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Latest Book Recommendations

The Best Climate Books of 2021, recommended by Sarah Dry

From the power of the individual to effect change to the large-scale government interventions needed, are we close to a tipping point in our efforts to combat climate change? Just in time to get up to speed for COP26, here's a selection of the best climate books of 2021, selected for us by historian of climate science, Sarah Dry.

Recent Recommendations

The best novels of 2021: the Booker Prize shortlist, recommended by Professor Maya Jasanoff of Harvard
"A prize is a way of rewarding creative work. But it’s also a way of directing readers to books"

The Best Books for an Introduction to Octavia Butler, selected by Nisi Shawl

The best books for graphic designers, as recommended by Linda Secondari of the Graphic Artists' Guild
"At a foundational level, graphic design is communication: how best to communicate, what you’re communicating and who you’re communicating to."

Most Popular Expert Interviews

Best medieval historical fiction, recommended by Marion Turner, Professor of English Literature at Oxford University
"I think the Middle Ages are quite misunderstood by a lot of people"

Best books on the neuroscience of consciousness, recommended by neuroscientist Anil Seth
"Unfortunately this metaphor, of the brain as a computer, has become very dominant, not just in consciousness research, but in cognitive science generally"

The best books on Afghanistan, recommended by Thomas Barfield

The best critical thinking books, recommended by British philosopher Nigel Warburton
"Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better"

Ana Bell of MIT on books for learning Computer Science
"It’s tough to understand that an algorithm is just a recipe, and even tougher to come up with new recipes yourself"

Nietzsche expert Brian Leiter recommends the best Nietzsche books
"When he writes about suffering he’s not a tourist"

**Susan Quilliam, who updated The Joy of Sex, recommends the best books on sex**
"It’s about three things: connection, connection and connection. Really good sex is about a deep, not just physical, but emotional, connection."

Digital currency expert David Birch recommends books about cryptocurrencies
"It was ironic that the US Treasury was printing and posting stimulus checks in the same week that the Chinese were piloting digital currency in four cities"

The best books on Liberal Democracy, recommended by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University
"It’s the constraints on executive power that have come under severe attack"

Most Recommended Books

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

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Recent Reader Lists

Our aim is to make Five Books the place to go to on the web for book recommendations, arranged by topic. Help us achieve our goal by making a reading list on a subject you know a lot about. These lists have been created by our readers using our new interactive tool. Browse them all, or make your own.

Latest Book Recommendations

The Best Climate Books of 2021, recommended by Sarah Dry

Recent Recommendations

The best novels of 2021: the Booker Prize shortlist, recommended by Professor Maya Jasanoff of Harvard
"A prize is a way of rewarding creative work. But it’s also a way of directing readers to books"

The Best Books for an Introduction to Octavia Butler, selected by Nisi Shawl

The best books for graphic designers, as recommended by Linda Secondari of the Graphic Artists' Guild
"At a foundational level, graphic design is communication: how best to communicate, what you’re communicating and who you’re communicating to."

Most Popular Expert Interviews

Best medieval historical fiction, recommended by Marion Turner, Professor of English Literature at Oxford University
"I think the Middle Ages are quite misunderstood by a lot of people"

Best books on the neuroscience of consciousness, recommended by neuroscientist Anil Seth
"Unfortunately this metaphor, of the brain as a computer, has become very dominant, not just in consciousness research, but in cognitive science generally"

The best books on Afghanistan, recommended by Thomas Barfield

The best critical thinking books, recommended by British philosopher Nigel Warburton
"Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better"

Ana Bell of MIT on books for learning Computer Science
"It’s tough to understand that an algorithm is just a recipe, and even tougher to come up with new recipes yourself"

Nietzsche expert Brian Leiter recommends the best Nietzsche books
"When he writes about suffering he’s not a tourist"

**Susan Quilliam, who updated The Joy of Sex, recommends the best books on sex**
"It’s about three things: connection, connection and connection. Really good sex is about a deep, not just physical, but emotional, connection."

Digital currency expert David Birch recommends books about cryptocurrencies
"It was ironic that the US Treasury was printing and posting stimulus checks in the same week that the Chinese were piloting digital currency in four cities"

The best books on Liberal Democracy, recommended by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University
"It’s the constraints on executive power that have come under severe attack"

Most Recommended Books

Discover more books like the books you already love

Books like...
The Hunger Games

Books like...
The Song of Achilles

Books like...
The Thursday Murder Club

Books like...
Harry Potter

Books like...
The Handmaid’s Tale

Books like...
Normal People

Recent Reader Lists

American Revolutionaries, recommended by Franklin Ridgway

Assata: An Autobiography
by Assata Shakur & Angela Davis

Eugene V. Debs Speaks
by Eugene V. Debs

The Haymarket Tragedy
by Paul Avrich

Lucy Parsons: An American Revolutionary
by Carolyn Ashbaugh

Teamster Rebellion
by Farrell Dobbs

Best Stand Alone Teen Novels (quick reads), recommended by Willow Hunter

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Looking for Alaska
by `John Green

Neverwhere
by Neil Gaiman

More Than This
by Patrick Ness

Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green

About

The Best Climate Books of 2021, recommended by Sarah Dry

The best novels of 2021: the Booker Prize shortlist, recommended by Professor Maya Jasanoff of Harvard"A prize is a way of rewarding creative work. But it’s also a way of directing readers to books"

The Best Books for an Introduction to Octavia Butler, selected by Nisi Shawl

The best books for graphic designers, as recommended by Linda Secondari of the Graphic Artists' Guild"At a foundational level, graphic design is communication: how best to communicate, what you’re communicating and who you’re communicating to."

Best medieval historical fiction, recommended by Marion Turner, Professor of English Literature at Oxford University"I think the Middle Ages are quite misunderstood by a lot of people"

Best books on the neuroscience of consciousness, recommended by neuroscientist Anil Seth"Unfortunately this metaphor, of the brain as a computer, has become very dominant, not just in consciousness research, but in cognitive science generally"

The best books on Afghanistan, recommended by Thomas Barfield

The best critical thinking books, recommended by British philosopher Nigel Warburton"Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better"

Ana Bell of MIT on books for learning Computer Science"It’s tough to understand that an algorithm is just a recipe, and even tougher to come up with new recipes yourself"

Nietzsche expert Brian Leiter recommends the best Nietzsche books"When he writes about suffering he’s not a tourist"

Susan Quilliam, who updated The Joy of Sex, recommends the best books on sex"It’s about three things: connection, connection and connection. Really good sex is about a deep, not just physical, but emotional, connection."

Digital currency expert David Birch recommends books about cryptocurrencies"It was ironic that the US Treasury was printing and posting stimulus checks in the same week that the Chinese were piloting digital currency in four cities"

The best books on Liberal Democracy, recommended by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University"It’s the constraints on executive power that have come under severe attack"

Books like... The Hunger Games

Books like... The Song of Achilles

Books like... The Thursday Murder Club

Books like... Harry Potter

Books like... The Handmaid’s Tale

Books like... Normal People

Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur & Angela Davis

Eugene V. Debs Speaks by Eugene V. Debs

The Haymarket Tragedy by Paul Avrich

Lucy Parsons: An American Revolutionary by Carolyn Ashbaugh

Teamster Rebellion by Farrell Dobbs

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Looking for Alaska by `John Green

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

About

The best novels of 2021: the Booker Prize shortlist, recommended by Professor Maya Jasanoff of Harvard
"A prize is a way of rewarding creative work. But it’s also a way of directing readers to books"

The best books for graphic designers, as recommended by Linda Secondari of the Graphic Artists' Guild
"At a foundational level, graphic design is communication: how best to communicate, what you’re communicating and who you’re communicating to."

Best medieval historical fiction, recommended by Marion Turner, Professor of English Literature at Oxford University
"I think the Middle Ages are quite misunderstood by a lot of people"

Best books on the neuroscience of consciousness, recommended by neuroscientist Anil Seth
"Unfortunately this metaphor, of the brain as a computer, has become very dominant, not just in consciousness research, but in cognitive science generally"

The best critical thinking books, recommended by British philosopher Nigel Warburton
"Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better"

Ana Bell of MIT on books for learning Computer Science
"It’s tough to understand that an algorithm is just a recipe, and even tougher to come up with new recipes yourself"

Nietzsche expert Brian Leiter recommends the best Nietzsche books
"When he writes about suffering he’s not a tourist"

**Susan Quilliam, who updated The Joy of Sex, recommends the best books on sex**
"It’s about three things: connection, connection and connection. Really good sex is about a deep, not just physical, but emotional, connection."

Digital currency expert David Birch recommends books about cryptocurrencies
"It was ironic that the US Treasury was printing and posting stimulus checks in the same week that the Chinese were piloting digital currency in four cities"

The best books on Liberal Democracy, recommended by Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University
"It’s the constraints on executive power that have come under severe attack"

Books like...
The Hunger Games

Books like...
The Song of Achilles

Books like...
The Thursday Murder Club

Books like...
Harry Potter

Books like...
The Handmaid’s Tale

Books like...
Normal People

Assata: An Autobiography
by Assata Shakur & Angela Davis

Eugene V. Debs Speaks
by Eugene V. Debs

The Haymarket Tragedy
by Paul Avrich

Lucy Parsons: An American Revolutionary
by Carolyn Ashbaugh

Teamster Rebellion
by Farrell Dobbs

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Looking for Alaska
by `John Green

Neverwhere
by Neil Gaiman

More Than This
by Patrick Ness

Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green