Here are 65 books that Complications fans have personally recommended if you like Complications. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of The Tainted Cup

eli3

From Eli's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Eli loves this book

I felt so connected to the characters and the dialogue was quick and engaging!

By Robert Jackson Bennett ,

Why should I read it?

19 authors picked The Tainted Cup as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated novelist Robert Jackson Bennett—an unforgettable new Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with an irresistible mystery twist.

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all…


If you love Complications...

Book cover of SOAR To Success

SOAR To Success by Andrea Anderson,

If you’re drowning in paper, email, and information overload, SOAR to Success offers a proven, flexible system to help you finally feel on top of things again.

Written by productivity experts Andrea Anderson and Barbara Hemphill, this book goes beyond quick fixes. It teaches you how to build a simple,…

Book cover of The Unaccountability Machine

Unknown Author

By Dan Davies ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Unaccountability Machine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES AND SCHRODERS BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

'A great book ... a wonderful way of talking about our current world' Rory Stewart

'Entertaining, insightful ... compelling' Financial Times

'One of the most insightful books I've read in a long time' Sam Freedman

'The kind of book from which you look up to find the world suddenly more comprehensible. Also, it's about ten times funnier than any book about management has the right to be' Guardian

When we avoid…


Book cover of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Marcey Rader Author Of Reclaim Your Workday: Sustainable Productivity Strategies for the New World of Work

From Marcey's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Marcey's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Marcey Rader Why Marcey loves this book

This book should be required reading for anyone who plans to die—or knows someone who will.

Gawande pulls no punches about how we’ve turned aging and dying into a medical problem instead of a human experience. We chase every possible treatment, be it for ourselves or (worse) for our loved ones, even when it strips away dignity, joy, and choice.

The book has reframed how I view end-of-life care and made me realize that longevity doesn’t necessarily equate to quality of life. If my parents are in their nineties and want to eat bacon and a milkshake, I’ll hand them the salt shaker and straw myself.

What I love most is how practical it is. Gawande blends research, personal stories, and brutal honesty to show how we can live—and die—on our own terms. It’s compassionate without being sentimental, medical without being sterile.

Read it if: you’re a leader, caregiver, or…

By Atul Gawande ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Being Mortal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'GAWANDE'S MOST POWERFUL, AND MOVING, BOOK' MALCOLM GLADWELL

'BEING MORTAL IS NOT ONLY WISE AND DEEPLY MOVING; IT IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INSIGHTFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES' OLIVER SACKS

For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's…


If you love Atul Gawande...

Book cover of Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works

Bizarre by Marc Dingman,

The brain: brilliant, powerful... and utterly bizarre. Why would someone be terrified they might slip down a shower drain? Or insist they've turned into a cat? What can rare brain disorders—and surprisingly common mental quirks—teach us about how we think, feel, and behave?

In Bizarre, neuroscientist Dr. Marc Dingman…

Book cover of When Breath Becomes Air

Sally Dukes Author Of Drummer Girl

From my list on pilgrimages of the soul.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love stories about “pilgrimage.” I have always been an admirer of those characters who search, whether in fiction or nonfiction. I respect their steadfast endurance to undertake a calling, meet unforeseen obstacles, and overcome insurmountable circumstances, while never allowing the burning flame that drives them to extinguish. 

My own memoir, Drummer Girl, is the story of my pilgrimage. I have the distinct memory of traveling through a dark tunnel toward a clear light during surgery as a child. This experience of near death has since driven me to seek understanding, to look for words when there were none, and to find solace through life’s many turns.

Sally's book list on pilgrimages of the soul

Sally Dukes Why Sally loves this book

This is a powerful memoir.

As a reader, we follow Paul first as a doctor and then as a patient. He reminds us of our vulnerability when seeking medical care. He questions, “Why was I so authoritative in a surgeon’s coat but so meek in a patient’s gown?”

When Breath Becomes Air is a deep meditation on life and the dying process. Written in the first person, this is a courageous and emotionally charged read. Kalanithi is a courageous pilgrim who documents first-hand his own uncharted territory: death.

Confronted with his end of life, this 37-year-old neurosurgeon reflects on the fundamental universal questions that we will all ponder when facing mortality. Even though the reader is led graciously to death’s door, it remains an abrupt and emotionally devastating shock when, in fact, Paul Kalanithi’s breath simply becomes air.

By Paul Kalanithi ,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked When Breath Becomes Air as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER**

'Rattling. Heartbreaking. Beautiful.' Atul Gawande, bestselling author of Being Mortal

What makes life worth living in the face of death?

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.

When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity - the brain - and…


Book cover of The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Senthil Kumaran

From Senthil's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Senthil loves this book

Complex problems can be solved by simple and humble checklists. We tend to ignore the solution to the problem, often visible to us int he plain sight. This book provided many such examples.

By Atul Gawande ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Checklist Manifesto as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In his latest bestseller, Atul Gawande shows what the simple idea of the checklist reveals about the complexity of our lives and how we can deal with it.

The modern world has given us stupendous know-how. Yet avoidable failures continue to plague us in health care, government, the law, the financial industry—in almost every realm of organized activity. And the reason is simple: the volume and complexity of knowledge today has exceeded our ability as individuals to properly deliver it to people—consistently, correctly, safely. We train longer, specialize more, use ever-advancing technologies, and still we fail. Atul Gawande makes a…


Book cover of The House of God

Jessica Nutik Zitter, M.D. Author Of Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life

From my list on understanding the physician mind.

Why am I passionate about this?

This list opens the door to the inner life of physicians: our hopes, fears, insecurities, and all of the internal and external pressures we face in our training and practice. As a doctor, I see myself in these books—not a superhero with “all of the answers,” but a human being in a profession suffering one of the largest crises of workforce burnout and moral injury. Seeing our physicians as real people will help us feel more empowered to bring our own true selves to the relationship. And really good healthcare is more likely to happen when souls connect.

Jessica's book list on understanding the physician mind

Jessica Nutik Zitter, M.D. Why Jessica loves this book

Shem provides a satirical look at the often sadistic training of physicians.

This was a classic when I was coming up in my training. Trigger warning: While this book importantly highlights the hidden underbelly of medical training and culture, some of the stories are so egregious that they should be used in educational settings to discuss what NOT to do. But under every satire lies some truth and something to be learned.

By Samuel Shem ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The House of God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By turns heartbreaking, hilarious, and utterly human, The House of God is a mesmerizing and provocative novel about what it really takes to become a doctor.

"The raunchy, troubling, and hilarious novel that turned into a cult phenomenon. Singularly compelling...brutally honest."-The New York Times

Struggling with grueling hours and sudden life-and-death responsibilities, Basch and his colleagues, under the leadership of their rule-breaking senior resident known only as the Fat Man, must learn not only how to be fine doctors but, eventually, good human beings.

A phenomenon ever since it was published, The House of God was the first unvarnished, unglorified,…


If you love Complications...

Book cover of The Shift

The Shift by Theresa Brown,

In this New York Times best-selling book, Theresa Brown, nurse and writer, invites us to experience not just a day in the life of a nurse but all the life that happens in just one day in a busy teaching hospital’s cancer ward.

In the span of twelve hours, lives…

Book cover of Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot

Martha W. Murphy Author Of CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket Cookbook: Savoring Four Seasons of the Good Life

From my list on the eclectic reader of nonfiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a narrative nonfiction writer interested in a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: food and the people who bring it to us; travel and life in faraway places; human health and the role of medicine; memoir as one person’s story yet illustrative of the human spirit; and the unique and remarkable role dogs play in our lives. I am the same kind of reader: I read across a range of topics, mostly nonfiction. The bookshelves in my house and the record of titles I’ve checked out from my local library show an eclectic taste, as do the books I’m recommending here. I hope you’ll enjoy them!

Martha's book list on the eclectic reader of nonfiction

Martha W. Murphy Why Martha loves this book

I expected a book of insider stories about the hidden world of commercial airline travel from the people who make it possible, but instead I found a beautifully written, lyrical, and awestruck look at what it means to travel high above the Earth’s surface day after day, zooming between cities on opposite sides of the world.

I have never had the physics of flight, gravitational pull, wind, storms, and clouds explained so clearly and compellingly. I frequently reread passages for their beauty and emotion and completely unique fresh perspective. I knew flying was a sophisticated skill, but this book made it clear how truly complex a pilot’s job is.

The author’s love of his hard-won occupation is enthralling, making this a book to share with aspiring aviators in your life.  

By Mark Vanhoenacker ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

**Sunday Times Bestseller**
**Book of the Week on Radio 4**

'One of the most constantly fascinating, but consistently under-appreciated aspects of modern life is the business of flying. Mark Vanhoenacker has written the ideal book on the subject: a description of what it's like to fly by a commercial pilot who is also a master prose stylist and a deeply sensitive human being. This is a man who is at once a technical expert - he flies 747s across continents - and a poet of the skies. This couldn't be more highly recommended.' Alain de Botton

Think back to when…


Book cover of Unbroken

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul: A Veteran’s War with Sin and Salvation

From Brian's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Brian's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

A lot of people focus on the resilience in this story, but what stayed with me was the internal struggle afterward. I’ve seen how past experiences can keep shaping your thoughts and reactions long after they’re over. That part felt real. This book made me think about what it actually takes to move forward—not just surviving something difficult, but dealing with what it leaves behind.

By Laura Hillenbrand ,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From the author of the bestselling and much-loved Seabiscuit, an unforgettable story of one man's journey into extremity. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood,…


Book cover of Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Aliza Sherman Author Of The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout

From Aliza's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Aliza's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Aliza Sherman Why Aliza loves this book

When in crisis, I reach for Zen Buddhist writings and books by Thich Nhat Hanh are accessible and impactful. This book helps guide you to see that every moment can be a mindful moment, the smallest of actions can be part of the process of staying conscious to the present moment. Peace in simplicity.

By Thich Nhat Hanh ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Peace is Every Step as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This is a very worthwhile book. It can change individual lives and the life of our society.' The Dalai Lama

Lucidly and beautifully written, Peace is Every Step contains commentaries and meditations, personal anecdotes and stories from Nhat Hanh's experiences as a peace activist, teacher, and community leader. It begins where the reader already is - in the kitchen, office, driving a car, walking in a park - and shows how deep meditative presence is available now. Nhat Hanh provides exercises to increase our awareness of our own body and mind through conscious breathing, which can bring immediate joy and…


Book cover of The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Bella St. Patrick Author Of Broken but Healing

From my list on quiet strength and emotional recovery for men.

Why am I passionate about this?

As the co-author of Broken But Healing, I know firsthand what it means to survive emotional, physical, and psychological trauma—and to slowly piece yourself back together. Books were a lifeline during my healing journey. They offered comfort, clarity, and the reminder that I wasn’t alone. These five books helped shape my own recovery and inspired me to share my story so others could find the strength to rebuild, too.

Bella's book list on quiet strength and emotional recovery for men

Bella St. Patrick Why Bella loves this book

This book reveals how the body stores emotional and traumatic memories long after the mind tries to forget them.

Van der Kolk explains why symptoms like anxiety, emotional numbness, anger, or disconnection can surface years later.

Many men who “push through” or never talk about their trauma find clarity in this book’s explanation of how stress affects the brain and nervous system. It helps readers understand themselves physically and emotionally, while giving hope that healing is possible through therapy, mindfulness, and self-awareness.

By Bessel Van Der Kolk ,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked The Body Keeps the Score as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times bestseller

"Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society." -Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies

A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times bestseller

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der…


Book cover of The Tainted Cup
Book cover of The Unaccountability Machine
Book cover of Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?