Recommendations based on The Daily Showby Chris Smith

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

  1. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    An exploration of the Obama years, and the racial injustices that still plague America.

    "We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. ... (Goodreads)

  2. Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs

    by Pete Souza
    A photographic tribute to the 8-year presidency of Barack Obama.

    This is the definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's presidency, captured in intimate, unprecedented detail by his official White House photographer. Pete Souza began photographing President ... (Goodreads)

  3. Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History

    by Katy Tur
    A journalist's firsthand account of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, from the campaign trail to the White House.

    A New York Times Bestseller “Compelling… this book couldn’t be more timely.” – Jill Abramson,, New York Times Book Review, Called "disgraceful," "third-rate," and "not nice" by Donald Trump, NBC News ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Robin

    by Dave Itzkoff
    A comprehensive biography of Robin Williams, exploring his life, career, and struggles with addiction and mental health.

    A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER A, NEW YORK TIMES,, BOOK REVIEW, EDITOR'S CHOICE A, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A, VULTURE, BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "A generous, appreciative biography ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. 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)

  6. Hamilton: The Revolution

    by Lin-Manuel Miranda
    A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the groundbreaking musical "Hamilton", and its impact on American culture.

    A backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical, Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. I Am America

    by Stephen Colbert
    Humorous exploration of American culture, politics and history.

    Congratulations –just by opening the cover of this book you became 25% more patriotic. From Stephen Colbert, the host of television's highest-rated punditry show The Colbert Report , comes the book ... (Goodreads)

  8. Live from New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live

    by Tom Shales
    A behind-the-scenes look at the iconic sketch comedy show, featuring interviews with cast members and collaborators.

    James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales's definitive oral history of, Saturday Night Live, hailed as "incredible" (,Vulture,) and "required reading" (,People,). When first published to celebrate the 30th ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. 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)

  10. Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder

    by Caroline Fraser
    Biography of pioneering author and her family's hardships, successes, and spirit.

    WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD,WINNER OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE HEARTLAND PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION,ONE OF THE, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW,'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss

    by Anderson Cooper
    A candid conversation between a mother and son, exploring their past and present.

    A charming and intimate collection of correspondence between #1 New York Times bestselling author Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, that offers timeless wisdom and a revealing ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. A Life in Parts

    by Bryan Cranston
    A memoir of the actor's rise to fame, recounting his life struggles and successes.

    “Nothing short of riveting...an engrossing first-person account by one of our finest actors” ( Huffington Post )—both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft—Bryan ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    by Irin Carmon
    Celebrating the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

    New York Times Bestseller Featured in the critically acclaimed documentary, RBG, "It was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the 'Notorious RBG." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2019 She ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

    by David Sheff
    An intimate look at a father's struggle to understand and help his son through his addiction.

    With a new afterword Now a Major Motion Picture What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through ... (Goodreads)

  15. Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body

    by Neil Shubin
    Exploration of human evolution through the lens of anatomy, revealing our connection to our ancient ancestors.

    Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of ... (Goodreads)

  16. White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America

    by Nancy Isenberg
    An in-depth analysis of the history of class in America, examining the lasting impact of the Establishment's grip on power.

    In her groundbreaking history of the class system in America, extending from colonial times to the present, Nancy Isenberg takes on our comforting myths about equality, uncovering the crucial legacy ... (Goodreads)

  17. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

    by John Heilemann
    A behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 US Presidential Election and the people who ran it.

    “It’s one of the best books on politics of any kind I’ve read. For entertainment value, I put it up there with Catch 22 .” — The Financial Times “It transports you to a parallel universe in which ... (Goodreads)

  18. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

    by Michael Pollan
    An exploration of the power of cooking and the four classical elements to transform food.

    In Cooked , Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to ... (Goodreads)

  19. America

    by Jon Stewart
    A satirical take on American politics and democracy, filled with humor and wit.

    Jon Stewart, host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show , and his coterie of patriots, deliver a hilarious look at American government. American-style democracy is the world's most ... (Goodreads)

  20. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

    by Ibram X. Kendi
    Exploration of the history of racism in America, tracing its origins and its effects on society.

    In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti–Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the ... (Goodreads)

  21. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

    by Jon Krakauer
    A harrowing account of sexual assaults in Missoula, Montana and the failures of the justice system to bring justice to the victims.

    Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, home to a highly regarded state university whose beloved football team inspires a passionately loyal fan base. Between January 2008 and May 2012, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Calypso

    by David Sedaris
    A collection of humorous and poignant essays about family, aging, and mortality, with Sedaris' signature wit and self-deprecating humor.

    David Sedaris returns with his most deeply personal and darkly hilarious book., If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Princess Diarist

    by Carrie Fisher
    Actress Carrie Fisher reflects on her time filming Star Wars and her affair with co-star Harrison Ford.

    The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher,, The Princess Diarist, is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood

    by James Gleick
    A comprehensive history of the development of information technology, from ancient times to the digital age.

    James Gleick, the author of the best sellers Chaos and Genius , now brings us a work just as astonishing and masterly: a revelatory chronicle and meditation that shows how information has become the ... (Goodreads)

  25. A History of the World in 6 Glasses

    by Tom Standage
    A look at the history of the world through the lens of six beverages.

    The, New York Times, Bestseller, ,“There aren’t many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history.” —,Los Angeles Times , Beer, wine, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. So You Want to Talk About Race

    by Ijeoma Oluo
    A guide to discussing race and racism in America, providing insight and tools for productive conversations.

    In this breakout book, Ijeoma Oluo explores the complex reality of today's racial landscape–from white privilege and police brutality to systemic discrimination and the Black Lives Matter ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

    by Michael Lewis
    A fascinating examination of the two psychologists who changed the way we view the human mind.

    Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original papers that invented the field of behavioral economics. One of the greatest ... (Goodreads)

  28. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

    by James L. Swanson
    A detailed account of the 12-day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

    The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history – the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls

    by David Sedaris
    A collection of humorous essays and stories, exploring the absurdities of everyday life through the lens of the author's unique perspective.

    A guy walks into a bar car and... From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you ... (Goodreads)

  30. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

    by Ed Catmull
    An exploration of the principles and strategies that drive success in the creative process.

    “What does it mean to manage well?” From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to ... (Goodreads)