Motoring with Mohammed is a travel book written by Eric Hansen. The book is about the author’s journey to Yemen and the Red Sea in 1978. The author found himself shipwrecked on a desert island in the Red Sea, and when goat smugglers offered him safe passage to Yemen, he buried seven years’ worth of travel journals deep in the sand and took his place alongside the animals on a leaky boat bound for a country that he’d never planned to visit.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the extreme physical and mental stress experienced by German soldiers during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.
The Black Obelisk is a novel written by Erich Maria Remarque in 1956. The story is set in Germany during the early 1920s, a period marked by hyperinflation and rising nationalism after World War I.
The Night in Lisbon is a novel that revolves around the plight of two German refugees during World War II. One of the refugees relates their story during the course of a single night in Lisbon in 1942.
The book “Cheap: High Cost of a Discount Culture” by Ellen Ruppel Shell argues that cheap stuff leads to many negative consequences. The book discusses the history of retail and the practices stores use to entice consumers into spending. The author concludes that lower prices do not necessarily translate into bargains in the chain store, or along the food chain.
Desert Solitaire is a memoir and a passionate defense of America’s last unspoiled land. The book is a collection of treatises and autobiographical excerpts describing Abbey’s experiences as a park ranger and wilderness enthusiast in 1956 and 1957. The opening chapters, First Morning and Solitaire, focus on the author’s experiences arriving at and creating a life within Arches National Park.
In Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono introduces a simple yet powerful technique for transforming meetings and decision-making processes. The Six Hats method is based on the idea that the brain has different modes of thinking, and each mode can be represented by a different colored hat. The six hats are:
The Woman’s Hour is a nonfiction book that chronicles the final battle for ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which gave American women the right to vote.
The Enduring Wilderness by Doug Scott is a book that focuses on the importance of wilderness preservation and the need to protect natural resources.
The book highlights the 1964 Wilderness Act, which designated 9.1 million acres as wilderness and laid out a “long-term study process for additional designations.”
Rightful Heritage is a biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his efforts to preserve America’s natural landscapes. The book explores Roosevelt’s love for the environment, which he developed during his youth exploring the Hudson River Valley and bird watching.
Wilderness Warrior is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt, the naturalist president, and his efforts to preserve the American wilderness.
Generation A is a novel set in a near future where bees have become extinct. The story revolves around five main protagonists and is told with a shifting-frame narrative perspective. The book explores new ways of storytelling in a digital world and is a mix of humor and humanity, which are two of Coupland’s strengths.
JPod is a novel by Douglas Coupland that revolves around the lives of six young adults who are assigned to the same cubicle pod by someone in human resources through a computer glitch, working at Neotronic Arts, a fictional Burnaby-based video game company.
The Big Roads by Earl Swift is a book about the history and people behind the creation of the U.S. interstate superhighway system. The book covers the politics and key people involved in the construction of the world’s largest public works project. It is an informative read that focuses on the visionaries, engineers, and trailblazers who made the American superhighways possible.
The Islamist is a memoir by Ed Husain about his five years as an Islamist. Raised in a devout Muslim community in London, Husain was presented with an intriguing political interpretation of Islam known as fundamentalism at the age of sixteen.
Triumph of the City by Ed Glaeser is a book that champions urban life as better for humanity economically, socially, and in almost every other way. The book explains why cities have played such an important role in technological innovation, economic growth, intellectual change, and progress.
Cashvertising is a book that teaches readers how to use more than 100 secrets of ad-agency psychology to make big money selling anything to anyone. The book was written in 2009 and shows how you don’t need a million-dollar ad campaign to bring in customers.
Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust is a book about the impact of death on American society during the Civil War. The book explores how death transformed society, culture, and politics in what became a broader republic of shared suffering.
Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that explores the collapse of modern civilization and what it means to be human.
Living My Life is an autobiography written by Emma Goldman, a Russian-born anarchist, political activist, and writer. The book covers her personal and political life from early childhood through to 1927. Goldman wrote it while living in Saint-Tropez, France, following her disillusionment with the Bolshevik role in the Russian revolution.
The book provides critical insight into the mentality of radical immigrants in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Goldman personally explores the often neglected topics of political violence and the nature of human sexuality in the early anarchist movement.
At the beginning of Goldman’s autobiography, the Haymarket bombing was a recent memory and American anarchists had already been tied to notions of violence and assassination.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree turns standard success advice on its head by looking at both sides of many common arguments, like confidence, extroversion, or being nice, concluding it’s really other factors that decide if we win, and we control more of them than we think. In the book, Eric Barker discusses why context is king—why the rules for success depend on who you are.
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson is a novella that captures the disappearance of a distinctly American way of life. It follows Robert Grainier, an orphan living in Idaho from 1890 to 1960, and explores themes of isolation, the closing of the American West, the joy of a simple life, and perseverance through man’s fundamental alienation. The book is written in a historical fiction genre and is filled with evocative language that describes the brutality of entwined natural and human forces.
Anything You Want is a business book written by Derek Sivers that teaches readers how to build a business based on their own unique ideas and values, rather than following the traditional paths of startup or corporate culture. The book is divided into 40 lessons that Sivers learned during the ten years he ran CD Baby, his online music store.
Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers is a collection of thoughts around what’s worth doing, fixing faulty thinking, and making things happen.
Looted: The Philippines After the Bases is a compelling exploration of the socio-political landscape of the Philippines following the withdrawal of American military bases in 1991 and 1992. Authored by veteran correspondent Donald Kirk, the book delves into the corruption that lurks beneath the surface of the country’s democratic facade.
Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande is a guide to the creative process of writing. The book focuses on how to confront fears and doubts, how to get your mind in a place to be productive, and how to balance your inner editor against your inner creative.
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer by David Winner is a book that explores the history and culture of Dutch football.
The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley is an illustrated guide to over 600 species of trees in North America. It is a comprehensive and accessible guide that condenses a huge amount of information about tree identification into a logical, easy-to-use format. The book is organized taxonomically, with all related species grouped together, and features over 4100 illustrations.
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz is a book about the power of positive thinking and self-belief. It focuses on how to think big and cultivate success in life, regardless of intelligence or uniqueness.
The First National Bank of Dad by David Owen is a revolutionary book that provides parents with a foolproof way to teach their children about money.
Once In A Great City by David Maraniss is a book that delves into the socio-political topics of the Civil Rights Movement, labor union organization, and the rise of the soul music label Motown.
The Ball Is Round by David Goldblatt is a comprehensive and detailed look at the history of soccer, from its origins as a chaotic folk ritual to its current status as the world’s most popular sport.
Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne is a travelogue and journal that chronicles the author’s experiences as he pedals through cities from Berlin to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to San Francisco, Manila to New York.
American Subversive by David Goodwillie is a thought-provoking thriller that explores the motivations behind radicalism in an age of disillusionment and impotence.
Best. State. Ever. by Dave Barry is a brilliantly funny exploration of the Sunshine State from the man who knows it best: Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times–bestselling author Dave Barry.
Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury is a comprehensive guide to the art of wilderness survival. Written by survivalist expert Dave Canterbury, the book is based on the 5Cs of Survivability–cutting tools, covering, combustion devices, containers, and cordages–and provides readers with only the most important survival skills to help them craft resources from their surroundings and truly experience the beauty and thrill of the wilderness.
Bushcraft First Aid: A Field Guide to Wilderness Emergency Care is a book written by Dave Canterbury and Jason A. Hunt, PhD.
You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers is a novel about two friends, Will and Hand, who embark on a journey around the world after their childhood friend Jack is killed in a highway accident.
House Lust by Daniel McGinn is a book that explores the obsession of Americans with their homes. Through interviews and research, McGinn delves into the reasons why people have become so invested in their homes, from the dot-com meltdown to easy financing.
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a book written by Daniel Pink that explores the science of motivation and how it has changed over time. In this book, Pink argues that traditional reward-and-punishment models of motivation are outdated and ineffective in today’s economy.
The Commanding Heights by Daniel Yergin is a book that tells the story of the epic twentieth-century battle between socialists and market advocates.
It traces the rise of free markets during the last century as well as the process of globalization. The authors illustrate how eagerly totalitarians have—and in the future, will—pounce on every economic crisis as an opportunity to grasp more power.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time is a best-selling book by Dava Sobel about John Harrison, an 18th-century clockmaker who created the first clock (chronometer) sufficiently accurate to be used to determine longitude at sea—an important development in navigation.
How To Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie is a self-help classic which addresses one of the leading causes of physical illness, worry, by showing you simple and actionable techniques to eliminate it from your life. The book is packed with stories that reveal helpful lessons and practical frameworks to help you start living more fully and without the harmful effects of worry.
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely is a book that explores the hidden forces that shape our decisions and how they are far less rational than we think.
Stumbling on Happiness is a book written by Daniel Gilbert, a distinguished Harvard psychology professor and winner of numerous awards for both his teaching and research.
What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Howe is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book that offers a synthesis history of the early-nineteenth-century United States. It starts with the end of the War of 1812 and ends with the invention of the telegraph. The book interweaves accounts of national politics, new communication technologies, emergent religions, and mass reform movements to provide a comprehensive narrative of the period. It was published in 2007 as part of the Oxford History of the United States series.
Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk is an epistolary novel that follows the story of a young adult from a totalitarian state sent to the US disguised as an exchange student.
Smile When You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer by Chuck Thompson is an acerbic and savagely funny account of the world from the perspective of a professional traveler.
To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism by Chuck Thompson is a book about facing one’s fears and embracing extreme tourism.
Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins is a speculative fiction novel set in a dystopian California. The story follows two main characters, Luz and Ray, who are living together in an abandoned mansion in the Hollywood Hills when they come across a strange two-year-old child, Ig. This forces them to consider leaving Los Angeles for the greener pastures of the eastern states where Ray was born.