Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Comprehension
How to Read Literature Like a Professor
by Thomas C. Foster
A guide to exploring literature’s hidden meanings and uncovering the underlying themes.
While many books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper meanings interwoven in these literary texts... How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those ... (Goodreads)
Wolf Hall
by Hilary Mantel
A historical fiction about the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII.
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry ... (Goodreads)
Levels of Life
by Julian Barnes
A memoir of love and grief, exploring the stages of mourning and the human condition.
Julian Barnes's new book is about ballooning, photography, love and grief; about putting two things, and two people, together, and about tearing them apart. "You put together two things that have not ... (Goodreads)
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
by Philip K. Dick
A famous TV personality wakes up in a world where he is a nobody, hunted by the police.
The novel is set in a dystopian version of 1988, following a Second Civil War which led to the collapse of the United States' democratic institutions. The National Guard ("nats") and US police force ... (Wikipedia)
So Much for That
by Lionel Shriver
A man's life is turned upside down when his wife is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He navigates the healthcare system and questions the value of life.
Shep Knacker has long saved for "the Afterlife," an idyllic retreat in the Third World where his nest egg can last forever. Exasperated that his wife, Glynis, has concocted endless excuses why it's ... (Goodreads)
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
by Daniel Goleman
Examines the importance of emotional intelligence and how it affects success.
#1 BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking book that redefines what it means to be smart, with a new introduction by the author “A thoughtfully written, persuasive account explaining emotional intelligence ... (Barnes & Noble)
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
by Mortimer J. Adler
Comprehensive guide to achieving fluency and understanding in the art of reading.
How to Read a Book, originally published in 1940, has become a rare phenomenon, a living classic. It is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. And now it ... (Goodreads)
Critique of Pure Reason
by Immanuel Kant
Exploration of the limits of human reason and its limitations in understanding nature.
'The purpose of this critique of pure speculative reason consists in the attempt to change the old procedure of metaphysics and to bring about a complete revolution', Kant's Critique of Pure Reason ... (Goodreads)
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
by Sudhir Venkatesh
An exploration of urban poverty and gang life, through the eyes of an unlikely researcher.
The story of the young sociologist who studied a Chicago crack-dealing gang from the inside captured the world's attention when it was first described in, Freakonomics,., Gang Leader for a Day, is ... (Goodreads)
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?
by Frans de Waal
Examining the intelligence of animals and their potential for morality and culture.
Hailed as a classic, Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? explores the oddities and complexities of animal cognition―in crows, dolphins, parrots, sheep, wasps, bats, chimpanzees, and ... (Goodreads)
Ripper
by Isabel Allende
A string of murders in San Francisco leads a group of amateur detectives, including a teenage girl, to uncover a dark conspiracy.
“Literary icon Isabel Allende mesmerizes . . . this race-against-the-clock thriller is pure magic.”— People Magazine , Four Stars NOW WITH A NEW DEAR READER LETTER,, New York Times, bestselling ... (Barnes & Noble)
Flu: The Story Of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It
by Gina Kolata
A gripping account of the 1918 flu pandemic and the scientific quest to uncover the virus that caused it.
The fascinating, true story of the world's deadliest disease.,In 1918, the Great Flu Epidemic felled the young and healthy virtually overnight. An estimated forty million people died as the epidemic ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Painted House
by John Grisham
A young boy's journey of growing up on an Arkansas cotton farm, learning life lessons along the way.
"The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked ... (Goodreads)
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
An accessible exploration of the universe and its mysteries.
Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold. The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
by Sy Montgomery
An exploration of the wonders of the octopus, with insights into its intelligence and emotions.
In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the ... (Goodreads)
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
by Sam Harris
A practical guide to cultivating a sense of inner peace and understanding through meditation, self-reflection, and philosophical inquiry.
For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’s new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. From ... (Goodreads)
Grendel
by John Gardner
A modern retelling of the Beowulf story from the perspective of the monster, Grendel.
In the opening scene, Grendel briefly fights with a ram when frustrated with its stupidity. He then mockingly asks the sky why animals lack sense and dignity; the sky does not reply, adding to his ... (Wikipedia)
The Chosen
by Chaim Potok
Story of two boys from different backgrounds learning to understand each other and their place in the world.
In 1944 Brooklyn, fifteen-year-old Reuven Malter prepares to play a baseball game: his own Modern Orthodox school against a team from an ultra-orthodox Hasidic yeshiva. It becomes apparent that the ... (Wikipedia)
Ignorance
by Milan Kundera
A philosophical exploration of the consequences of ignorance and the power of knowledge.
A man and a woman meet by chance while returning to their homeland, which they had abandoned twenty years earlier when they had chosen to become exiles. Will they manage to pick up the thread of ... (Goodreads)
What Was She Thinking? [Notes on a Scandal]
by Zoë Heller
An intriguing tale of a manipulative teacher and a forbidden affair, told through a colleague's perspective.
Barbara, a veteran history teacher at a comprehensive school in London , is a lonely, unmarried woman in her early sixties, and she is eager to find a close friend. However, she reveals that she has ... (Wikipedia)
The Sociopath Next Door
by Martha Stout
An exploration of sociopathic behaviour and how to identify it in individuals.
Who is the devil you know? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and ... (Goodreads)
The Analyst
by John Katzenbach
A suspenseful thriller about a psychotherapist's investigation into a series of mysterious deaths.
Feliz 53 cumpleaños, doctor. Bienvenido al primer día de su muerte. Así comienza el anónimo que recibe Frederick Starks, psicoanalista con una larga experiencia y una vida tranquila. Starks tendrá ... (Barnes & Noble)
He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart
by Max Lucado
An exploration of the power of Christ's sacrifice and how it can bring hope and peace.
Is your heart unsettled by the chaos of the world? Are you heavy-laden with bad moments, mad moments, or anxious moments? Today, rest in God’s self-giving love and leave all your troubles at the foot ... (Barnes & Noble)
For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men
by Shaunti Feldhahn
A study of the inner emotional lives of men, providing insight into how they think and feel.
Discover the Truth He Wants You to Know... The man in your life carries important feelings so deep inside he barely knows they’re there, much less how to talk about them. Yet your man genuinely wants ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Holographic Universe
by Michael Talbot
A mind-bending exploration of the theory that the universe is a hologram, and how this could explain paranormal phenomena.
“In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot argues nothing less than that the universe is itself one giant hologram. Mr. Talbot thus explains out-of-body experiences, quantum-theory problems, the ... (Barnes & Noble)
Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue
by Sam Harris
A conversation between Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz on the compatibility of Islam and liberal values.
Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem to be drawn to extremism? And what do words like jihadism and fundamentalism really mean? In a world riven ... (Goodreads)
Abundance
by Sena Jeter Naslund
A novel about Marie Antoinette's life, exploring her relationships, passions, and struggles as the Queen of France.
"Like everyone, I am born naked.", , , With this opening line of Naslund's compelling new novel, a very human Marie Antoinette invites readers to live her story as she herself experiences it. From ... (Goodreads)
The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
A cynical guide to gaining and maintaining political power, revealing the self-interested motives behind the actions of dictators and democrats alike.
For eighteen years, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith have been part of a team revolutionizing the study of politics by turning conventional wisdom on its head. They start from a single ... (Goodreads)
Dear Mr. Knightley
by Katherine Reay
A woman's journey to discover her true identity, learning to accept and love herself.
Bookish Samantha has always hidden behind the words of others—namely, her favorite characters in literature. Now, as she discovers love beyond the pages of her favorite novels, she will learn to ... (Barnes & Noble)
Mrs. Hemingway
by Naomi Wood
A fictionalized account of the four marriages of Ernest Hemingway, told from the perspective of each of his wives.
A riveting tale of passion, love, and heartbreak, Mrs. Hemingway reveals the explosive love triangles that wrecked each of Hemingway's marriages. The Paris Wife was only the beginning of the story... ... (Goodreads)
Gomorrah
by Roberto Saviano
Exposing the dark underworld of the Neapolitan mafia and its insidious effects on society.
A groundbreaking major bestseller in Italy, Gomorrah is Roberto Saviano's gripping nonfiction account of the decline of Naples under the rule of the Camorra, an organized crime network with a large ... (Goodreads)
Judas
by Amos Oz
International Bestseller, , Winner of the International Literature Prize, , Finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, A, New York Times, Editors’ Choice “[A] magnificent novel . . . Oz pitches ... (Barnes & Noble)
Auschwitz
by Laurence Rees
An in-depth look into the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camps during World War II.
This vivid and harrowing narrative history of the most notorious concentration camp of the Holocaust preserves the authentic voices of survivors and perpetrators The largest mass murder in human ... (Barnes & Noble)
Life on the Refrigerator Door
by Alice Kuipers
A mother and daughter communicate through notes on the refrigerator door as their lives take unexpected turns.
Claire and her mother are running out of time, but they don't know it. Not yet. Claire is wrapped up with the difficulties of her bourgeoning adulthood—boys, school, friends, identity; Claire's ... (Goodreads)
Translations
by Brian Friel
Set in 1833, a small Irish community is faced with the arrival of British soldiers and the challenge of translating their language.
The play is set in the quiet community of Baile Beag (later anglicised to Ballybeg), in County Donegal , in 1833. Many of the inhabitants have little experience of the world outside the village. In ... (Wikipedia)
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
by Philip G. Zimbardo
An inquiry into the psychological forces that drive individuals to act immorally.
Renowned social psychologist and creator of the "Stanford Prison Experiment," Philip Zimbardo explores the mechanisms that make good people do bad things, how moral people can be seduced into acting ... (Goodreads)
Careless in Red
by Elizabeth George
Detective Lynley retreats to Cornwall after a personal tragedy, but is drawn into a murder investigation.
From, New York Times, bestselling author Elizabeth George, a stunning mystery featuring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley that explores the perfect crime—,now available as a limited Olive Edition ... (Barnes & Noble)
Second Glance
by Jodi Picoult
A family mystery spanning generations, revealing secrets and restoring relationships.
Second Glance follows the lives of several characters throughout the book. In Picoult's signature writing style, the novel flashes back and forth many decades to piece together the story. The novel ... (Wikipedia)
Bizim Büyük Çaresizliğimiz
by Barış Bıçakçı
Sıkı bir dostluk... Aslında hikâye onların hikâyesi, Ender’in ve Çetin’in... Günün birinde hayatlarına bir genç kız girer. Şimdi düşünme, hatırlama ve kendini didikleme zamanıdır. “Nihal’e başından ... (Goodreads)
The Tennis Partner
by Abraham Verghese
A memoir of friendship between two doctors, one struggling with addiction, and their shared love for tennis.
An unforgettable, illuminating story of how men live and how they survive, from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Cutting for Stone . When Abraham Verghese, a physician whose ... (Goodreads)
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