Business & Economics

Explore the ways that money makes the world go 'round in these Business and Economics selections. Ranging from wealth-building self-help advice to philosophical critiques of capitalism, the titles in this Collection explore the role of money and wealth in society and the systems that drive global economies.

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment, Society: ColonialismTags History: World, Science / Nature, Anthropology, History: U.S., Anthropology, Business / Economics

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government

Published in 2015, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America is a nonfiction investigation into how a new form of virtually cashless poverty emerged in the United States. Authors Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer are both academics with extensive experience researching poverty, but it is only in recent years that they have come across households with almost no cash income at all. There are now 1.5 million families with children in... Read $2.00 a Day Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Education, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Poverty, Social Justice, Sociology, Technology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2005Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: GlobalizationTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Anthropology, Social Justice, Education, Education, Anthropology, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy

Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Affluenza seeks to diagnose and treat the disease of overconsumption that its three authors, John de Graaf, David Wann and Thomas H. Naylor, believe to be a serious threat to both the human species and the rest of the planet. Accordingly, the book is divided into three main parts: a discussion of the symptoms of affluenza, an analysis of its causes, and suggestions for some possible cures.In Part 1, the authors offer a broad overview... Read Affluenza Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Politics / Government, Education, Education, History: U.S., Business / Economics, History: World

Michael McGerr’s 2003 nonfiction book, A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920, is titled after a phenomenon President Theodore Roosevelt observed in the early 20th century. The book’s epigraph quotes President Roosevelt in 1906:  So far as this movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce discontent with evil, of a firm determination to punish the authors of evil, whether in industry or politics... Read A Fierce Discontent Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: WarTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government, History: World

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Science / Nature

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet (2017) is a nonfiction book written by Raj Patel, a political economist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, also known for Stuffed and Starved (2007), and Jason W. Moore, an environmental historian and associate professor at Binghamton University. The authors’ expertise in political economy and environmental history provides a unique perspective on... Read A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: EconomicsTags Science / Nature, Technology, Business / Economics, Technology, History: World, Chinese Literature, Politics / Government

Publication year 1940Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Military / War, Class, Depression / Suicide, Education, Science / Nature, Sports, Technology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1899Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Military / War, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Elbert Hubbard’s essay “A Message to Garcia” tells of the heroic journey of an Army soldier who must deliver a letter to a freedom fighter, and of the need for a similar spirit of determination in the workplace. The work first appeared as a magazine article in 1899 and became a pamphlet and book that reached millions of readers. “Carry a message to Garcia” (3) was a commonly used phrase in America during the first... Read A Message to Garcia Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Health / Medicine, Business / Economics, History: U.S., Science / Nature, History: World, Politics / Government

An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back is physician and journalist Elisabeth Rosenthal’s overview and critique of the American healthcare system. It was initially published in April 2017, arriving during a time in which healthcare reform became a prominent cornerstone of both Democratic and Republican political campaigns. The book offers a mixture of testimonials from a myriad of people impacted by the health industry, including medical professionals... Read An American Sickness Summary


Publication year 1974Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, History: World, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Publication year 1975Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World, Biography

Harold Livesay’s 1975 biography, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business, follows the life of entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie as he builds one of the biggest manufacturing companies in 19th-century America. As Livesay narrates Carnegie’s life, he also describes the many societal shifts occurring throughout the 19th century, during which life in America and around the globe transitioned to a modern, industrial society.In the opening chapters, Livesay focuses on Carnegie’s humble beginnings. Carnegie is born... Read Andrew Carnegie And The Rise Of Big Business Summary


Publication year 1957Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Education, Education, Social Science, Philosophy

Publication year 1798Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, Age of Enlightenment, Poverty, Food, Science / Nature, Class, History: European, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus was first published anonymously in 1798. Its core argument, that human population will inevitably outgrow its capacity to produce food, widely influenced the field of early 19th century economics and social science. Immediately after its first printing, Malthus’s essay garnered significant attention from his contemporaries, and he soon felt the need to reveal his identity. Although it was highly controversial, An Essay on the Principle... Read An Essay on the Principle of Population Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: NationTags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Sociology, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the husband-and-wife team of Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The book speaks to altruism and how people can do something to promote more opportunities for others around the world. The authors declare, “We wrote this book mostly to encourage others—rich and poor alike—to join in this push to improve the world” (16). They promote three ways of doing so:... Read A Path Appears Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: PlaceTags Satire, Humor, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Business / Economics, American Literature, Reconstruction Era, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Apex Hides the Hurt, a 2006 novel by American author Colson Whitehead, follows a nameless, emotionally muted nomenclature consultant, or an expert in creating brand names. The novel toggles between the protagonist’s memories of success at his company, and his current consulting assignment—renaming a town. The novel satirizes contemporary American consumer culture and features themes of race and identity. Whitehead uses humor and revelation as key narrative techniques in this story about a man who... Read Apex Hides the Hurt Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help

Publication year 1922Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Anthropology, Education, Education, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Arts / Culture

Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An Account of Native Enterprise and Adventure in the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New Guinea (1922) is an ethnological monograph by Bronislaw Malinowski, a leading anthropologist of his time. It concerns his research in what was then called “Melanesian New Guinea,” which is today known as the Kiriwana island chain, northeast of New Guinea. The work focuses on the trade, magic, and cultural traditions of the Trobriand people on the archipelago... Read Argonauts of the Western Pacific Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Sociology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

This study guide refers to the 2004 House of Anansi edition of Ronald Wright’s A Short History of Progress. The book is a printed version of five Massey Lectures that Wright delivered in Canada in 2004. Wright is a Canadian author of historical fiction and non-fiction with a background in archaeology, anthropology, and linguistics. This lecture series uses Wright’s unique set of skills as a storyteller and student of history to provide a sweeping and... Read A Short History of Progress Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Business / Economics

Publication year 1971Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

American philosopher John Rawls (1921-2002) published A Theory of Justice in 1971, and the work has become a foundational text in 20th-century political philosophy. A Theory of Justice argues in support of Rawls’s theory of justice-as-fairness, which is based on basic equal rights, equal opportunity, and helping those least advantaged in society. This approach, based on morality and ethics, is presented as an alternative to the theory of utilitarianism, in which the ends justify the... Read A Theory of Justice Summary


Publication year 1957Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government

The novel Atlas Shrugged (1957) was written by Russian American author Ayn Rand. Widely considered to be the author’s magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged is a divisive text that has remained popular in the public consciousness despite harsh criticism from academics and philosophers across the political spectrum. Set in a dystopian US wherein the collectivist government bureaucracy has a stranglehold on industry, the narrative follows protagonist Dagny Taggart as she fights to defend her family’s transcontinental... Read Atlas Shrugged Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: EducationTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine

James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones is a guide to adopting good behaviors through incremental changes to your everyday routines. Avery first published the book in 2018, and this guide refers to the ebook edition. The book has unique pagination, with the page numbers beginning again at the start of each new chapter. Clear likely numbered his book this way because of his emphasis... Read Atomic Habits Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: RaceTags Technology, Politics / Government, Sociology, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Poverty, Class, History: U.S., Technology, Business / Economics, History: World

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionTags Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Daniel H. Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, released in 2005, considers and challenges society’s history of valuing left-brained attributes over creative and empathic right-brained thinkers. Pink, an author of several books on business and human behavior, argues that the age of left-brain supremacy is over, making way for whole-minded thinkers who will define and thrive within the coming Conceptual Age. Pink offers six essential whole-minded aptitudes that are key... Read A Whole New Mind Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Politics & Government, Society: GlobalizationTags Politics / Government, History: World, Education, Education, Military / War, American Literature, Business / Economics

A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order is a nonfiction book by Richard Haass, published in 2017, that deals with foreign relations from an American perspective. Haass is a longtime diplomat who served several administrations from the 1980s to the 2000s. He was a special assistant to President George H. W. Bush, and as an official in the State Department, he was a close advisor to Colin Powell... Read A World In Disarray Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, Journalism, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

One of the great corporate frauds of the 21st century, the Theranos blood-test scam, is brought to light in the award-winning bestseller Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, published in 2018 and updated in 2020. Author John Carreyrou, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal, brings his years of experience to the case against tech startup Theranos and its spellbinding CEO, Elizabeth Holmes. The Vintage Books... Read Bad Blood Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: ClassTags Magical Realism, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Class, Latin American Literature, Post Modernism

Publication year 1989Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Journalism, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Psychology, Philosophy, Relationships, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error (2010) is a nonfiction book written by Kathryn Schulz, a journalist who has written for publications such as the New York Times Magazine, the Nation, and the Boston Globe. The book explores the nature of error from a psychological, philosophical, and personal point of view, drawing from philosophical thought, psychology studies, and personal anecdotes. Some themes of the book include the fallibility of the human mind, the... Read Being Wrong Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags History: U.S., American Revolution, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Business / Economics

Harvard-educated Dr. Atul Gawande is a staff writer for The New Yorker, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and founder of two nonprofits aimed at innovating surgical practices around the world. He wrote Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance to explore the attributes that make a good doctor. Published in 2007 as a follow-up to his 2002 National Book Award Finalist Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, Better explores “how situations of... Read Better Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: GratitudeTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Inspirational, Psychology

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015) is a self-help guide by author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert. This New York Times bestseller outlines six elements of creativity: courage, permission, enchantment, persistence, trust, and divinity. Gilbert uses anecdotes from her life and writing career, as well as the work of others, to explain these concepts, and presents her views and philosophical musings about creativity and inspiration. The work explores themes such as The Importance of Play... Read Big Magic Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: GenderTags Psychology, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Politics / Government, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Business / Economics, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Journalism, Russian Literature, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

In Blowout, TV host and political commentator Rachel Maddow interconnects a series of global events, all woven together by one common thread: the oil and gas industry. Through the various vignettes, Maddow offers readers a book that is part rallying cry, part exposé, part investigative journalism. Blowout sheds light on forgotten, buried news stories that have been swallowed up and dissolved into the status quo. From the opening anecdote about a Russian gas station opening... Read Blowout Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government

Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 1986Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Climate Change, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Western, Politics / Government

Originally published in 1986, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner illustrates how precarious the American West’s water supply is. This reality was something few people, including Westerners, realized at the time. The book was listed as one of the Modern Library’s 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the 20th century and was nominated for a National Book Critics’ Circle Award. It was also made into a PBS documentary. There is... Read Cadillac Desert Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Inspirational, Military / War, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1962Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

First published in 1962, Capitalism and Freedom is a nonfiction book about economics, politics, and government. Author Milton Friedman advocates a classical-liberal approach to economic policy in the United States, one that promotes individual freedom by allowing the free market to function as effectively as possible.Friedman wrote Capitalism and Freedom while he was an economics scholar at the University of Chicago. He opens the book with a quote by President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not... Read Capitalism And Freedom Summary


Publication year 1942Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Business / Economics, Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy is a work of economics and political theory by Austrian born economist Joseph A. Schumpeter, originally published in 1942. Schumpeter argues that capitalism, where private, for-profit ownership controls a nation’s industry, will be eventually replaced by socialism, an economic system based on the public, state ownership of industry. However, he disagrees with German philosopher Karl Marx. Unlike Marx, Schumpeter does not believe the shift to socialism will come about due to... Read Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Natural World: ClimateTags Politics / Government, History: World, Climate Change, Science / Nature, Business / Economics

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental HealthTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Satire, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter, Business / Economics, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Incarceration, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice, Fantasy

Publication year 1987Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Animals, Health / Medicine, Technology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Society: WarTags History: World, Politics / Government, Sociology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags History: African , Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Technology, Social Justice, Science / Nature, History: World

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Climate, Society: Community, Natural World: EnvironmentTags History: World, Climate Change, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Politics / Government

Following his best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), geologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond published a companion book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, in 2006. Where Guns, Germs, and Steel described how various environments around the world helped or hindered human civilization, Collapse explains how environmental abuse ruined many past societies and how it threatens civilizations today. An updated edition, released in 2011 by Penguin Books, is the subject of this... Read Collapse Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Arts / Culture

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things is a work of nonfiction by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, published in 2002. The book argues that a radical change must be made to the Western world’s industrial and manufacturing systems, which are devastating to the natural world in their present state. Through discussions of environmentalism, industrialism, and design, the authors urge us, as a society, to think differently about what it means to be... Read Cradle To Cradle Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature

Publication year 1896Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: EconomicsTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: U.S., Gilded Age

Publication year 2002Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: TeamsTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High (2002) was written by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, and Ron McMillan. It has become a cornerstone of the field of interpersonal communication and self-improvement, offering insights into the dynamics that govern our most vital conversations. Both Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny are leading authorities on organizational change and have advised some of the world’s largest organizations. Al Switzler is a renowned speaker and... Read Crucial Conversations Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: TeamsTags Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology

Publication year 1867Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: ColonialismTags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Poverty, German Literature

Capital: A Critique of Political Economy (also popularly known in the English-speaking world by its original German title, Das Kapital) by Karl Marx is an influential critique of capitalism that sought to define the economic system’s functions. The first volume—which is the only volume fully written by Karl Marx himself—was published in 1867. Two further volumes were written by Marx’s long-time collaborator, Friedrich Engels, based on Marx’s notes, and were published in 1885 and 1894... Read Das Kapital Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Self Help

Malcolm Gladwell’s 2013 book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants is an investigation of the relationship—often distorted, in Gladwell’s view—between underdogs and giants. Taken from the Biblical account of David and Goliath, underdogs are cast as those battling (and overcoming) seemingly overwhelming odds, and giants are their adversaries. David and Goliath was a bestseller, but some critics and scholars found Gladwell’s conclusions unsatisfying and the stories he draws from unsubstantiated... Read David And Goliath Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: CommunityTags History: World, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Anthropology, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Psychology, Business / Economics, Action / Adventure, Self Help, Travel Literature, Science / Nature, Psychology

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Philosophy, Technology

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Politics / Government

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Self DiscoveryTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2009Genre Book, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics

Publication year 1999Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Southern Literature, History: World, Biography

In the memoir, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Janisse Ray describes growing up amidst her family’s junkyard in rural south Georgia. She structures the book in a series of short chapters, each of which focuses on a different aspect of her family life. Between these chapters, Ray also writes descriptions of the longleaf pine forests–an ecosystem that once covered the south Georgia landscape and has been largely destroyed by logging.  Ray is born in Baxley... Read Ecology of a Cracker Childhood Summary


Publication year 1843Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, Education, Education, Sociology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2015Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Biography

Publication year 1995Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: EducationTags Self Help, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology

In Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman discusses how The Components of Emotional Intelligence, like self-awareness, empathy, and social skills, shape an individual’s life. He explores key themes, such as The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Personal and Professional Success, The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Traditional IQ, and Emotional Intelligence Affecting Mental Health and Interpersonal Relationships. This guide refers to the 1995 Bantam Books hardcover edition. Content Warning: The... Read Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Empire of Cotton is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by the German American author and historian Sven Beckert. By chronicling the history of the global cotton trade and its vast network of growers, merchants, and manufacturers, the book explores the origins and evolution of modern capitalism. In a narrative spanning over two centuries, Beckett takes readers through the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the American Civil War, and the collapse of colonialism following World... Read Empire of Cotton Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Addiction / Substance Abuse, Business / Economics, Crime / Legal, Finance / Money / Wealth, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Sociology, Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Class, Climate Change, Social Justice, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self DiscoveryTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Immigration / Refugee, African Literature, Black Lives Matter, Business / Economics, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Travel Literature

Nigerian author Teju Cole’s Every Day Is for the Thief is a work of autofiction originally published in Nigeria in 2007 and published in the US in 2014. The novel unfolds in picaresque style from the first-person perspective, as a narrator who closely resembles the author returns to Nigeria after 15 years in the US to reckon with Nigerian national identity and his own legacy. Surprised to find that he feels less comfortable in his... Read Every Day Is for the Thief Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Race / Racism, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, written by Matthew Desmond, a tenured sociology professor at Princeton University, was published in 2016 and won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017. In this influential work, Desmond highlights the interconnected issues of extreme poverty and affordable housing in the United States, themes he continues to explore in his more recent book, Poverty, by America. Through an ethnographic study, he follows the experiences of eight... Read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Military / War, Business / Economics, Self Help, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology

In the 2015 military and business book Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win, two of the most highly decorated US Navy SEALs of the Iraq War describe the lessons of leadership learned during combat and how those lessons apply to companies and organizations. Authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin explain that the single most important element of a team is its leader and that the team succeeds in its mission only if... Read Extreme Ownership Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—And Why Things Are Better Than You Think, written by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling Rönnlund, was published by Flatiron Books in 2018. This book examines how people across cultures view the world through a negative lens, which leads them to believe conditions everywhere are declining. Doctor and global health expert Hans Rosling offers research and anecdotes from his medical experience and his lectures to unpack... Read Factfulness Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Globalization, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Food, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Food, Sociology, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Arts / Culture, History: World, Health / Medicine, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government, Social Justice

IntroductionFast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal is a 2001 nonfiction book by Eric Schlosser that investigates the business practices of the American fast food industry and the associated agricultural industries that supply it. Following the precedent of Upton Sinclair’s famous 1906 work The Jungle, Schlosser provides readers with a glimpse into the questionable ethics of these large food corporations. Schlosser likewise provides brief historical accounts of fast food’s origins and traces... Read Fast Food Nation Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Technology, Science / Nature, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt is a 2014 economic nonfiction book by financial journalist Michael Lewis. Flash Boys investigates Wall Street’s desire to maximize profits and the ramifications of this profit-seeking behavior on the broader economy. Flash Boys follows investor Brad Katsuyama’s quest to establish the Investor’s Exchange (IEX) to mitigate the effects of High-Frequency Trading (HFT), a Wall Street profit-maximizing trading practice at the heart of Lewis’s investigation. Through Katsuyama’s story, Lewis explores... Read Flash Boys Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Finance / Money / Wealth, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Sports, Business / Economics, History: World, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete is a work of journalistic nonfiction by former New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden. The paperback edition used here, published in 2006 by Three Rivers Press, follows the hardback version, by Crown Publishers, of the same year. In 2007, Forty Million Dollar Slaves was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction.In this book, Rhoden, an African American sports journalist—and himself... Read Forty Million Dollar Slaves Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: JoyTags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Class, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Sociology, Science / Nature, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government

Rarely does a book about economics attract a large audience, but Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything sold 4 million copies after its 2005 debut. The book, by University of Chicago professor Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner, explains how incentives—the reasons why people do things—can cause unusual and unexpected effects in many areas of life.Praised and reviled for its outside-the-box approach—the work was condemned for suggesting that liberalized abortion laws... Read Freakonomics Summary


Publication year 1980Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Free to Choose is a nonfiction book first published in 1980 and written by Milton and Rose Friedman. The text advocates for free market principles and was made into a ten-part television series. Free to Choose attempts to answer questions including: Why do government programs so often fail to reach their goals? Why do children do worse at school while taxpayers pay more and more to support their education? Why must we fill out a... Read Free To Choose Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Crime / Legal, Politics / Government, Finance / Money / Wealth, Journalism, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Business / Economics, Diversity, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Life/Time: AgingTags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2008Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Gang Leader for a Day is Sudhir Venkatesh’s account of the six years he spent doing research in Chicago’s housing projects as a Sociology graduate student. Early in his time at the University of Chicago, Venkatesh stumbles across the Black Kings, a powerful gang heavily involved in Chicago’s crack trade. While he is interested in studying urban poverty, Venkatesh cannot pass up the opportunity to learn more about how gangs operate and what role they... Read Gang Leader For a Day Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Business / Economics, Climate Change, Science / Nature, Social Science, Sociology, History: World

Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash is a 2012 non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes. Garbology is an analysis of American consumption, trash production, and what happens to everything in our disposable economy after we discard it. Through statistical analysis, interviews, and personal stories, Humes tells the story of our largest export—our trash—and how trash came to be synonymous with American life.Humes divides Garbology into three sections: first, an analysis of our... Read Garbology Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 1981Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, Politics / Government, Psychology

Getting to YES: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (1981) is a business and self-help book by Roger Fisher and William Ury. It teaches a principled method of settling disputes so that both sides win. Revised in 1991 and 2011, the book has sold 15 million copies in 35 languages, spent several years on the BusinessWeek bestseller list, and is one of the most commonly cited works on lists of the best negotiation books. Authors Fisher... Read Getting to Yes Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Self DiscoveryTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, by Adam Grant, explores the concept of reciprocity in the workplace and how it can lead to personal and professional success. First published in 2013, the book bridges the genres of business psychology and self-help, providing readers with actionable strategies to enhance their careers and professional relationships. Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor, draws on his extensive research and real-world examples to demonstrate the power of... Read Give and Take Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: LanguageTags Self Help, Psychology, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Poverty, Sociology

Globalization and Its Discontents (2002) is American economist John E. Stiglitz’s second major work, published shortly after he became a Nobel laureate. It explores and critiques the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) policies between the 1970s and the early 2000s. Since Stiglitz was a senior vice president of the World Bank between 1993 and 1997, he uses insider knowledge to explain certain structural and functional aspects of the IMF that remain opaque to the public. His... Read Globalization and Its Discontents Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: ApathyTags Finance / Money / Wealth, History: U.S., Leadership/Organization/Management, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: TeamsTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help

Good to Great, published in 2001, serves as both a follow-up and thematic prequel to author Jim Collins’s 1994 best seller, Built to Last. Comprehensive in the scope of its research, Good to Great is an examination of the defining qualities of greatness in companies that have made a pivotal transition from “good” (performing relatively consistently) to “great” (performing exceptionally). In making his arguments, Collins brings his expertise as a faculty member at the Stanford... Read Good to Great Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionTags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Angela Duckworth’s best-selling 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance describes how persistent practice, and not mere talent, is the key to success among students and professionals. Duckworth’s extensive research demonstrates that young people do best in activities that hold their interest and give them a sense of purpose. This encourages them to practice hard and overcome obstacles until they achieve mastery and success in school and, later, in their professional lives. The... Read Grit Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Anthropology, History: World, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Politics / Government

Historian and anthropologist Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997) is a multidisciplinary study that uses anthropological, biological, evolutionary, and socio-economic analysis to chart the fates of different peoples throughout human history. Subtitled first as A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years, and later as The Fates of Human Societies, the book seeks to understand why some groups of people have prospered while others have failed to advance to the same extent... Read Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary


Publication year 1970Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags History: U.S., Great Depression, Poverty, Depression / Suicide, American Literature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: ClassTags Politics / Government, Class, Business / Economics, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Biography

Heartland (2018) is both a memoir of Sarah Smarsh’s upbringing in rural Kansas as the daughter of working-class people and an exploration of the class system in America today. The book is subtitled: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth; this hits the core of the book, as Smarsh seeks to use her family’s anecdotes and memories to get to the truth of why mostly honest, hardworking people... Read Heartland Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Technology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1971Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Business / Economics, History: African , Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Politics / Government, Business / Economics

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery (2015) is a nonfiction book by Kevin Ashton about creativity. Ashton has led three start-ups and was a pioneer in the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) in inventory systems, underscoring his business credibility in this area. His thesis extends into the creative process involved in any field, including art and medicine. Ashton’s main point strikes an open and democratic tone: Being creative is... Read How to Fly a Horse Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Novel, FictionTags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is a 2013 satirical novel written by Mohsin Hamid. It tells the story of an unnamed narrator in an unconventional format: written from the second person point of view, it is ostensibly a self-help manual that unfolds in novelistic prose. At the beginning of each chapter, the narrator offers a brief discourse on topics as diverse as self-help, memoir, debt, or the reading and writing of literature... Read How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia Summary


Publication year 1954Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Politics / Government

Publication year 1948Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: MidlifeTags Self Help, Psychology, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Classic Fiction

First published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People launched the American self-help industry, sold over 30 million copies, and became a template for the thousands of self-improvement books that followed. It asserts that success with others depends on listening, showing appreciation, and empathizing with them. The book was revised in 1981; the 2020 eBook re-issue of that edition is the basis for this study guide. The book is divided... Read How to Win Friends and Influence People Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Self DiscoveryTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1891Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Business / Economics

Publication year 1916Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Poverty, Russian Literature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1984Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Information Age, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Business / Economics, Technology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1958Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The essay “I, Pencil,” also known as “I, Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leonard E. Read,” was first published by the American businessman and libertarian advocate Leonard E. Read in 1958. The essay first appeared in The Freeman, a publication of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEE), a think-tank he co-founded in 1946. Read was a staunch critic of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” an ambitious series of government policies and... Read I, Pencil Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Health / Medicine

Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked (2017), a nonfiction book by Adam Alter, explores the relationship between humans and addictive technologies. Alter is a professor of marketing at New York University Stern School of Business and has written other nonfiction titles about human behavior, such as Drunk Tank Pink.  The book begins with the assertion that people can easily become addicted to smartphones, video games, and other technologies... Read Irresistible Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Business / Economics, Self Help, Biography

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management

Publication year 1961Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: The Americas, Business / Economics, History: World

Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Satire, Relationships, Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Poverty, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice

Landscape with Invisible Hand is a satirical dystopian science fiction novel by M. T. Anderson, written for a young adult audience. A diverse author, Anderson writes both fiction and nonfiction for people of all ages. In 2023, Landscape with Invisible Hand was adapted for film, reflecting the novel’s popularity and relevance. The book depicts a future world in which an alien species, the vuvv, have sold their technology to humans, causing the collapse of the... Read Landscape with Invisible Hand Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate, Society: Colonialism, Society: EconomicsTags History: World, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Indian Literature, Chinese Literature

Publication year 2007Genre Novella, FictionThemes Society: Economics, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: TeamsTags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Business / Economics, Class, American Literature, Education, Education

Lawn Boy, a novella by Gary Paulsen published in 2007, is a middle grade chapter book about a 12-year-old boy who receives an old lawn mower as a birthday gift from his grandmother. As underwhelming as the gift appears, this moment launches a sequence of events that ends with the boy owning $480,000 and being the sole investor of a heavyweight boxer. Full of quirky humor and digestible lessons in capitalism, Paulsen’s story leads the... Read Lawn Boy Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Psychology, Inspirational, Business / Economics, Self Help, Post Modernism, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t (2014) is inspirational speaker Simon Sinek’s second book, a follow-up to Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009). The book’s title is derived from a practice in which Marine Corps Officers eat last, sacrificing their own needs for those in their care. Sacrifice is key. Sinek explores the ways in which successful individuals and companies develop cultures built on... Read Leaders Eat Last Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Society: War, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Business / Economics, History: World, Leadership/Organization/Management, Creative Nonfiction, Self Help, Military / War, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun is a self-improvement and business leadership book by Wess Roberts, who was a human resources manager at Fireman’s Fund Insurance when he published the book in 1989. Using the historical figure of Attila the Hun as his mouthpiece, Roberts outlines his management style and approach to business. This guide refers to Attila’s “persona” when quoting words that Roberts imagines Attila might have said. In the introduction, Roberts discusses Attila... Read Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: WarTags Philosophy, Biography, Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help, Military / War, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Business / Economics, Biography

Publication year 1988Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Identity: LanguageTags Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (2013) is a nonfiction book written by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Drawing on both research and her own experiences, Sandberg describes how and why gender inequality continues to operate in the modern workforce, and offers advice for women seeking to balance a career and family. Ultimately, Sandberg argues that full equality will only come about when women "lean in," pushing past their own fears and misgivings to... Read Lean In Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Sports, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Biography

Publication year 2005Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Natural World: ClimateTags Business / Economics, Biography

Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Relationships: SiblingsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government, Biography

Originally published in 1989, Liar’s Poker is a nonfiction book that details author Michael Lewis’s experiences as a Wall Street bonds salesman in the late 1980s. Liar’s Poker is a betting game played with single dollar bills. In the book, bond traders at Salomon Brothers, an investment bank, play a much bigger betting game involving hundreds of millions of dollars, but the skills they require—daring, quick thinking, and ruthless bluffing—are basically the same as in... Read Liar’s Poker Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Futurism, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Education

Publication year 1992Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: TeamsTags Military / War, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Civil War, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography, Self Help

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Education, Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams, Identity: MasculinityTags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Business / Economics, Psychology, Biography

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World is a work of self-help psychology by Admiral William H. McRaven. The book is a continuation and expansion of a commencement speech McRaven delivered at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, which went viral on the internet. Formerly a high-ranking officer of the US Navy and Commander of US Special Operations Command, McRaven relates his experiences in Navy SEAL training to... Read Make Your Bed Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Climate Change, History: World, Politics / Government

Written by historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming (2010) is a nonfiction account of how a loose-knit group of scientists—Fred Seitz, Fred Singer, Bill Nierenberg, and Robert Jastrow—with similar political agendas worked to prevent government regulation by creating the appearance of scientific debate on several topics. These topics included smoking (both first- and secondhand hand... Read Merchants of Doubt Summary


Publication year 1941Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: GenderTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships, Parenting, Class, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Great Depression, American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Psychology, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Parenting, Psychology

In 2006, psychologist Carol S. Dweck, PhD, the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, released the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, as a layperson’s guide to her decades of academic research. Initially interested in areas of motivation, personality, and development, the author gravitated toward research in cognitive motivation theory. She eventually discovered that the concepts of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets explain what motivates some people to embrace challenges and... Read Mindset Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2003Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Business / Economics, Sports, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis published in 2003 by W. W. Norton. Lewis holds a master’s degree in economics and made his writing debut with the acclaimed Liar’s Poker (1989), based on his experience working for the investment bank Salomon Brothers. This background prepared him for Moneyball, a book about how statistics is applied to baseball in a method known as sabermetrics. A movie adaptation... Read Moneyball Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: ImmigrationTags Inspirational, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Biography

Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science is a nonfiction book by Charles Wheelan published in 2002. The author holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and is a senior lecturer and policy fellow at Dartmouth College. Previously, he was a correspondent for the magazine The Economist. He has written a number of other books, including Naked Statistics and Naked Money. This study guide refers to the 2019 third edition of Naked Economics.SummaryNaked Economics is... Read Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Society: EconomicsTags History: U.S., Business / Economics, Urban Development, Science / Nature, American Literature, History: World

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It is a 2016 nonfiction book cowritten by Chris Voss, an international hostage negotiator turned business consultant and professor, and journalist Tahl Raz. In this book, which straddles the line between the business and self-help genres, Voss shares principles gleaned from decades of experience in high-stakes negotiations. Citations in this guide correspond with the first edition published by Harper Collins. Although Raz is credited... Read Never Split the Difference Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Poverty, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Education, Business / Economics

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a 2001 nonfiction book written by Barbara Ehrenreich. This book is considered a classic of investigative journalism and was ranked #13 in The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. Ehrenreich takes a series of low-paying, entry-level jobs in three cities (Key West, Florida; Portland, Maine; Minneapolis, Minnesota) to answer the question of whether one can survive on these wages and... Read Nickel and Dimed Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: EconomicsTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: GlobalizationTags Travel Literature, Sociology, Poverty, Class, American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 1999Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Self Discovery, Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Self Help, Relationships, Parenting, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology

Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Politics / Government

In 2021 the behavioral economists Richard H. Thaler and the legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein released an updated, “final” version of their 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Drawing on research from psychology, economics, sociology, and elsewhere, Thaler and Sunstein make the case for the importance of “nudges.” Nudges, according to these authors, are “aspects of choice architecture” that predictably alter behavior without forbidding or commanding anything (8). Choice architecture refers... Read Nudge Summary


Publication year 1964Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Psychology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1988Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Self Help

Publication year 1859Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Politics & Government, Society: NationTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, History: European, British Literature, Victorian Period, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

On Liberty is a philosophical essay on ethics, society, and politics published in 1859 by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. His work on the subject matter extended back several years, through an illustrious career as a politician and philosopher. Mill’s ideas center on the concept of utilitarianism, which emphasizes efficiency and collective well-being. The book remains in print in the 21st century.SummaryOn Liberty is divided into five chapters: an introduction; “On the liberty of... Read On Liberty Summary


Publication year 1977Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Arts / Culture, Philosophy, History: World, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

On Photography is a 1977 collection of seven essays by American scholar, activist, and philosopher Susan Sontag. The essays were published in the New York Review of Books from 1973 to 1977 before publication in a single volume. Sontag explores the history of photography and its relationship to reality, the fine arts, and sociopolitical power structures. Individual essays explore these various relationships between photography and the world through a different lens before the culminating exploration... Read On Photography Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Latin American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Open Veins of Latin America (1997) by Uruguayan journalist, writer, and poet Eduardo Galeano is a historical nonfiction book about the political and economic development of Latin America. The book celebrated its 25th year anniversary in 1997 by issuing a new edition; it features additional writing from Galeano reflecting on the book and the state of Latin American politics seven years after the book’s first release. This study guide refers to the 25th year anniversary... Read Open Veins of Latin America Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: CommunityTags Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Parenting, Social Justice, Politics / Government

In Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis (2015), author Robert D. Putnam describes how unattainable upward social mobility, or the American Dream, is for most young people. Putnam examines the factors that encourage or discourage upward mobility and how they have changed over time. The book was well-received by critics for its honest and timely commentary on important social issues. Putnam currently works as both a political scientist and a professor of public policy... Read Our Kids Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: FameTags Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help

The nonfiction book Outliers: The Story of Success is Malcolm Gladwell’s third book, published in 2008. Gladwell is a prolific writer for the New Yorker, where he has been on staff since 1996. His writing often incorporates research from the social sciences, as in Outliers, in which he makes the case that the way we understand and portray success is wrong. Before joining the staff of the New Yorker, Gladwell was a reporter for the... Read Outliers Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Urban Development, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: Asian, History: African , History: European, History: U.S., Social Justice, Class, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World

Planet of Slums is a non-fiction book published in 2006 by American author and urban theorist Mike Davis. It chronicles the spread of poverty in cities around the world at a time when more than a billion people live in what the United Nations (UN) classifies as "slums."SummaryIn 1950, only 86 cities around the world had populations of one million people or more. When Davis wrote this book in 2005, he predicted that by 2015... Read Planet of Slums Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: EducationTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World

Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World, by Tim Marshall, was published in 2015 and became a New York Times bestseller and a Sunday Times #1 bestseller. The book describes how geography—mountains, plains, rivers, coastlines, climate, and natural resources—shape the fate of nations. Each chapter explains geography’s effects on a particular country or region. The book also considers how other influences—religion, culture, language, ethnicity—interact with local geography.Chapter 1 explores Russia, where... Read Prisoners of Geography Summary


Publication year 1879Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Poverty, Social Justice, Urban Development, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Parenting

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a nonfiction book by Susan Cain, published in 2012. It is considered part of the psychology and self-help genres. The book made several bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and National Public Radio. It also was voted the best nonfiction book of 2012 by the Goodreads Choice Awards and has been translated... Read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Education, Sports, Music, Arts / Culture, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2015Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Russian Literature, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

When Bill Browder’s 2015 nonfiction book Red Notice begins, he is a naive investor; when it ends, he is a crusader for human rights. In between is a narrative of ambition, greed, corruption, violence, death, and, finally, retribution and justice. Red Notice chronicles the life of a financier and his quest to repair the terrible damage done to him and his business team by Russian operatives, and, most of all, to get justice for Sergei... Read Red Notice Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Education, Society: Colonialism, Society: NationTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: U.S., American Literature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy

Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power by linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky evaluates the rise of income inequality in the US over the last 40 years. It argues that the main consequence of neoliberalism, which has increased since the 1970s, is a dramatic concentration of wealth and power to the elite—at the expense of the lower and middle classes. Chomsky observes how rapid financialization since the... Read Requiem for the American Dream Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Class, Relationships: FathersTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth

Published in 1997, Rich Dad Poor Dad is a financial self-help book written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. Kiyosaki’s aim in writing the book was to impart financial lessons and insights to the masses, drawing from his own life experiences and the starkly contrasting financial philosophies of his two “dads.” Upon its release, the book quickly became a bestseller and remains a classic in the personal finance genre. Kiyosaki structures the book as a... Read Rich Dad Poor Dad Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Identity: Race, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: NationTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World

Publication year 2022Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionTags Health / Medicine, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, History: World, Self Help, Food, Politics / Government

Salt Sugar Fat is a 2013 nonfiction book by Michael Moss. It describes the modern American food industry. The author visits the corporate headquarters, scientific research facilities, and marketing departments of major food manufacturers. He also talks with consumer advocates and other involved parties to understand the ongoing obesity epidemic.Through industrial processes, food companies remove nutritious components and substitute cheaper, harmful ingredients. The key ingredients in most processed foods are salt, sugar, and fat. Manufacturers... Read Salt Sugar Fat Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: LanguageTags Arts / Culture, Education, Business / Economics, Self Help

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Self Help, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2016Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Business / Economics, Sports, Biography

Shoe Dog is a first-person memoir written by Nike cofounder Phil Knight. It was published in 2016. Shoe Dog primarily recounts the events from 1962, the year Knight traveled around the world as a young man, to 1980, the year Nike went public and Knight became a multimillionaire. The years in between are comprised of the struggles and challenges Knight faced as he worked to build the company that would ultimately be known worldwide as... Read Shoe Dog Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Business / Economics, Sports, Inspirational, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Arts / Culture

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, published in 2009, is an often personal and meditative pitch for a cultural recommitment to the vocational arts. As a mechanic with a doctorate in philosophy, author Matthew B. Crawford has lived both lives—that of the “knowledge worker” of white-collar culture and that of the manual laborer who solves the problems society faces on a daily basis. He uses the space of the book... Read Shop Class as Soulcraft Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Journalism

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Self Help, Science / Nature, Sociology, Relationships, Business / Economics, Psychology

Publication year 1880Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: European, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1964Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Place, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: MasculinityTags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Realistic Fiction, Business / Economics, Class, Relationships, Science / Nature, American Literature, The Beat Generation, History: U.S., Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sometimes a Great Notion (1964) is American author Ken Kesey’s second novel. The plot revolves around the Stampers, a family of independent loggers who choose to continue working in opposition to a logging union’s dispute with company leadership. The novel uses an experimental structure, switching between first-person and omniscient narrators and telling the story from the perspectives of multiple characters. Kesey and his counterculture group, the “Merry Pranksters,” were the precursors to the hippies of... Read Sometimes a Great Notion Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

In Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek explores the fundamental question of why some individuals, organizations, and movements succeed while others do not. Published in 2009, this book has been particularly impactful in the spaces of leadership and business strategy, offering a fresh perspective on how leaders can both inspire and motivate others. At the heart of Start With Why is the concept of the “golden circle,” a... Read Start With Why Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self DiscoveryTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Self Help

Publication year 2011Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: The FutureTags Business / Economics, Technology, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Steve Jobs (2011) is an authorized biography written by Walter Isaacson about the life of the late Apple founder and tech revolutionary. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs, the book is an in-depth exploration of who Jobs was, from the story of his birth and subsequent adoption to his massive success at the helm of Apple. Jobs himself personally requested that Isaacson write his biography on a phone call in 2004. By the... Read Steve Jobs Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: LanguageTags Arts / Culture, Business / Economics

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Sociology, Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (2016) is an in-depth exploration of the rise of the Tea Party movement in Louisiana by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In an effort to understand the Tea Party and bolster her empathy for political opinions oppositional to her own, Hochschild spent five years getting to know residents and conducting interviews in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana. Hochschild argues that by understanding one another’s... Read Strangers in Their Own Land Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Language, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Self Help, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management

Publication year 1985Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Society: ColonialismTags Anthropology, Food, Education, Education, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: World

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help

In Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know (2019), journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell investigates why we face so many problems when interacting with strangers. He was inspired to search for the underlying causes of our miscommunications following the death of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was pulled over by a white police officer for a minor traffic infraction in 2015. Bland should have been let go with... Read Talking to Strangers Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help

Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (2020) is a New York Times bestseller on rhetoric by Jay Heinrichs, a journalist, writer, and publisher who specializes in argumentation methods. The book was published in 14 languages and 4 editions, selling over 500,000 copies. Structured like a manual, it boasts over 100 tools of persuasion and references notable figures such as Cicero, Barack Obama, and... Read Thank You For Arguing Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Robert Greene (1959) is an American self-help book author with a focus on strategy and power. After training in Classical Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Greene worked numerous jobs before pitching The 48 Laws of Power to book packager Joost Elffers in 1995. The book was inspired by Greene’s time as a writer in Hollywood, where he learned that today’s powerful people share common traits with historic princes, leaders, and tyrants. As he... Read The 48 Laws Of Power Summary


Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: TeamsTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The FutureTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Aug 1989) by Stephen R. Covey is one of the most influential self-help books of the late twentieth century. To date, the title has sold over 40 million copies and has been a New York Times bestseller. Covey was named as one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Americans of 1996. His book is classified under the categories of Business Management, Organizational Behavior, and Personal Success in Business... Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey was first published in 1998 but was revised in 2014 to meet the changing needs of its audience of tech-savvy teenagers. (This study guide refers to the 2019 Simon and Schuster trade paperback edition.) While the genre is self-help, the book’s focus on young adult readers is evident from Covey’s informal tone, which he uses to narrate entertaining stories about teenagers, as well as the... Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Technology, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Class, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Information Age, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science / Nature, Technology, Philosophy, Psychology, Futurism, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2003Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, American Revolution, American Civil War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Colonial America, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation, originally published in 2003 by Oxford University Press, is a popular history book by American cultural historian Jim Cullen. As an overview and critical analysis of the American Dream, this book adds some meat to the bones of a traditionally ambiguous concept. Cullen maintains an optimistic outlook about the usefulness of the various American Dreams and about the promise of America, despite... Read The American Dream Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: NationTags History: Asian, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Sociology, Asian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Sociology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Relationships, Psychology

Priya Parker’s book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (2018) is a series of chapter-length essays that provide a guide to organizing effective gatherings as well as a persuasive argument for thinking about them as tools for social transformation. As a highly experienced group facilitator, advisor, podcast host, and expert in conflict resolution, Parker brings a specialist’s insight to her topic. At the same time, she organizes and presents the... Read The Art of Gathering Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology

Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: TeamsTags History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Military / War, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: Asian, Chinese Literature

The Art of War, written in China during the fifth century BCE by military expert Sun Tzu, has been favored reading among soldiers and strategists for two millennia. Its concise 13 chapters, studied to this day by world leaders and generals from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, teach victory through studying the opponent, building impregnable defenses, confusing the enemy with diversions, and attacking forcefully its weak spots. The book... Read The Art of War Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Life/Time: The FutureTags Business / Economics, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World is a 2008 nonfiction book by historian Niall Ferguson. As its title implies, the book covers the rise of money and financial systems (in the West) throughout history. Ferguson argues that some aspect of finance lies behind all great events in history and that financial innovation has been as important to progress as scientific and technological innovation. Chapter 1 discusses the nature of money and... Read The Ascent of Money Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Journalism, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government, Biography

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, published in 2010, examines the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, one of the greatest debacles in American economic history. Like many of financial journalist and author Michael Lewis’s other works, including Liar’s Poker and Moneyball, The Big Short is a bestseller. It becomes a sourcebook during Congressional hearings into the disaster.The crash results from years of financial malfeasance and incompetence among the top salesmen and executives at... Read The Big Short Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Author and journalist Charles Fishman published The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water in 2011. This nonfiction book examines the history and origins of water, the rising concern of water scarcity, and our changed relationship with the substance. Fishman asserts that people generally take water for granted, even though it is crucial to the environment and to society. The book examines how we can repair this dismissive attitude, which Fishman contends... Read The Big Thirst Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Journalism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster is a nonfiction book published in 2013 by the American journalist Jonathan M. Katz. Katz, a reporter for the Associated Press (AP), gives a detailed, firsthand account of the 2010 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean island nation of Haiti. The book is a journalist's chronicle of the causes and consequences of a natural disaster, how it can... Read The Big Truck That Went By Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Journalism, Sports, Business / Economics, Biography

The Blind Side tells the intersecting stories of Michael Oher (who, after the book’s timeline, went on to have a long career as an NFL left tackle) and how the NFL’s passing game evolved. Folded into these two stories is that of Tom Lemming, who became the first person to evaluate high school football players both independently and on a national scale. His player evaluations impacted college recruiting, shifting it from a regional to a... Read The Blind Side Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Social Justice, Politics / Government

The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die (2017) is a nonfiction popular-psychology book written by Keith Payne, an American professor of psychology and neuroscience. In it, he examines the physical, physiological, psychological, and moral effects of present-day inequality, particularly within the United States. Payne broadly argues that inequality has massively widened over the last 50 years, and that this has had profound implications because inequality harms everyone in society... Read The Broken Ladder Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 1940Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: MasculinityTags Magical Realism, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Humor, Satire, Love / Sexuality, Business / Economics, Relationships, American Literature, Post-War Era, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

John Collier (1901-1980) is best known for his short stories, many of which are constructed as fantastic parables of modern day life. He also wrote poetry and screenplays, and was a developer for the television show “The Twilight Zone.” “The Chaser” first appeared in his short story collection Fancies and Goodnights, which won the 1952 Edgar Award and the 1952 International Fantasy Award. It is a cautionary parable of love, capitalism, and the wisdom of... Read The Chaser Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 1972Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: Globalization, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Economics, Identity: IndigenousTags History: World, Science / Nature, Anthropology, History: U.S., Anthropology, Business / Economics

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags Technology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, Technology, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1990Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Future, Society: War, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Social Science, History: World, Politics / Government

The Competitive Advantage of Nations is a 1990 work of economics by American author Michael E. Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert in corporate competitive strategy whose influential works are frequently cited in business and economics. In this book, Porter dismantles traditional economic theories about how well a nation fares in global competition (factor costs and macro-economic policy) and proposes a model that focuses on active and malleable factors of business rather than... Read The Competitive Advantage Of Nations Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self DiscoveryTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 1845Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Considered one of the classics of social and political theory, Friedrich Engels’s The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845) is a thought-provoking work based on the author’s personal observations of English society. As the first text of its kind to address the effects of capitalism on workers, it was widely read upon publication, even influencing the theories of Karl Marx, with whom Engels would later write The Communist Manifesto.Employed as a representative of... Read The Condition of the Working Class in England Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Crime / Legal, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government

Published in 2004, The Corporation, by legal scholar Joel Bakan, demonstrates that corporations often misbehave because it is in their nature to do so. The corporate legal mandate, to pursue profit on behalf of shareholders, impels corporations to take any action, including callous, antisocial, and even unlawful behaviors, so long as they generate a profit.  Because corporations are created by governments, they are beholden to the state for their survival, yet they often manage to... Read The Corporation Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: New Age, Identity: LanguageTags Arts / Culture, Music, Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Psychology

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: U.S., Business / Economics, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Self Discovery, Society: EducationTags Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: CommunityTags Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Poverty, Business / Economics, Sociology

Publication year 1988Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Psychology, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Psychology, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1893Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Sociology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Social Science, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Division of Labor in Society by Émile Durkheim is a doctoral dissertation first published in 1893. It is most notable for using the scientific method to explain social phenomena, and it is widely considered one of the foundational works in modern sociology. Durkheim, along with other theorists such as Max Weber and Karl Marx, is considered a founder of the field. In The Division of Labor in Society, Durkheim explores how modern societies remain... Read The Division of Labor in Society Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Fantasy, Humor

Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FamilyTags Business / Economics, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Military / War, History: World, Biography

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe is the nonfiction debut of American journalist and author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, first published in 2011. It chronicles the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young woman living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, who became a fashion entrepreneur at a time when the rights of women were strictly limited. Lemmon traveled to Afghanistan to study... Read The Dressmaker of Khair Khana Summary


Publication year 1919Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: War, Society: EconomicsTags History: World, Business / Economics, Politics / Government

Publication year 1852Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Sociology, German Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, French Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1992Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, History: European, Sociology, Philosophy

The End of History and the Last Man by political scientist Francis Fukuyama is a widely read and controversial book on political philosophy published in 1992. In it, Fukuyama argues that the end of the Cold War in 1991 established Western liberal democracy as the final and most successful form of government, thus marking the conclusion of “mankind’s ideological evolution.” Since its original release, the book has been updated in 2006 and 2019 with reassertions... Read The End of History and the Last Man Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: CommunityTags Race / Racism, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government

In The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time (2005), leading economist Jeffrey D. Sachs draws on his extensive global experience to identify a path to end extreme poverty within 20 years. This work is inspired by, and in some ways modeled after, the classic John Maynard Keynes essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren (1930). In the depths of the Great Depression, Keynes outlined a pathway to ending poverty in the industrialized countries near... Read The End of Poverty Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: U.S., Agriculture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Technology, Urban Development

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology

Jon Gordon’s 2007 self-help book The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy became a Wall Street Journal best-seller for its tale of a man who triumphs over serious career and marital problems using the power of positive energy. The ebook edition, ASIN: B0086I25S8, is the source for this study guide.Both a work of fiction and a how-to manual on team-building, The Energy Bus describes how anyone can... Read The Energy Bus Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: ClimateTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help

Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FamilyTags Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Humor

Publication year 1996Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags History: U.S., Sociology, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1923Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Education, Education, Anthropology, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business / Economics, Arts / Culture, Class, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1984Genre Novel, FictionTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help

The Goal, originally published in 1984 by North River Press, is part of a subset of business writing intended for managerial training. In the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese? and Surviving Your Serengeti: 7 Skills to Master Business and Life, The Goal is a fictional fable directed at executives to help them improve organizational culture and productivity. The Goal was one of the first such publications and introduced the idea of the Theory of... Read The Goal Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Food, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Arts / Culture, Health / Medicine, Biography

Will Allen, author of the 2012 book The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities, co-written with Charles Wilson, is an important figure in the American urban farming movement. Born into a farming family, Allen spent much of his adolescence and early adulthood hoping to avoid the agricultural life; however, after a career in professional basketball and later in corporate sales and marketing, Allen finds himself farming full-time, with idealism in his heart... Read The Good Food Revolution Summary


Publication year 1889Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

Andrew Carnegie wrote “The Gospel of Wealth” in June 1889. Carnegie begins his treatise by identifying what he sees as the most significant problem of modern-day times: “the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship” (1).Carnegie mentions that, in the past, “there was little difference” (1) between the living situations of a leader of a community and those of the members... Read The Gospel Of Wealth Summary


Publication year 1968Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Inspirational, Philosophy, Self Help, Business / Economics, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Christian literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1944Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags History: World, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

The Great Transformation, by Karl Polanyi, was first published in 1944 and is a nonfiction work of economic history. The most recent 2001 edition features a Foreword by renowned economist Joseph Stiglitz as well as an Introduction by sociology professor Fred Block, both of which tout the continued relevance of Polanyi’s work. Throughout the work itself, Polanyi discusses the social and economic changes—what he terms “the great transformation”—that occurred as a result of the Industrial... Read The Great Transformation Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Winner of the 2015 Avery O. Craven Prize and the 2015 Sidney Hillman Prize, Edward E. Baptist’s 2014 book, The Half Has Never Been Told, challenges revisionist historical studies and presents slavery as a modern and modernizing institution that was central to the creation of American wealth and power. Drawing on slave narratives and other sources, it examines the development and growth of American slavery and the far-reaching effects it had on the nation from... Read The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Self Help, Biography

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

The Ideal Team Player is a 2016 book by leadership development expert Patrick Lencioni. The book provides an extension of the work Lencioni performed for his 2011 book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Lencioni employs a two-part structure for the book, as it begins with a third-person fictional narrative before shifting to a first-person, instructional point of view. In both sections, Lencioni examines the significance of being able to identify three essential characteristics of... Read The Ideal Team Player Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Technology, Science / Nature, Self Help

Publication year 1949Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Self Help

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Technology

Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Business / Economics, Social Science, Sociology, History: World, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

The Lexus and the Olive Tree is a nonfiction work by Thomas L Friedman, a New York Times foreign affairs reporter turned opinion columnist. Friedman has won three Pulitzer Prizes for General Non-Fiction and won the National Book Award for From Beirut to Jerusalem (1989), his memoir about reporting Middle East relations. He is also notable for his 2005 book, The World Is Flat, which focuses on many of the same themes as The Lexus... Read The Lexus and the Olive Tree Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Economics, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Poverty, Social Justice, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

In 2009, Peter Singer, philosopher and ethicist at Princeton University, published The Life You Can Save, a short treatise on the obligations of affluent persons to alleviate the suffering of those experiencing extreme poverty on a global scale. By this time in his career, Singer had spent several decades on ethical questions related to global poverty. In 1972, he produced a seminal essay in the field, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” After a much more recent... Read The Life You Can Save Summary


Publication year 1959Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self DiscoveryTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1963Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: European, Sociology, Industrial Revolution, British Literature, Class

Publication year 1983Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Mental Health, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1924Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: FameTags Religion / Spirituality, Roaring Twenties, Christian literature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Education, Education

Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Inspirational, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Business / Economics, Self Help, Biography

Publication year 1996Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Self Help, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Anthropology, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Food, Politics / Government

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the 2016 sequel to John Perkins’s best-selling Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (2004), which reveals how American corporations and the US government use major development contracts to control third-world nations. Though autobiographical in nature, The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an easy read with the feel of an adventure or spy novel. The book includes chapters on how Americans can act against... Read The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph (2014) is a self-help book by American author Ryan Holiday. Holiday identifies three aspects of confronting obstacles: “Perception,” “Action,” and “Will.” Weaving Stoic philosophy with historical and contemporary anecdotes, Holiday argues that people can turn obstacles into opportunities by changing their perceptions of their problems. Holiday points to role models such as former American president and general Dwight D. Eisenhower, American aviator... Read The Obstacle is the Way Summary


Publication year 1901Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Naturalism, Technology, Business / Economics, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: TeamsTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 1945Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Science / Nature, Sociology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1884Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: NationTags Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: TeamsTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Self Help

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Psychology, Business / Economics, Self Help, Philosophy, Science, Sociology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, American Literature

The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Plot SummaryAn assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices were seemingly at different ends of the political spectrum, the same mysterious figure pays Khamel to kill... Read The Pelican Brief Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: RaceTags Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help, Psychology, Race / Racism, Social Justice

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self DiscoveryTags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, Psychology

Publication year 1974Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags History: U.S., Urban Development, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a 1974 biography of American urban planner Robert Moses, written by journalist Robert Caro. The book charts the rise of Moses in the New York political system, illustrating how he came to shape the city according to his own designs. The book was widely praised by critics and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, though Moses and his associates disagreed with several points... Read The Power Broker Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: ClassTags Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: TeamsTags Psychology, Inspirational, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology

Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business investigates the science behind habit formation in the human brain. Drawing on corporate case studies and pioneering scientific experiments, Duhigg analyzes how individuals, organizations, and societies can use the knowledge of habit formation to change their behaviors. Published in 2012 by Random House, the nonfiction book has reached a broad public readership and landed on the New York Times... Read The Power of Habit Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: RegretTags Psychology, Self Help, Relationships, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1963Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Science / Nature

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

In 2007 the United States experienced an economic downturn that caused the standard for living for millions of Americans to plummet. While the share of national income dropped for 99 percent of Americans, the top 1 percent of Americans saw their wealth increase, in some cases considerably. Joseph E. Stiglitz published The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future in 2012 to explain this income gap and offer some hope that it... Read The Price of Inequality Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: ClassTags Education, Business / Economics, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Class, Sociology, Race / Racism

Publication year 1991Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Military / War, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary


Publication year 1905Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Sociology, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a book written by German historian and sociologist Max Weber in 1905. Weber is often considered to be one of the founders of the discipline of sociology, and The Protestant Ethic is one of his most famous texts. As a work of sociology, the book seeks to analyze broad changes in both the economic and the religious structures of Western European and American societies. Over the... Read The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Biography

Chris Gardner’s memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness, details his pursuit of the American Dream and desire to rise against the challenging circumstances of his birth and attain success. From the outset, life is difficult for Gardner, a poor black child growing up in the Milwaukee ghetto with his mother, sisters and violent, abusive stepfather, Freddie. Gardner’s mother, Bettye Jean, had her own dreams taken away from her, when her father refused to pay for her... Read The Pursuit of Happyness Summary


Publication year 1944Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, Business / Economics, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, British Literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) wrote The Razor’s Edge in 1944. The novel’s title comes from a quotation translated from the Katha Upanishad, with the assistance of Christopher Isherwood: “Rise, wake up, seek the wise and realize. The path is difficult to cross like the sharpened edge of the razor." The story has been adapted for film twice, once in 1946 starring Tyrone Power and again in 1984 with Bill Murray. When World War I air... Read The Razor's Edge Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Poverty, Social Justice, Class, Education, Russian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

Publication year 1926Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionTags Self Help, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

David Brooks’ The Road to Character, published in 2015, is a philosophical treatise and self-help book hybrid. Brooks believes that in an ego-obsessed, achievement-focused society, our focus is constantly on self-promotion and desire-fulfillment rather than on spiritual enrichment, strength of character, and moral compass. Brooks contrasts the outward-facing, more shallowly motivated self with the inward-facing, more introspectively driven self. After a significant amount of time spent reflecting on his own life experiences as a high-achieving... Read The Road to Character Summary


Publication year 1944Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

As World War II raged around him, F.A. Hayek wrote and published The Road to Serfdom, which became a touchstone of the campaign to preserve personal and economic freedoms. The book argues that Western democracies’ attraction to socialism will take them down a path to authoritarian dictatorships like those in Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Government planning of economies, Hayek declares, must result in arbitrary and unfair edicts, as well as a loss of individual... Read The Road To Serfdom Summary


Publication year 1937Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Society: CommunityTags Social Justice, Class, History: European, British Literature, Journalism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

The Road to Wigan Pier is a 1937 nonfiction book by George Orwell. The book describes Orwell’s firsthand experiences of life in Great Britain’s working-class communities in the early 20th century and advocates for the adoption of socialism. SummaryThe Road to Wigan Pier begins in a small lodging house in Northern England. The impoverished, rundown house rents crowded rooms to people who work in the nearby mines. The landlord, Mr. Brooker, was once a miner... Read The Road to Wigan Pier Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: NationTags History: World, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, War On Terrorism / Iraq War

Publication year 1999Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Philosophy, Social Justice, Poverty, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Philosopher Peter Singer, known for his uncompromising commitment to utilitarian principles, published his opinion editorial “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” in The New York Times Magazine on 5 September 1999. In the essay, Singer argues that the inhabitants of affluent countries have a moral obligation to donate a significant portion of their wealth to charities that can save lives around the world.Singer begins by describing a situation from the 1998 Brazilian film Central Station... Read The Singer Solution to World Poverty Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1891Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Publication year 1748Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Age of Enlightenment, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1917Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: European, Russian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Business / Economics, Sociology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government

The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health—and a Vision for Change (2010) is a book by Annie Leonard. It is based on a short animated documentary with the same title (2007) written and narrated by Leonard. Leonard criticizes American consumer society that values novelty, accumulation, and low prices for being unsustainable. Overconsumption affects our health, our happiness, and our planet. Leonard travels from factories, to... Read The Story of Stuff Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: LanguageTags Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Self Help, Psychology, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Humor, Grief / Death, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: RaceTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Psychology, Self Help, Business / Economics, Education, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Parenting

Publication year 1759Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) secured its author’s place as one of history’s most celebrated philosophers. Like all great works of moral philosophy, Smith’s book belongs to a tradition that dates to antiquity. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, however, is probably best understood in the context of the 18th-century Scottish Enlightenment, for its argument helps reconcile two otherwise conflicting ideas advanced by two of that era’s intellectual titans. Furthermore, The Theory of... Read The Theory of Moral Sentiments Summary


Publication year 1899Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: ClassTags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Social Science, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Sociology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study of Institutions (1899), written by Norwegian-American sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen, is a critique of consumerism and conspicuous culture promoted by the wealthy leisure class in America during the Industrial era. Veblen proposes that economics is not simply the study of markets and cash flow; it must include sociological analysis to accurately reflect a society’s consumption patterns and their cultural and economic repercussions. Though the book... Read The Theory of the Leisure Class Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The FutureTags Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology

Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point (2000) is an interdisciplinary work of popular sociology and psychology that explores the concept of the tipping point, a moment of sudden change that occurs in social epidemics. Gladwell explores how social epidemics work and offers many case studies and illustrative research to bolster his novel arguments about how epidemics “tip.” The book began as an article for The New Yorker. This guide refers to the first edition of the... Read The Tipping Point Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self DiscoveryTags Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Business / Economics, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1968Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Society: EconomicsTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy

Published in 1968, the essay “The Tragedy of the Commons,” by ecologist Garrett James Hardin, argues that human overpopulation will stress ecosystems beyond their limits and cause a resource catastrophe. The essay has greatly influenced environmentalists. Hardin was a politically controversial, award-winning science writer who taught ecology at the University of California at Santa Barbara for over 30 years. Critics on both sides of the political spectrum have resented not only some of his proposed... Read The Tragedy of the Commons Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, Social Justice, Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: GlobalizationTags Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 2016Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Relationships: FriendshipTags History: World, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

A powerful dichotomy lies at the heart of The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds (2016), Michael Lewis’s account of how the friendship between two Israeli psychologists—Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky—essentially created the field of behavioral economics and shifted paradigms about human decision making. This dichotomy is the tension between intuition and algorithms, between gut feelings and empirical data. In the Introduction, Lewis explains that The Undoing Project exists largely as a complement... Read The Undoing Project Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: NationTags Business / Economics, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, Journalism, Sociology, History: World, Biography

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America is a 2013 work of contemporary political science and history by the American journalist George Packer. It won the National Book Award in 2013 and was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award. The book explores the trajectory of the United States from 1978 to 2012 and argues that those years saw a diminishing of the institutions, promises, and social connections that had... Read The Unwinding Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Business / Economics, History: U.S., Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sociology, Arts / Culture, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2002Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: LanguageTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Arts / Culture, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1758Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags History: U.S., Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Classic Fiction

The essay begins as Poor Richard addresses his audience, “Courteous Reader,” and admits that few “other learned authors” have quoted him, despite his being “an eminent author of almanacs annually now a full quarter of a century” (1). Poor Richard does take solace in the fact that “[his] writings produce [him] some solid pudding” (1) thanks to the people who buy his work, whom he describes as “the best judges of [his] merit” (2). Because... Read The Way To Wealth Summary


Publication year 1776Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Wealth of Nations—first published in 1776, during the Scottish Enlightenment and Agricultural Revolution—is the seminal work of Adam Smith, a Scottish economist, philosopher, author, and public intellectual. Born in Scotland, Smith studied at University of Glasgow, Balliol College, and Oxford, and lectured at the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh and Glasgow University. While The Wealth of Nations is a pioneering, revolutionary work on economics, his other principal writing, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, is a... Read The Wealth Of Nations Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: ColonialismTags Business / Economics, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government

The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good is William Easterly’s investigation and critique of international development, foreign aid, and Western intervention, including the histories and effects of colonialism and imperialism. Easterly comes with decades of experience as a development economist working with global institutions such as the World Bank and on projects across the developing world, which is reflected in his... Read The White Man’s Burden Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionTags Science / Nature, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century is a nonfiction book by Thomas L. Friedman. It was first published in 2005 and was updated with two new editions in 2006 and 2007. The book is a wide-ranging examination of globalization at the turn of the 21st century and its impact on the United States. The book is divided into sections that explain the origin, impact, and meaning of a “flat world.”... Read The World Is Flat Summary


Publication year 1953Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Social Science, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

The Worldly Philosophers, first published in 1953, is a nonfiction work on the history of economics, written by American economist and historian Robert L. Heilbroner, the Norman Thomas Professor of Economics, Emeritus at the New School for Social Research, New York. Currently in its seventh edition, published in an updated and revised form in 1999, the book is regularly assigned to economics undergraduates, providing them with an overview of western economic thought. The Worldly Philosophers... Read The Worldly Philosophers Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help

Publication year 1937Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Originally published in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is widely acknowledged as a foundational text in the field of self-help literature. The book mainly revolves around the themes of The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking, Setting Goals and Persistence, and Desire and Motivation in Personal and Financial Growth. Through anecdotes and practical strategies that Hill claims came from his intimate knowledge of business luminaries such as Andrew Carnegie, Hill promises to catalyze personal... Read Think and Grow Rich Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011), written by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, examines how people exercise judgment and make decisions. It draws from Kahneman’s long career—particularly his collaboration with fellow psychologist Amos Tversky beginning in 1969—identifying the mechanisms, biases, and perspectives that constitute human decision-making. Its 38 chapters provide detailed information affecting disciplines ranging from mathematics to law. The book was named one of the best books of 2011 by The New York Times and The... Read Thinking, Fast and Slow Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Science / Nature, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Think Like a Freak is a nonfiction book published in 2014 by Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, and Stephen J. Dubner, a journalist based in New York City. It is a follow-up to the authors’ successful books Freakonomics (2005) and SuperFreakonomics (2009), and ties in with their blog and podcast, which can be found at freakonomics.com. A fourth book in the series, When to Rob a Bank, was... Read Think Like a Freak Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Globalization, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Business / Economics, Politics / Government

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate is Naomi Klein's fourth book. Published in 2014, it explores the issue of climate change from an anticapitalistic political perspective and considers whether contemporary market-driven policies are adequate for responding to the global crisis. The book won the 2014 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and was adapted into a documentary by Avi Lewis.Klein is a Canadian author, filmmaker, and activist whose work centers on anticapitalist critique... Read This Changes Everything Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Agriculture, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: European, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: World, Journalism, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Food

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Education, Society: CommunityTags Sociology, Politics / Government, Poverty, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice

Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope (Alfred A. Knopf, 2020) is a nonfiction book written by the journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who are also married. The book chronicles the individual impact of the American approach to poverty and offers prescriptions for how the United States can adopt a more human approach to those who are struggling with deprivation, addiction, and despair. Upon its release, the book was a New York Times best seller.Plot SummaryThe... Read Tightrope Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Health / Medicine, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Psychology

Publication year 1998Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: EconomicsTags History: U.S., Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Journalism, History: World, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves, written by American journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, is a nonfiction work published in 2009. The subtitle accurately describes what the work accomplishes, and the book is the product of “more than five hundred hours of interviews with more than two hundred individuals who participated directly in the events surrounding the financial crisis” (vii). Sorkin, a... Read Too Big To Fail Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: FearTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2011Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Urban Development, Sociology, History: World, Arts / Culture

Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser brings new life and controversy to the study of urban areas with his book Triumph of The City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier (2011). The 2011 Penguin Books edition is the subject of this guide. Glaeser amasses evidence from his own research and elsewhere to prove the critical importance of cities to the progress of humanity. His thesis is that the many personal interconnections... Read Triumph of the City Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice

Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Biography

The book’s first part, “Incentives,” introduces the key conflict: Wiener, a 25-year-old Brooklyn native, desires “momentum” and fulfilment in her professional life but has tired of her job as an underpaid assistant at a Manhattan literary agency. After a brief stint at a New York e-book startup, she secures a customer support position at a mobile analytics company in San Francisco. She optimistically immerses herself in the workplace culture, shrugging off incidents of sexism, the... Read Uncanny Valley Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Food, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Food, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 1861Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

“Utilitarianism” is a philosophical essay written by English philosopher John Stuart Mill in 1863. In this long essay, Mill seeks to provide a definition for the moral philosophy of utilitarianism, which was originally developed by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. As a philosophy, utilitarianism argues that a desire for happiness lies at the heart of all moral considerations. Mill’s essay expanded on the philosophical ideas initially proposed by Bentham and specifically sought to respond to common... Read Utilitarianism Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Science / Nature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Education, Technology, Military / War

Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: GlobalizationTags History: World, Business / Economics, History: European, Chinese Literature, Travel Literature, Arts / Culture

Vermeer’s Hat is a thought-provoking narrative by art historian Timothy Brook. The full title of the book, Vermeer’s Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, indicates Brook's comprehensive outlook and refers to Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch painter from Delft known for his use of light and clever clues. Brook uses five of Vermeer’s paintings plus artwork from Vermeer's contemporaries to illustrate the globalization of the 17th century. Brook argues for how... Read Vermeer's Hat Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: EnvironmentTags History: European, Journalism, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Food, Education, Grief / Death, History: World, Military / War, Poverty, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Biography

Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich is a collection of 35 first-person oral accounts of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union. Originally published in Russian in 1997, the book was translated into English by Keith Gessen in 2005; it has been translated into almost every European language. Alexievich, a Belarusian investigative journalist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for Voices from Chernobyl in... Read Voices from Chernobyl Summary


Publication year 1848Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 2013Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Biography

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Sociology, Politics / Government

In this nonfiction book, data scientist and mathematician Catherine O’Neil’s Weapons of Math Destruction (2016) explores how math-driven models encoded in technology shape many people’s lives and opportunities in the United States. She calls these models weapons of math destruction (WMDs) for their ability to wreak mass havoc on the poor and marginalized peoples of America. This book deals with difficult subject matter, such as socioeconomic oppression, racial discrimination, gender inequality, and discrimination against individuals... Read Weapons of Math Destruction Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business / Economics, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Social Science, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Education, Education, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Travel Literature, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags History: World, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Psychology, Self Help, Technology, Philosophy

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: FemininityTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Place, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Sociology, History: U.S., Class, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

IntroductionIn White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America, Nancy Isenberg documents the historical and contemporary disdain of the upper and middle classes in America for the white poor and the resultant staying power of a class hierarchy. Isenberg, an award-winning historian, uses her expertise to contribute this non-fictional work to the academic literature on social class. Originally published in 2016, the book became a New York Times bestseller and was a finalist... Read White Trash Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, is an inspirational advice book on how people and businesses can respond to changing times and situations by learning how to adapt quickly and successfully. The book centers on a parable about two mice and two people who live in a maze and search for cheese—the things each wants in life—and what happens when the cheese they’ve been enjoying disappears. First published in 1998, the book proved... Read Who Moved My Cheese? Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Science / Nature, Sociology

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (2012) is a nonfiction book co-authored by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. Acemoglu, an MIT economist renowned for his work on political economy, and Robinson, a political scientist and economist, combine their expertise to examine the reasons behind the varying levels of success and failure among nations. This interdisciplinary work, situated at the intersection of institutional economics, developmental economics, and economic history, examines a... Read Why Nations Fail Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionTags Business / Economics

In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, author Paco Underhill argues that people make purchases not so much because they are useful and sensible but because they are part of a pleasing shopping experience. First published in 2000 and revised for the Internet Age in 2009, Why We Buy became an international bestseller and has been translated into 27 languages. The 2009 Kindle edition (ASIN: B001QA4SY2) is the basis for this guide.Underhill, an environmental... Read Why We Buy Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Class, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 1997Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Sports, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: WarTags Politics / Government, History: World, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature