Recommendations based on Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivorsby Piers Paul Read

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

  1. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

    by Jon Krakauer
    A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.

    When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)

  2. Miracle in the Andes

    by Nando Parrado
    A harrowing tale of survival and resilience in the Andes Mountains.

    In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence. Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby ... (Goodreads)

  3. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

    by Alfred Lansing
    True story of a remarkable Antarctic expedition, a testament to the power of courage and tenacity.

    The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole, one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest ... (Goodreads)

  4. Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival

    by Joe Simpson
    Gripping account of a mountaineer's harrowing survival after a fall in the Peruvian Andes.

    Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

    by Caroline Alexander
    A gripping account of the famous Antarctic exploration, led by Ernest Shackleton.

    In August 1914, days before the outbreak of the First World War, the renowned explorer Ernest Shackleton and a crew of twenty-seven set sail for the South Atlantic in pursuit of the last unclaimed ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea

    by Sebastian Junger
    A harrowing account of a fishing boat's journey into the heart of an epic storm.

    "Takes readers into the maelstrom and shows nature's splendid and dangerous havoc at its utmost". October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"–a tempest that may happen only once in a century--a ... (Goodreads)

  7. Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea

    by Steven Callahan
    A harrowing tale of survival at sea after a shipwreck, and a man's inner journey.

    Before The Perfect Storm , before In the Heart of the Sea , Steven Callahan's dramatic tale of survival at sea was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than thirty-six weeks. In some ways ... (Goodreads)

  8. 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)

  9. Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

    by Jon Krakauer
    A collection of mountaineering stories, exploring the experiences of climbers and the beauty of the mountains.

    No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains ... (Goodreads)

  10. Desert Solitaire

    by Edward Abbey
    A personal account of a season spent as a park ranger in the American wilderness.

    First published in 1968, Desert Solitaire is one of Edward Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works and marks his first foray into the world of nonfiction writing. Written while Abbey was working as a ... (Goodreads)

  11. 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)

  12. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

    by Laura Hillenbrand
    An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.

    There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)

  13. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog

    by John Grogan
    A heartfelt journey of a family and their beloved, but mischievous, dog.

    John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

    by Richard Preston
    An exploration of the discovery and containment of one of world's deadliest viruses.

    A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret ... (Goodreads)

  15. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

    by Aron Ralston
    A harrowing true story of one man's fight for survival after being trapped in a canyon.

    A brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life which will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. One ... (Goodreads)

  16. Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    Epic tale of exploration and adventure as Lewis and Clark traverse the American wilderness.

    'This was much more than a bunch of guys out on an exploring and collecting expedition. This was a military expedition into hostile territory'. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom

    by Slavomir Rawicz
    An incredible journey of survival, a man's trek of over 4000 miles to freedom.

    The harrowing true tale of seven escaped Soviet prisoners who desperately marched out of Siberia through China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas to British India. ... (Goodreads)

  18. In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors

    by Doug Stanton
    True story of the sinking of US Navy cruiser Indianapolis and the harrowing survival of its crew.

    A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster — and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived., On July 30, 1945, the USS, Indianapolis, was torpedoed in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    An epic narrative of the American soldiers of Easy Company during World War II.

    As good a rifle company as any, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, US Army, kept getting tough assignments–responsible for everything from parachuting into France early DDay morning to the ... (Goodreads)

  20. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

    by Vincent Bugliosi
    A detailed account of the Manson Family and their brutal murders, as well as the trial that followed.

    Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca ... (Goodreads)

  21. Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival

    by Dean King
    Shipwrecked sailors fight to survive in the harsh Saharan desert.

    A spectacular true odyssey through the extremes of the Sahara Desert in the early 19th century. Reader and protagonist alike are challenged into new ways of understanding culture clash, slavery and ... (Goodreads)

  22. A Walk Across America

    by Peter Jenkins
    A man's journey across the United States, encountering people and places along the way.

    Twenty-five years ago, a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America. This is the book he wrote about that journey – a classic account of the reawakening of his faith in himself and his ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story

    by Ann Rule
    Uncovering the hidden identity of serial killer Ted Bundy and the events leading up to his arrest.

    The first few chapters following the brief introduction about Bundy's birth and family describe Rule's friendship with Bundy, her first impressions of him, and her reluctance to consider the evidence ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Papillon

    by Henri Charrière
    An account of an unjustly convicted man's escape from a notorious French penal colony.

    Henri Charrière, called "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French ... (Goodreads)

  25. Black Like Me

    by John Howard Griffin
    A white journalist darkens his skin and travels through the segregated South, experiencing racism firsthand.

    THE HISTORY-MAKING CLASSIC ABOUT CROSSING THE COLOR LINE IN AMERICA'S SEGREGATED SOUTH,“One of the deepest, most penetrating documents yet set down on the racial question.”—,Atlanta Journal & ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

    by Christopher McDougall
    A thrilling exploration of the Tarahumara tribe and their superhuman running abilities.

    Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does ... (Goodreads)

  27. A Night to Remember

    by Walter Lord
    An account of the fateful night of the sinking of the Titanic, told through the stories of survivors.

    First published in 1955, A Night to Remember remains a completely riveting account of the Titanic 's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some ... (Goodreads)

  28. Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

    by Erik Larson
    Story of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and one man's desperate struggle to save his city.

    September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

    by David Grann
    Exploring the mysteries of a long-lost Amazonian civilization and an adventurer's obsessive quest to uncover its secrets.

    A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve ... (Goodreads)

  30. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

    by Mary Roach
    An exploration of the strange and often unknown history of cadavers, and their uses in science and medicine.

    Okay, you're thinking: ,"This must be some kind of a joke. A humorous book about cadavers?", Yup — and it works. Mary Roach takes the age-old question, "What happens to us after we die?" quite ... (Goodreads)