the hidden beauty and logic of the world and puts its power in our hands The math we learn in school can seem like a dull set of rules, ... (Goodreads)
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)
The C Programming Language
by Brian W. Kernighan
Classic guide to the C programming language, covering syntax, data types, control flow, and more. A must-read for any aspiring programmer.
This book is meant to help the reader learn how to program in C. It is the definitive reference guide, now in a second edition. Although the first edition was written in 1978, it continues to be a ... (Goodreads)
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
by Allie Brosh
A humorous and candid account of the author's life, exploring the highs and lows of everyday life.
#1, New York Times, Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s, Hyperbole and a Half, showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with ... (Barnes & Noble)
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)
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)
How We Decide
by Jonah Lehrer
Examining the science of decision making, exploring how we arrive at our choices.
The first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions. Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or ... (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)
Big Mushy Happy Lump
by Sarah Andersen
A collection of humorous comics exploring the struggles of everyday life.
Sarah Andersen's second comics collection picks up right where the first left off - huddled under a pile of blankets avoiding the responsibilities of the real world. These new comics (and illustrated ... (Goodreads)
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
by David Kushner
The story of John Carmack and John Romero, creators of the video game Doom, and their impact on the gaming industry.
Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they ... (Goodreads)
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco
by Bryan Burrough
The story of the highly competitive bidding war for RJR Nabisco, one of the biggest corporate takeovers in history.
A #1 New York Times bestseller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of ... (Goodreads)
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Marie Kondō
A guide to mastering the art of decluttering and organizing for a more fulfilling life.
#1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • The book that sparked a revolution and inspired the hit Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,: the original guide to decluttering your home once and for all. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
by Guy Delisle
A graphic novel memoir of a French animator's experiences living and working in North Korea.
Famously referred to as one of the "Axis of Evil" countries, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today. In early 2001 cartoonist Guy Delisle became one ... (Goodreads)
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
by Adam Higginbotham
A detailed account of the Chernobyl disaster, its causes, and aftermath. A gripping narrative of human error and heroism.
The definitive, dramatic untold story of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, based on original reporting and new archival research. April 25, 1986, in Chernobyl, was a turning point in world ... (Goodreads)
The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage
by Clifford Stoll
A true story of a computer expert's pursuit of a hacker who broke into his system, leading to a global espionage investigation.
Before the Internet became widely known as a global tool for terrorists, one perceptive U., S. citizen recognized its ominous potential. Armed with clear evidence of computer espionage, he began a ... (Goodreads)
You're Never Weird on the Internet
by Felicia Day
Memoir of an unconventional life in Hollywood, embracing individuality and creativity.
The instant, New York Times, bestseller from “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day,, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (,Forbes,) memoir ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
by Bill Bryson
A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.
The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)
