Here are 7 books that Collaborating with the Enemy fans have personally recommended if you like Collaborating with the Enemy. 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 How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Mary Camarillo Author Of Those People Behind Us

From Mary's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Novelist Music Lover Reader Traveler Cat servant

Mary's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Mary Camarillo Why Mary loves this book

My husband and I have made a point of taking Black history tours when we visit U.S. cities. I loved Smith's perspective on the tours that he took of Monticello, Angola Prison, the Whitney Plantation, Blandford Cemetery, and Manhattan. Particularly insightful were his interviews with the tour guides who have taken on the responsibility of "passing the word."

By Clint Smith ,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked How the Word Is Passed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVOURITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION

'A beautifully readable reminder of how much of our urgent, collective history resounds in places all around us that have been hidden in plain sight.' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)

Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks - those that are honest about the past and those that are not - which offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in…


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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 The Idea of You

Claire Handscombe Author Of Unscripted

From my list on celebrity crushes.

Why am I passionate about this?

There’s something deeply alluring about the glamour of fame, even if it’s not all as shiny when you look closer. My first celebrity crush was on Jason Donovan—I’m guessing that some of my fellow British Gen Xers might relate! In my arguably more mature 30s, I developed an interest in a show slightly more critically acclaimed than the Australian soap Jason had come to prominence in, and it ended up changing my life in ways I could never have predicted. I’m a passionate person, and those passions have shaped me, which I think is why I love tales of celebrity crushes.

Claire's book list on celebrity crushes

Claire Handscombe Why Claire loves this book

This novel utterly gripped me, and when I finished it, I wrote an eight-word review: “I think this book might actually be perfect.” It’s got everything I could ever want in a story: beautiful writing, sizzling scenes, glamorous locations, and an emotionally resonant exploration of themes like age, fame, and motherhood, as well as, of course, love.

I’ve long since lost count of the number of times I’ve recommended it to people who are looking for a book they won’t be able to put down.

By Robinne Lee ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Idea of You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Solene Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favourite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband's request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things. What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as…


Book cover of The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations

Kim Hudson Author Of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

From my list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 70s when a linear perspective was king, including the objectivity of science and elevation of the importance of men’s work, so I fought to become a female exploration geologist. I learned to conquer dangers and collect data to discover riches. I also learned that my feminine intuition and curiosity were invaluable in understanding the patterns in nature. My next career as a treaty negotiator for the Federal government introduced me to indigenous cultures, and I felt the familiar clash of circular and linear thinking once again. I dedicated myself to the study and work experience that would help me give language to this pattern.

Kim's book list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking

Kim Hudson Why Kim loves this book

What first gripped me was the insight into how North American Indians organized their societies. It was so interesting to see how it was advantageous to them to be free of the command-and-control leadership style in a competitive battle for economic gains. Instead, they relied on numerous pods of self-organizing systems where people chose who to follow based on what they admired in a person and understood the situation to require. It made them very nimble and creative.

This decentralized system might be the future of organizational leadership or at least a viable alternative. I love how the authors translate traditional wisdom into modern business practices. I really want to wrap my head around this.

By Ori Brafman , Rod A. Beckstrom ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Starfish and the Spider as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you cut off a spider's head, it dies; if you cut off a starfish's leg it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organizations are like spiders, but now starfish organizations are changing the face of business and the world.

What's the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, craigslist, and Skype? What do eBay and General Electric have in common with the abolitionist and women's rights movements? What fundamental choice put General Motors and Toyota on vastly different paths?

Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom have discovered some unexpected answers,…


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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 My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

Kim Hudson Author Of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

From my list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 70s when a linear perspective was king, including the objectivity of science and elevation of the importance of men’s work, so I fought to become a female exploration geologist. I learned to conquer dangers and collect data to discover riches. I also learned that my feminine intuition and curiosity were invaluable in understanding the patterns in nature. My next career as a treaty negotiator for the Federal government introduced me to indigenous cultures, and I felt the familiar clash of circular and linear thinking once again. I dedicated myself to the study and work experience that would help me give language to this pattern.

Kim's book list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking

Kim Hudson Why Kim loves this book

This account of a stroke took me from seeing thinking as one complex mystery to seeing two styles of thinking in me. This was life-changing. Taylor’s stroke left her stuck in one mode or the other, and as a neuroscientist, she had the language to describe each mode. How rare is that! 

She first cared deeply about the present moment and wholeness. Feeling connected to her body and the energy in everything around her, she was flooded with feelings of curiosity and love. Then, perception shifted, and Taylor focused on finding details to categorize and organize, with a focus on the past as predictors of the future. The world was there for her to use as she achieved her goals. As Taylor described these two states, I could feel and relate to the differences. I started to consciously separate them out in my mind, feeling suddenly awake.

By Jill Bolte Taylor ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked My Stroke of Insight as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Transformative...[Taylor's] experience...will shatter [your] own perception of the world."-ABC News

The astonishing New York Times bestseller that chronicles how a brain scientist's own stroke led to enlightenment

On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and…


Book cover of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

Kim Hudson Author Of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

From my list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 70s when a linear perspective was king, including the objectivity of science and elevation of the importance of men’s work, so I fought to become a female exploration geologist. I learned to conquer dangers and collect data to discover riches. I also learned that my feminine intuition and curiosity were invaluable in understanding the patterns in nature. My next career as a treaty negotiator for the Federal government introduced me to indigenous cultures, and I felt the familiar clash of circular and linear thinking once again. I dedicated myself to the study and work experience that would help me give language to this pattern.

Kim's book list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking

Kim Hudson Why Kim loves this book

I was waking up each day feeling the dogs nipping at my heels to keep me running and making progress. When I discovered this book, I felt a sigh of relief. I stayed in the moment and explored the value of play with this delightful and curious guide. 

I couldn’t stop sharing Brown’s stories of how important and marvelous play is. I discovered lots of my friends were as hungry as I was for this other world where we could have fun, without thoughts of time and productivity, and it was actually scientifically proven to be important and beneficial for us (being scientists we needed this fascinating link). I started to seek the vacation in my life, which is such a gift.

By Stuart Brown , Christopher Vaughan ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From a leading expert, a groundbreaking book on the science of play, and its essential role in fueling our happiness and intelligence throughout our lives

We've all seen the happiness on the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish…


Book cover of Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain

Kim Hudson Author Of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

From my list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 70s when a linear perspective was king, including the objectivity of science and elevation of the importance of men’s work, so I fought to become a female exploration geologist. I learned to conquer dangers and collect data to discover riches. I also learned that my feminine intuition and curiosity were invaluable in understanding the patterns in nature. My next career as a treaty negotiator for the Federal government introduced me to indigenous cultures, and I felt the familiar clash of circular and linear thinking once again. I dedicated myself to the study and work experience that would help me give language to this pattern.

Kim's book list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking

Kim Hudson Why Kim loves this book

I love good research, especially when it’s related through interesting stories. Damasio delivers big insights about how we think and make decisions through a fascinating collection of research findings and stories. He explains the foundations of emotional intelligence and challenges the consistent application of logic! 

It’s a dense read and I hung in there to the end. It rewards with the insight that we remember things by attaching an emotion to information. Meaning that if we don’t have an emotional response to something, we don’t remember it. Schools give tests because fear of a low grade resulting in a dim future makes us remember. We also remember things by attaching love-based emotions. Imagine going to a school dedicated to supporting us in following our curiosity wherever it took us.

By Antonio Damasio ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Descartes' Error as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the centuries since Descartes famously proclaimed, 'I think, therefore I am,' science has often overlooked emotions as the source of a person's true being. Even modern neuroscience has tended until recently to concentrate on the cognitive aspects of brain function, disregarding emotions. This attitude began to change with the publication of Descartes' Error. Antonio Damasio challenged traditional ideas about the connection between emotions and rationality. In this wonderfully engaging book, Damasio takes the reader on a journey of scientific discovery through a series of case studies, demonstrating what many of us have long suspected: emotions are not a luxury,…


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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 Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change

Kim Hudson Author Of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

From my list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 70s when a linear perspective was king, including the objectivity of science and elevation of the importance of men’s work, so I fought to become a female exploration geologist. I learned to conquer dangers and collect data to discover riches. I also learned that my feminine intuition and curiosity were invaluable in understanding the patterns in nature. My next career as a treaty negotiator for the Federal government introduced me to indigenous cultures, and I felt the familiar clash of circular and linear thinking once again. I dedicated myself to the study and work experience that would help me give language to this pattern.

Kim's book list on decoding the mystery of everyday thinking

Kim Hudson Why Kim loves this book

I spent a decade of my life working in conflict resolution, including as a Treaty negotiator defining Indigenous rights. And honestly, my earlier years as a female geologist in remote male-dominated bush camps had me learning to deal with conflict on a daily basis.

This book bravely declares what I intuited, namely that we have to take a break from the fear-driven pushing match and find the power of our ability to act out of love. It feels so courageous for him to state this. It requires a broad understanding of the nature of love, which Kahane has. He also describes how we need both powers to be successful, using inspiring stories of bringing together large groups of people to cause social change.

By Adam Kahane ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Power and Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The two methods most frequently employed to solve our toughest social problems—either relying on violence and aggression or submitting to endless negotiation and compromise—are fundamentally flawed. This is because the seemingly contradictory drives behind these approaches—power, the desire to achieve one’s purpose, and love, the urge to unite with others—are actually complementary. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put it, “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.” But how do you combine them?

For the last twenty years Adam Kahane of Reos Partners and the University of Oxford has worked around the…


Book cover of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
Book cover of The Idea of You
Book cover of The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations

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