Recommendations based on The Naked Apeby Desmond Morris

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

  1. 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)

  2. The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

    by Richard Dawkins
    A detailed exploration of the evidence for evolution, and its implications for our understanding of the world.

    ***30th Anniversary Edition*** Cover note: Each copy of the anniversary edition of, The Blind Watchmaker, features a unique biomorph. No two covers are exactly alike. Acclaimed as the most ... (Goodreads)

  3. Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

    by Carl Sagan
    Reflection on humanity's place in the universe, and its responsibility to protect life on Earth.

    Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan traces our exploration of space and suggests that our very survival may depend on the wise use of other worlds. This stirring book reveals how scientific ... (Goodreads)

  4. A Brief History of Time

    by Stephen Hawking
    Exploring the depths of time and space and the emergence of the universe.

    In the ten years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's classic work has become a landmark volume in scientific writing, with more than nine million copies in forty languages sold ... (Goodreads)

  5. 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)

  6. The Art of Loving

    by Erich Fromm
    Philosophical treatise on the power of love, exploring its various forms and roles in society.

    The fiftieth Anniversary Edition of the groundbreaking international bestseller that has shown millions of readers how to achieve rich, productive lives by developing their hidden capacities for love ... (Goodreads)

  7. 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)

  8. The Dhammapada

    by Anonymous
    A collection of Buddhist teachings and wisdom, focusing on the path to enlightenment.

    The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: धम्मपद Dhammapada; Sanskrit: धर्मपद Dharmapada) is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Symposium

    by Plato
    A philosophical dialogue among ancient Greeks about the nature of love.

    A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as relevant today as ever. In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. ... (Goodreads)

  10. Apology

    by Plato
    Socrates’ defense of his life & beliefs in the face of death.

    The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399BCE against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the ... (Goodreads)

  11. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

    by Dan Ariely
    An exploration of why humans make irrational decisions, and how to overcome them.

    Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't ... (Goodreads)

  12. 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)

  13. The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal

    by Jared Diamond
    Study of the evolution and history of the human species, exploring its relationship with other primates.

    At some point during the last 100,000 years, humans began exhibiting traits and behavior that distinguished us from other animals, eventually creating language, art, religion, bicycles, spacecraft, ... (Goodreads)

  14. 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)

  15. 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)

  16. Homage to Catalonia

    by George Orwell
    A first-hand account of the Spanish Civil War, and the political conflicts in the 1930s.

    In 1936 George Orwell travelled to Spain to report on the Civil War and instead joined the fight against the Fascists. This famous account describes the war and Orwell’s own experiences. Introduction ... (Goodreads)

  17. Tao Te Ching

    by Lao Tzu
    A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.

    A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)

  18. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media

    by Edward S. Herman
    Critique of mass media and its role in shaping public opinion.

    In this pathbreaking work, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky show that, contrary to the usual image of the news media as cantankerous, obstinate, and ubiquitous in their search for truth and defense ... (Goodreads)

  19. On the Shortness of Life

    by Seneca
    Philosophical reflections on the importance of living life to its fullest potential.

    The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956

    by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
    An expose of the horrors of the Soviet gulag system, exposing the cruelty and injustice.

    Drawing on his own incarceration and exile, as well as on evidence from more than 200 fellow prisoners and Soviet archives, Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn reveals the entire apparatus of Soviet ... (Goodreads)

  21. Your Erroneous Zones

    by Wayne W. Dyer
    A guide to liberating oneself from self-destructive thoughts and habits.

    THE RECORD-BREAKING, #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER – OVER 35 MILLION COPIES SOLD The first book by Wayne Dyer, author of the multimillion-copy bestseller, Pulling Your Own Strings, and national ... (Goodreads)

  22. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

    by Jared Diamond
    Study of past societies' successes and failures in terms of environmental, economic, and political decisions.

    Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Hidden Life of Trees: what they feel, how they communicate : discoveries from a secret world

    by Peter Wohlleben
    An exploration of the complex relationships between trees and the environment.

    A, New York Times, bestseller,, With more than 2 million copies sold worldwide, this beautifully-written book journeys deep into the forest to uncover the fascinating—and surprisingly moving—hidden ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A critical examination of the impact of randomness/chance in life and financial markets.

    Fooled by Randomness, is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a ... (Goodreads)

  25. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

    by Neil Postman
    Analysis of the effects of mass media on modern culture and how it changes communication.

    Television has conditioned us to tolerate visually entertaining material measured out in spoonfuls of time, to the detriment of rational public discourse and reasoned public affairs. In this ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers

    by Will Durant
    History of the philosophical thought, spanning centuries of influential thinkers.

    A brilliant and concise account of the lives and ideas of the great philosophers, from Plato to Dewey. Few write for the non-specialist as well as Will Durant, and this book is a splendid example of ... (Goodreads)

  27. Gorillas in the Mist

    by Dian Fossey
    True story of a scientist's dedication to saving the endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

    Occupational therapist Dian Fossey ( Sigourney Weaver ) is inspired by anthropologist Louis Leakey ( Iain Cuthbertson ) to devote her life to the study of primates. She writes ceaselessly to Leakey ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Origin of Species

    by Charles Darwin
    Comprehensive scientific exploration of the evolution of species and the natural world.

    Darwin's theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought and belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for ... (Goodreads)

  29. 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)

  30. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

    by Douglas R. Hofstadter
    A complex exploration of logic, mathematics and art, exploring their relationships and interconnections.

    Douglas Hofstadter's book is concerned directly with the nature of “maps” or links between formal systems. However, according to Hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity ... (Goodreads)