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Latest Book Recommendations

The best books on Running a Business, recommended by Brian O'Kelley

Running a successful startup is an endless series of impossible challenges, a constant mix of terror and euphoria, explains Brian O'Kelley, co-founder of the billion-dollar ad tech company AppNexus and now at Scope3. He tells us which books every entrepreneur needs to read and why it's so helpful to learn from those who have gone before.

Recent Recommendations

The Best Jimmy Carter Books, recommended by Robert Lieberman

The best science fiction books for kids, recommended by award-winning author Dan Smith
“Science fiction has always been relevant”

The best books of Poetry of the First World War, recommended by literary scholar and biographer Guy Cuthbertson
“War poets were not just those in the trenches”

Most Popular Expert Interviews

Using Data to Understand the World, book recommendations from Edouard Mathieu, head of data at Our World in Data
“More and more data is not necessarily synonymous with better data”

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 Artificial Intelligence recommended by ChatGPT
Normally on Five Books we interview leading academics or novelists about the best books in their field. This week, we turned to ChatGPT for recommendations.

The best Regency Romance Novels, recommended by author and columnist Olivia Waite
“I’m a former bookseller, so I believe in tailoring recommendations to the person”

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

**Notable nonfiction of early 2023, recommended by Five Books editor Sophie Roell**
“Free Kindle samples—which you can read on your computer or phone even if you don’t own a Kindle—are the best way of assessing if this is a book for you or not”

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

The Notable Novels of Spring 2023, as recommended by Deputy Editor Cal Flyn
“This time of year always brings rich pickings in literary fiction.”

The best African novels, chosen by Zimbabwean novelist Blessing Musariri
“The Famished Road opened my mind up to what was possible with African literature in the mainstream.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II
“Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

The Best World War I Books, recommended by historian Jonathan Boff
“There still isn’t much consensus about why it was fought, how it was fought, how it ended, and its consequences. All of those remain contested ground”

**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.”

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 Running a Business, recommended by Brian O'Kelley

The Best Jimmy Carter Books, recommended by Robert Lieberman

The best science fiction books for kids, recommended by award-winning author Dan Smith “Science fiction has always been relevant”

The best books of Poetry of the First World War, recommended by literary scholar and biographer Guy Cuthbertson “War poets were not just those in the trenches”

Using Data to Understand the World, book recommendations from Edouard Mathieu, head of data at Our World in Data “More and more data is not necessarily synonymous with better data”

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 Artificial Intelligence recommended by ChatGPT Normally on Five Books we interview leading academics or novelists about the best books in their field. This week, we turned to ChatGPT for recommendations.

The best Regency Romance Novels, recommended by author and columnist Olivia Waite “I’m a former bookseller, so I believe in tailoring recommendations to the person”

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

Notable nonfiction of early 2023, recommended by Five Books editor Sophie Roell “Free Kindle samples—which you can read on your computer or phone even if you don’t own a Kindle—are the best way of assessing if this is a book for you or not”

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

The Notable Novels of Spring 2023, as recommended by Deputy Editor Cal Flyn “This time of year always brings rich pickings in literary fiction.”

The best African novels, chosen by Zimbabwean novelist Blessing Musariri “The Famished Road opened my mind up to what was possible with African literature in the mainstream.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II “Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

The Best World War I Books, recommended by historian Jonathan Boff “There still isn’t much consensus about why it was fought, how it was fought, how it ended, and its consequences. All of those remain contested ground”

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.”

Books like... The Secret History

Books like... The Thursday Murder Club

Books like... Where the Crawdads Sing

Books like... Harry Potter

Books like... Wolf Hall

Books like... The Handmaid’s Tale

Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines by John Havens

The Technological Singularity (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series) by Murray Shanahan

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'Neil

Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya Umoja Noble

Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin

Mind Your F**king Business: The no-nonsense guide to making your good business great by Dominic Monkhouse

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently by Matthew Syed

Challenge Culture by Nigel Travis

Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution by Lisa Bodell

Originals by Glenn Llopis & Jim Eber

About

The best science fiction books for kids, recommended by award-winning author Dan Smith
“Science fiction has always been relevant”

The best books of Poetry of the First World War, recommended by literary scholar and biographer Guy Cuthbertson
“War poets were not just those in the trenches”

Using Data to Understand the World, book recommendations from Edouard Mathieu, head of data at Our World in Data
“More and more data is not necessarily synonymous with better data”

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 Artificial Intelligence recommended by ChatGPT
Normally on Five Books we interview leading academics or novelists about the best books in their field. This week, we turned to ChatGPT for recommendations.

The best Regency Romance Novels, recommended by author and columnist Olivia Waite
“I’m a former bookseller, so I believe in tailoring recommendations to the person”

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

**Notable nonfiction of early 2023, recommended by Five Books editor Sophie Roell**
“Free Kindle samples—which you can read on your computer or phone even if you don’t own a Kindle—are the best way of assessing if this is a book for you or not”

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

The Notable Novels of Spring 2023, as recommended by Deputy Editor Cal Flyn
“This time of year always brings rich pickings in literary fiction.”

The best African novels, chosen by Zimbabwean novelist Blessing Musariri
“The Famished Road opened my mind up to what was possible with African literature in the mainstream.”

British military historian Sir Antony Beevor on the best books on World War II
“Goebbels was a diabolical genius. He saw that hatred was not enough and you had to combine hatred with fear if you were going to get the maximum killing potential out of your followers”

The Best World War I Books, recommended by historian Jonathan Boff
“There still isn’t much consensus about why it was fought, how it was fought, how it ended, and its consequences. All of those remain contested ground”

**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.”

Books like...
The Secret History

Books like...
The Thursday Murder Club

Books like...
Where the Crawdads Sing

Books like...
Harry Potter

Books like...
Wolf Hall

Books like...
The Handmaid’s Tale

Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines
by John Havens

The Technological Singularity (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)
by Murray Shanahan

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
by Cathy O'Neil

Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism
by Safiya Umoja Noble

Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code
by Ruha Benjamin

Mind Your F**king Business: The no-nonsense guide to making your good business great
by Dominic Monkhouse

Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently
by Matthew Syed

Challenge Culture
by Nigel Travis

Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution
by Lisa Bodell

Originals
by Glenn Llopis & Jim Eber