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Latest Book Recommendations

The best books on Animal Consciousness, recommended by David Peña-Guzmán

The more we learn about the minds of other species, the more we are forced to question any assumptions that might previously have been made about their inner lives. Here, the philosopher David Peña-Guzmán talks us through the profound questions thrown up by research into animal cognition, perception and emotion, as he recommends five of the best books on animal consciousness.

Recent Recommendations

The British Academy Book Prize: 2022 Shortlist, recommended by Philippe Sands

Best books on how to be good, recommended by philosopher and Stoic Massimo Pigliucci
“Moral philosophy made a couple of wrong turns with Kant and Mill”

Books on longevity and living longer, recommended by biologist Steven Austad
“With laboratory animals, we’ve been able to make them live longer by about 20-25%. I think that’s a reasonable goal for humans”

Most Popular Expert Interviews

Recent Nonfiction, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell
“Instead of looking to a religious figure, I turn to physicists to understand the universe”

Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci recommends the best books on Stoicism
“One of the most rewarding things that has happened to me since I started writing about it is the constant flow of testimonies to the fact that it really helps people”

The best books on ‘the Great Divergence,’ recommended by Davis Kedrosky, publisher of the economic history newsletter, Great Transformations
“The ‘West’ was moving ahead of the ‘rest’ at least by the beginning of the 18th century”

The Best Science Fiction of 2022: The Arthur C. Clarke Award
Academic and chair of the judges Andrew M. Butler talks us through this year’s shortlist

Neil MacGregor, chair of the 2022 Booker Prize judges, talks us through the shortlist
“These are six books that we want to recommend to people to read and re-read”

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

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

The best Russian novels, recommended by historian Orlando Figes
“They have a sprawling canvas that engages with Russian reality”

The best golden age mysteries, recommended by Martin Edwards
“It’s that element of impossibility or paradox or miracle, almost, that distinguishes the locked room mystery”

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2022 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Laird, one of the prize’s judges
“We’re finding now that many writers, some with long and distinguished careers behind them, are looking to the past for inspiration”

Books about Domestic Violence, recommended by author and producer Tanya Selvaratnam
"The cycle of violence that we’re conditioned to normalize from the time we are born is entwined with the patriarchy"

The best history books: the 2022 Wolfson Prize shortlist, recommended by Wolfson judge Carole Hillenbrand
“There is one book about God, one about Turkey, one about the United States, and then two about medieval England”

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.

The best books on Animal Consciousness, recommended by David Peña-Guzmán

The British Academy Book Prize: 2022 Shortlist, recommended by Philippe Sands

Best books on how to be good, recommended by philosopher and Stoic Massimo Pigliucci “Moral philosophy made a couple of wrong turns with Kant and Mill”

Books on longevity and living longer, recommended by biologist Steven Austad “With laboratory animals, we’ve been able to make them live longer by about 20-25%. I think that’s a reasonable goal for humans”

Recent Nonfiction, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell “Instead of looking to a religious figure, I turn to physicists to understand the universe”

Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci recommends the best books on Stoicism “One of the most rewarding things that has happened to me since I started writing about it is the constant flow of testimonies to the fact that it really helps people”

The best books on ‘the Great Divergence,’ recommended by Davis Kedrosky, publisher of the economic history newsletter, Great Transformations “The ‘West’ was moving ahead of the ‘rest’ at least by the beginning of the 18th century”

The Best Science Fiction of 2022: The Arthur C. Clarke Award Academic and chair of the judges Andrew M. Butler talks us through this year’s shortlist

Neil MacGregor, chair of the 2022 Booker Prize judges, talks us through the shortlist “These are six books that we want to recommend to people to read and re-read”

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

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

The best Russian novels, recommended by historian Orlando Figes “They have a sprawling canvas that engages with Russian reality”

The best golden age mysteries, recommended by Martin Edwards “It’s that element of impossibility or paradox or miracle, almost, that distinguishes the locked room mystery”

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2022 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Laird, one of the prize’s judges “We’re finding now that many writers, some with long and distinguished careers behind them, are looking to the past for inspiration”

Books about Domestic Violence, recommended by author and producer Tanya Selvaratnam"The cycle of violence that we’re conditioned to normalize from the time we are born is entwined with the patriarchy"

The best history books: the 2022 Wolfson Prize shortlist, recommended by Wolfson judge Carole Hillenbrand “There is one book about God, one about Turkey, one about the United States, and then two about medieval England”

Books like... Stranger Things

Books like... Where the Crawdads Sing

Books like... Dune

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Books like... Heartstopper

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley & Lawrence Till

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, Joost Ellfers & Joost Elffers

Macbeth: Oxford School Shakespeare (Oxford School Shakespeare Series) by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Wordsworth Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Nailed It!: How one woman turned a dream business into a huge success by Jeanette Sklivanou

Too Big for Your Boots: How I Built a 7-figure Brand as a Young Entrepreneur with No Startup Funds a by Liv Conlon

Living A Laptop Lifestyle by Greg Scott & Fiona Scott

Limitless Thinking: How One Young Entrepreneur Found Success With No Degree, Experience or Money by Jeet Banerjee

Starting A Business: Starting A Business: A 7-Step System to Successfully Launch Your Own Business & by Walter Grant

About

Best books on how to be good, recommended by philosopher and Stoic Massimo Pigliucci
“Moral philosophy made a couple of wrong turns with Kant and Mill”

Books on longevity and living longer, recommended by biologist Steven Austad
“With laboratory animals, we’ve been able to make them live longer by about 20-25%. I think that’s a reasonable goal for humans”

Recent Nonfiction, a roundup by Five Books editor Sophie Roell
“Instead of looking to a religious figure, I turn to physicists to understand the universe”

Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci recommends the best books on Stoicism
“One of the most rewarding things that has happened to me since I started writing about it is the constant flow of testimonies to the fact that it really helps people”

The best books on ‘the Great Divergence,’ recommended by Davis Kedrosky, publisher of the economic history newsletter, Great Transformations
“The ‘West’ was moving ahead of the ‘rest’ at least by the beginning of the 18th century”

The Best Science Fiction of 2022: The Arthur C. Clarke Award
Academic and chair of the judges Andrew M. Butler talks us through this year’s shortlist

Neil MacGregor, chair of the 2022 Booker Prize judges, talks us through the shortlist
“These are six books that we want to recommend to people to read and re-read”

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

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

The best Russian novels, recommended by historian Orlando Figes
“They have a sprawling canvas that engages with Russian reality”

The best golden age mysteries, recommended by Martin Edwards
“It’s that element of impossibility or paradox or miracle, almost, that distinguishes the locked room mystery”

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2022 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Laird, one of the prize’s judges
“We’re finding now that many writers, some with long and distinguished careers behind them, are looking to the past for inspiration”

Books about Domestic Violence, recommended by author and producer Tanya Selvaratnam
"The cycle of violence that we’re conditioned to normalize from the time we are born is entwined with the patriarchy"

The best history books: the 2022 Wolfson Prize shortlist, recommended by Wolfson judge Carole Hillenbrand
“There is one book about God, one about Turkey, one about the United States, and then two about medieval England”

Books like...
Stranger Things

Books like...
Where the Crawdads Sing

Books like...
Dune

Books like...
The Hunger Games

Books like...
The Song of Achilles

Books like...
Heartstopper

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
by Robert T. Kiyosaki

An Inspector Calls
by J.B. Priestley & Lawrence Till

The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene, Joost Ellfers & Joost Elffers

Macbeth: Oxford School Shakespeare (Oxford School Shakespeare Series)
by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Wordsworth Classics)
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Nailed It!: How one woman turned a dream business into a huge success
by Jeanette Sklivanou

Too Big for Your Boots: How I Built a 7-figure Brand as a Young Entrepreneur with No Startup Funds a
by Liv Conlon

Living A Laptop Lifestyle
by Greg Scott & Fiona Scott

Limitless Thinking: How One Young Entrepreneur Found Success With No Degree, Experience or Money
by Jeet Banerjee

Starting A Business: Starting A Business: A 7-Step System to Successfully Launch Your Own Business &
by Walter Grant