Books like Why We Eat (Too Much) — picked by fans

This should probably be mandatory reading for everyone at some point. It is a (true) story about meaning after all is lost. Almost no one will encounter the horror experienced by the author, but it is precisely this aspect of the book that makes it so powerful. By reflecting on the author's remarkable ability to find meaning in a devastated life, we are given a model for finding meaning in our own lives.

James Watson was a clever, pushy, and critical young American molecular biologist exposed to the scientific culture of Britain in the early 1950s.

The book is full of acerbic comments about “stuffy” Cambridge dons and the rules of etiquette that young Jim struggled with, all the while scheming to maintain the various fellowships that allowed him to remain in the UK and pursue his ambition: to understand the chemical nature of the genetic material, DNA.

The book provides a lively account of his collaboration with an older Brit, the brilliant Francis Crick, who was also trying to unscramble DNA. Much of the technical stuff will be incomprehensible to most, but the method the two followed is clear. The partnership was hugely fruitful and the book is a lively account of how science actually works.

Watson and Crick tried everything while coping with competitors and their criticisms as well as their… show more.

Some Regency romances can tend towards repetitive tropes and a very 'safe' historical setting, but even in a charming, cosy, Christmassy Regency romance Mary Balogh manages to bring in real issues from history and work with them to bring you a deeper understanding of the time, all while melting your heart!

Alderman is already a favorite of mine with her mindblowing novel The Power--but this book is especially prescient--it assumes that so many of the world's problems are a result of wealth amassing at the top in the form of greedy billionaires, and capitalism run amok, that puts profits ahead of people, the environment and many forms of social justice. One of the most satisfying reads I've had in a while. I want to live in the worlds Alderman creates.