Here are 7 books that Chasing Hope fans have personally recommended if you like Chasing Hope. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Fever In The Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them

Michael Leppert Author Of Flipping the Circle

From my list on lobbying, political influence, and corruption.

Why am I passionate about this?

Currently, I am a lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, teaching speech and writing at a perennial top ten business school in America. I also teach speech to business students as an adjunct professor at Butler University in Indianapolis. Before teaching became my calling and my fulltime vocation, I spent thirteen years working for the State of Indiana, and twenty years as a contract lobbyist in the Indiana Statehouse. 

Michael's book list on lobbying, political influence, and corruption

Michael Leppert Why Michael loves this book

I love this book because it is a classic example of how movements based on hate and evil can quickly take hold and spread. The parallels from 1920s Indiana to modern-day America jump out of this story about the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.

Egan’s meticulous research and storytelling paints a vivid picture of the moment and the surroundings of one of our nation’s darkest periods. It explains so many shortcomings about modern-day middle America that the eerily true account almost seems made up. 

By Timothy Egan ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked A Fever In The Heartland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"With narrative elan, Egan gives us a riveting saga of how a predatory con man became one of the most powerful people in 1920s America, Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, with a plan to rule the country—and how a grisly murder of a woman brought him down. Compelling and chillingly resonant with our own time." —Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile

“Riveting…Egan is a brilliant researcher and lucid writer.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune

A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon

HJ Corning Author Of Then The Trees Said Hello

From HJ's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

HJ's 3 favorite reads in 2025

HJ Corning Why HJ loves this book

I live near the Grand Canyon, and have traveled lots of miles in her beauty. But this book took me to a whole other world. The writing is exceptional. He shares the stupid decisions they made, as well as the successes. It's a book of integrity about what happens in the back country, especially if you're not prepared.

By Kevin Fedarko ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A Walk in the Park as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two friends, zero preparation, one dream. From the author of the beloved bestseller The Emerald Mile, a rollicking and poignant account of the epic misadventure of a 750-mile odyssey, on foot, through the heart of America's most magnificent national park and the grandest wilderness on earth.

A few years after quitting his job to follow an ill-advised dream of becoming a guide on the Colorado River, Kevin Fedarko was approached by his best friend, the National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, with a vision as bold as it was harebrained. Together, they would embark on an end-to-end traverse of the Grand…


Book cover of King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

James Tobin Author Of The Man He Became: How FDR Defied Polio to Win the Presidency

From my list on bring real people of the past back to life.

Why am I passionate about this?

In a family of readers, my older sister was fascinated by the American Revolution, so I became a reader under that influence, gulping down biographies for kids. I trained as an academic historian but never really wanted to write academic history. Instead, I wanted to bottle that what-if-felt-like magic that I'd felt when I read those books as a kid. I became a journalist but still felt the pull of the past. So I wound up in that in-between slice of journalists who try to write history for readers like me, more interested in people than in complex arguments about historical cause and effect. 

James' book list on bring real people of the past back to life

James Tobin Why James loves this book

This book gave me a world I'd barely known about, a villain who personified evil and a cast of characters from the famous (but murderous) explorer Henry Morton Stanley to uncelebrated people of conscience who fought Leopold's monstrous scheme.

So it's a fabulous story, but along the way, it also taught me a great deal about the history of Africa, a continent about which we Americans know so little.

By Adam Hochschild ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked King Leopold's Ghost as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Duff Cooper Prize, King Leopold's Ghost is the true and haunting account of Leopold's brutal regime and its lasting effect on a ruined nation. With an introduction by award-winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver.

In the late nineteenth century, when the great powers in Europe were tearing Africa apart and seizing ownership of land for themselves, King Leopold of Belgium took hold of the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. In his devastatingly barbarous colonization of this area, Leopold stole its rubber and ivory, pummelled its people and set up a ruthless regime that would reduce…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong about the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Ursula Wong Author Of Strategic Deception

From Ursula's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Rabid researcher History hound Intrepid traveler Cycling fanatic

Ursula's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Ursula Wong Why Ursula loves this book

Factfulness made me feel good and hopeful. With all the problems in the world, hearing a statistician say that we’ve made progress in the human condition is surprisingly reassuring. Rosling provides rich context before drawing conclusions, helping us understand the story behind the data. For example, the difference in poverty levels between families who share a single toothbrush vs. families where everyone has their own is eye-opening and relatable. His conclusions, based on a lifetime studying humanity and the numbers, feel right and logical. Have we made all the progress we can? Definitely not. But the world is getting better slowly. steadily, inch by inch. It’s something to be grateful for.

By Hans Rosling , Anna Rosling Rönnlund , Ola Rosling

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Factfulness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases.' BARACK OBAMA

'One of the most important books I've ever read - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.' BILL GATES

*#1 Sunday Times bestseller * New York Times bestseller * Observer 'best brainy book of the decade' * Irish Times bestseller * Guardian bestseller * audiobook bestseller *

Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts.

When asked simple questions about global trends - why the world's population is increasing; how…


Book cover of A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide

Lyla Bashan Author Of Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes

From my list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 6th grade I did a report about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, which manifested in a career spanning more than 20 years where I’ve worked for NGOs, the State Department, and the United States Agency for International Development to help make the world a better place. I’ve lived in Guatemala, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Jordan, and travelled throughout Sub-Saharan Africa working on conflict prevention, democracy, governance, and human rights. I’m a firm believer that, no matter your profession, everyone can help make the world a better place – and that’s why I wrote my book and why I read the books on my list – to help make this a reality. 

Lyla's book list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero

Lyla Bashan Why Lyla loves this book

As an ordinary hero, it is important to understand where humanity has succeeded and where we have failed.

This book is definitely about the latter. The book is a good read, but it is also really hard to read because it is about how we have failed to prevent atrocities. It’s so important because understanding where humanity has failed is the only way we will be able to prevent these sorts of atrocities in the future.

It is well written, which makes the difficult topic more accessible. 

By Samantha Power ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked A Problem from Hell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the Armenian Genocide to the ethnic cleansings of Kosovo and Darfur, modern history is haunted by acts of brutal violence. Yet American leaders who vow never again" repeatedly fail to stop genocide. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, " A Problem from Hell" draws upon exclusive interviews with Washington's top policymakers, thousands of once classified documents, and accounts of reporting from the killing fields to show how decent Americans inside and outside government looked away from mass murder. Combining spellbinding history and seasoned political analysis, " A Problem from Hell" allows readers to…


Book cover of Sex and World Peace

Lyla Bashan Author Of Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes

From my list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 6th grade I did a report about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, which manifested in a career spanning more than 20 years where I’ve worked for NGOs, the State Department, and the United States Agency for International Development to help make the world a better place. I’ve lived in Guatemala, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Jordan, and travelled throughout Sub-Saharan Africa working on conflict prevention, democracy, governance, and human rights. I’m a firm believer that, no matter your profession, everyone can help make the world a better place – and that’s why I wrote my book and why I read the books on my list – to help make this a reality. 

Lyla's book list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero

Lyla Bashan Why Lyla loves this book

After spending more than 20 years working in the field of international development, I’ve come to the conclusion that gender equality is the key to creating a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable world.

Sex and World Peace affirms my conclusion through in-depth analysis clearly articulating it with hard data - and in an interesting way. The book shows the direct line between gender inequality and state-level conflict, inequality, and suffering.

Even though my experience had led me to this understanding, the book’s ability to explain it backed up by so much statistical analysis blew my mind…in a good way!

By Valerie Hudson , Mary Caprioli , Rose McDermott , Donna Lee Bowen

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sex and World Peace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sex and World Peace is a groundbreaking demonstration that the security of women is a vital factor in the occurrence of conflict and war, unsettling a wide range of assumptions in political and security discourse. Harnessing an immense amount of data, it relates microlevel violence against women and macrolevel state peacefulness across global settings.

The authors find that the treatment of women informs human interaction at all levels of society. They call attention to the adverse effects on state security of sex-based inequities such as sex ratios favoring males, the practice of polygamy, and lax enforcement of national laws protecting…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Lyla Bashan Author Of Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes

From my list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 6th grade I did a report about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, which manifested in a career spanning more than 20 years where I’ve worked for NGOs, the State Department, and the United States Agency for International Development to help make the world a better place. I’ve lived in Guatemala, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Jordan, and travelled throughout Sub-Saharan Africa working on conflict prevention, democracy, governance, and human rights. I’m a firm believer that, no matter your profession, everyone can help make the world a better place – and that’s why I wrote my book and why I read the books on my list – to help make this a reality. 

Lyla's book list on becoming a global citizen and ordinary hero

Lyla Bashan Why Lyla loves this book

This book is like the other side of the coin to Sex and World Peace.

In that book, the authors articulate the connection between gender inequality and global suffering through statistics, whereas Half the Sky describes it in individual stories. It is moving to hear about these women’s suffering, but it is also uplifting to hear how they have overcome.

This book is an excellent resource for understanding how gender equality leads to increasing economic growth while reducing global poverty and inequality. It is an important tool in any ordinary hero’s toolkit.

By Nicholas D. Kristof , Sheryl WuDunn ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Half the Sky as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation—the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. From the bestselling authors of Tightrope,two of our most fiercely moral voices

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world…


Book cover of A Fever In The Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
Book cover of A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon
Book cover of King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

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