Topic
Books on politics and society recommended by notable readers
How states see, how crowds behave and how democracies hold up. Picks run from Tocqueville and Hobbes to 2024 books on youth mental health and political resentment.
383 books · 451 recommendations from 128 people
Where to start
Seeing Like a State
The first book on Brian Eno's list for Long Now.
The Anxious Generation
Picked in 2024 by both Barack Obama and Bill Gates.
Democracy in America
Green-flagged by Patrick Collison.
Every politics & society book in the directory
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5recommendersDemocracy in America 5 recommendersPatrick Collison, Francis Fukuyama, Karl Rove, Robert Reich, Mark Manson
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5recommendersZero to One 5 recommendersLuis von Ahn, Darius Foroux, Mark Manson, Eric Jorgenson, Codie Sanchez
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4recommendersA Tale of Two Cities 4 recommendersMuhammad Yunus, Jeffrey Archer, Antonio Villaraigosa, Mark Manson
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4recommendersHow to Win Friends and Influence People 4 recommendersMike Huckabee, James Clear, Darius Foroux, Mark Manson
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4recommendersIn Search of Lost Time 4 recommendersCarlo Rovelli, Mona Simpson, Mark Manson, Tyler Cowen
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3recommendersCrime and Punishment 3 recommendersBoris Akunin, Mark Manson, Jordan Peterson
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3recommendersHistory of the Peloponnesian War 3 recommendersJoseph Nye, Mark Manson, Robert Greene
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3recommendersNudge 3 recommendersRobert J. Shiller, Dan Ariely, Mark Manson
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3recommendersThe Big Short 3 recommendersFrancis Fukuyama, Tim Harford, Barry Ritholtz
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3recommendersThe Righteous Mind 3 recommendersDerek Sivers, Mark Manson, Ann Miura-Ko
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3recommendersThe Theory of Moral Sentiments 3 recommendersRobert J. Shiller, Karl Rove, Ryan Holiday
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3recommendersTo Kill a Mockingbird 3 recommendersScott Turow, Antonio Villaraigosa, James Clear
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3recommendersWar and Peace 3 recommendersNiall Ferguson, Orlando Figes, Mark Manson
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2recommenders$100M Offers 2 recommendersAli Abdaal, Codie Sanchez
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2recommenders21 Lessons for the 21st Century 2 recommendersBill Gates, Matt Mullenweg
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2recommendersA People’s Tragedy 2 recommendersThomas Keneally, David Bowie
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2recommendersBankers 2 recommendersFrancis Fukuyama, Daron Acemoglu
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2recommendersCollapse 2 recommendersStewart Brand, Matthew Yglesias
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2recommendersFault Lines 2 recommendersFrancis Fukuyama, Robert J. Shiller
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2recommendersFictions 2 recommendersMohsin Hamid, Naval Ravikant
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2recommendersFlat Earth News 2 recommendersMax Mosley, Alan Rusbridger
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2recommendersFrankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus 2 recommendersErica Jong, Mark Manson
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2recommendersFree to Choose 2 recommendersMitch Daniels, Arnold Schwarzenegger
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2recommendersHalf the Sky 2 recommendersMia Farrow, Zainab Salbi
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2recommendersHere Comes Everybody 2 recommendersTyler Cowen, Alan Rusbridger
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2recommendersHomage to Catalonia 2 recommendersTimothy Snyder, Timothy Garton Ash
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2recommendersLife and Fate 2 recommendersMichael Howard, Antony Beevor
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2recommendersMoral Capital 2 recommendersKwame Anthony Appiah, Will MacAskill
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2recommendersOn Liberty 2 recommendersPeter Singer, Timothy Garton Ash
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2recommendersOn Tyranny 2 recommendersAustin Kleon, Mark Manson
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2recommendersOne Hundred Years of Solitude 2 recommendersCal Fussman, Mark Manson
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2recommendersSkin in the Game 2 recommendersDerek Sivers, Naval Ravikant
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2recommendersTeam of Rivals 2 recommendersAntonio Villaraigosa, Mark Manson
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2recommendersThe Anxious Generation 2 recommendersBarack Obama, Bill Gates
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2recommendersThe Argumentative Indian 2 recommendersWilliam Dalrymple, Pankaj Mishra
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2recommendersThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 2 recommendersGretchen Rubin, James Clear
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2recommendersThe Brothers Karamazov 2 recommendersBoris Akunin, Mark Manson
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2recommendersThe Captive Mind 2 recommendersTimothy Snyder, Anne Applebaum
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2recommendersThe Coming Wave 2 recommendersBill Gates, Steven Bartlett
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2recommendersThe Master Switch 2 recommendersDaniel Suarez, Timothy Garton Ash
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2recommendersThe Passions and the Interests 2 recommendersRobert J. Shiller, Brad Delong
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2recommendersThe Prince 2 recommendersMark Manson, Robert Greene
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2recommendersThe Road to Serfdom 2 recommendersMitch Daniels, Mark Manson
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2recommendersThe Second Sex 2 recommendersErica Jong, Mark Manson
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2recommendersThe Wealth of Nations 2 recommendersNiall Ferguson, Mark Manson
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2recommendersThis Time Is Different 2 recommendersFrancis Fukuyama, Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo
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2recommendersWikinomics 2 recommendersTyler Cowen, Alan Rusbridger
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2recommendersWinner-Take-All Politics 2 recommendersRobert J. Shiller, Matthew Yglesias
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A History of Insects Picked by Ann Widdecombe
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A Lab of One’s Own Picked by Angela Saini
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A Lethal Obsession Picked by Abraham Foxman
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A Married Man Picked by Scott Turow
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A New World Order Picked by David Lammy
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A Poetics of Resistance Picked by Van Jones
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A Promised Land Picked by Bill Gates
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A Small Key Can Open a Large Door Picked by Mona Eltahawy
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A Stranger in Europe Picked by David Owen
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A Survey of London Picked by Peter Ackroyd
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A Tale of Love and Darkness Picked by Simon Sebag Montefiore
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A Thousand Sisters Picked by Zainab Salbi
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A Tract on Monetary Reform Picked by Niall Ferguson
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A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Picked by Roland Huntford
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After Europe Picked by Yuli Tamir
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After the Spike Picked by Jason Furman
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Age of Ambition Picked by Patrick Collison
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Alexander Hamilton Picked by Mark Manson
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All the Emperor's Horses Picked by David Bowie
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Amenable Women Picked by Alison Weir
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Amusing Ourselves to Death Picked by Nat Eliason
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An Autobiography Picked by Niall Ferguson
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Anticipations Picked by Bruce Sterling
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Arabs Picked by Derek Sivers
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Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Picked by Bernard Bailyn
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Au Contraire Picked by Derek Sivers
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Banal Nationalism Picked by Yuli Tamir
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Before the Deluge Picked by David Bowie
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Behind the Beautiful Forevers Picked by Mark Manson
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Benjamin Franklin Picked by Sam Parr
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Between East and West Picked by Robert Conquest
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Billy Budd, Sailor Picked by Scott Turow
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Black on Both Sides Picked by Susan Stryker
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Bounce Picked by Max Mosley
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Brainwash Picked by Max Mosley
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Breakneck Picked by Jason Furman
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British Muslims Picked by Tariq Ramadan
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Capital Picked by Mark Manson
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Capitalism and Freedom Picked by Karl Rove
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Captain Ribnikov Picked by Boris Akunin
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Caste Picked by Ryan Holiday
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Chavs Picked by David Lammy
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Children of Dust Picked by Fatima Bhutto
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China after Deng Xiaoping Picked by Harry Wu
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Chinese Shadows Picked by Ian Buruma
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Chips Picked by Chris Mullin
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Chokepoints Picked by Andrew Hill
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City of Thorns Picked by David Miliband
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Civilization Picked by Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo
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Clementine Picked by Ryan Holiday
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Colonial Fantasies Picked by Elif Shafak
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Confessions of the Fox Picked by Susan Stryker
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Constantine Picked by Abraham Foxman
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Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches Picked by Derek Sivers
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Crowds and Power Picked by Brian Eno
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Cyber War Picked by Joseph Nye
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Darlingji Picked by Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai
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Day of the Oprichnik Picked by Orlando Figes
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Deep Secrets Picked by Carol Gilligan
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Defending My Enemy Picked by Timothy Garton Ash
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Democracy for Realists Picked by Mark Manson
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Digital Minimalism Picked by Scott H. Young
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Disraeli Picked by Douglas Hurd
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Drug Addicts are Human Beings Picked by Johann Hari
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Eden Picked by Douglas Hurd
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Edward Heath Picked by Douglas Hurd
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Empires of the Atlantic World Picked by Bernard Bailyn
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Empires of the Indus Picked by Fatima Bhutto
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Eve to Evolution Picked by Angela Saini
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Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here Picked by The New York Times Book Review: 10 Best Books
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Everything is Miscellaneous Picked by Tyler Cowen
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Farthest North Picked by Roland Huntford
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Fathers and Sons Picked by Orlando Figes
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Field Notes on Democracy Picked by Pankaj Mishra
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Five Plays Picked by Boris Akunin
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Fragments of Culture Picked by Elif Shafak
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From Scratch Picked by Reese Witherspoon
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Furia Picked by Reese Witherspoon
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Future Shock Picked by Kevin Kelly
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Galina Picked by Robert Conquest
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Germinal Picked by Muhammad Yunus
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Giving Offense Picked by Timothy Garton Ash
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Gladstone Picked by Douglas Hurd
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Good Economics for Hard Times Picked by Bill Gates
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Governing the Commons Picked by Stewart Brand
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Green Darkness Picked by Alison Weir
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Griftopia Picked by Barry Ritholtz
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Havana Red Picked by Oscar Hijuelos
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Histories of the Transgender Child Picked by Susan Stryker
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Home Is Where We Start From Picked by Alain de Botton
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How Democracies Die Picked by Francis Fukuyama
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How Democracies Perish Picked by Mike Huckabee
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How the Word Is Passed Picked by Ryan Holiday
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How to Change the World Picked by Nicholas Kristof
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How to Cure a Fanatic Picked by Timothy Garton Ash
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Hungry Ghosts Picked by Harry Wu
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Picked by Mark Manson
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I Shall Bear Witness Picked by Chris Mullin
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I'm Still Here Picked by Reese Witherspoon
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I've Got a Time Bomb Picked by Susan Stryker
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Identity and Violence Picked by Zainab Salbi
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Ill Winds Picked by Francis Fukuyama
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In Light of India Picked by Pankaj Mishra
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In Spite of the Gods Picked by William Dalrymple
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In Struggle Picked by Van Jones
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In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Picked by Johann Hari
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Indefensible Picked by Aaron Swartz
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India Picked by Pankaj Mishra
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India After Gandhi Picked by Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai
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Indian Summer Picked by William Dalrymple
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Individualism and Economic Order Picked by Tyler Cowen
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Infectious Generosity Picked by Bill Gates
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Iron Kingdom Picked by Norman Davies
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Islam and the Blackamerican Picked by Tariq Ramadan
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Islam in America Picked by Tariq Ramadan
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Istanbul Picked by Elif Shafak
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Jerusalem Picked by Simon Sebag Montefiore
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John Adams Picked by Antonio Villaraigosa
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Just Mercy Picked by James Clear
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Justice, Gender, and the Family Picked by Matthew Yglesias
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King Picked by The Pulitzer Prizes
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Leadership Picked by Ryan Holiday
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Learning to Die in Miami Picked by Oscar Hijuelos
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Letter from the Birmingham Jail Picked by John Kerry
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Leviathan Picked by Neal Stephenson
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Lincoln's Virtues Picked by Cal Newport
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Living in Denial Picked by Carol Gilligan
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London Picked by Peter Ackroyd
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Mao Picked by Harry Wu
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Means of Ascent Picked by Van Jones
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Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) Picked by Peter Attia
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Modern South Asia Picked by Pankaj Mishra
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Mother Camp Picked by Kate Bornstein
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Mothers and Others Picked by Carol Gilligan
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Murder City Picked by Johann Hari
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Muslims in the West Picked by Tariq Ramadan
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My Childhood Picked by Thomas Keneally
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Natasha’s Dance Picked by Thomas Keneally
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Natural Capitalism Picked by Van Jones
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Nehru's Hero Dilip Kumar Picked by Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai
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Nixon Agonistes Picked by Patrick Collison
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Nixonland Picked by Aaron Swartz
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No Logo Picked by David Lammy
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None of the Above Picked by Elliot Page
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Not in God's Name Picked by David Miliband
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Notes of a Native Son Picked by Mark Manson
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Of Boys and Men Picked by Barack Obama
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Of Woman Born Picked by Erica Jong
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On Genesis Picked by Stephen Greenblatt
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On War Picked by Michael Howard
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One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Picked by Robert Conquest
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One Robe, One Bowl Picked by Andy Puddicombe
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Out of Mao's Shadow Picked by Patrick Collison
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Paradise Beneath her Feet Picked by Zainab Salbi
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Parting the Waters Picked by Ryan Holiday
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Patriot Picked by Barack Obama
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Phenomenology of Spirit Picked by Peter Singer
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Philanthrocapitalism Picked by Nicholas Kristof
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Political Fictions Picked by Aaron Swartz
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Polyarchy Picked by Francis Fukuyama
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Poor Economics Picked by Aaron Swartz
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Power Picked by Joseph Nye
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Prague Winter Picked by David Miliband
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Prehistoric London Picked by Peter Ackroyd
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Radical Right-Wing Populism in Western Europe Picked by Cas Mudde
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Realm of the Black Mountain Picked by Norman Davies
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Regarding the Pain of Others Picked by John Green
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Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey Picked by Elif Shafak
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Revolt on the Right Picked by Cas Mudde
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Right-Wing Populism in America Picked by Cas Mudde
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Rights Talk Picked by David Lammy
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Rivals Picked by Joseph Nye
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Seeing Like a State Picked by Brian Eno
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Selected Short Stories Picked by Muhammad Yunus
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Shame Picked by Fatima Bhutto
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Silent Spring Picked by John Kerry
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Sister Outsider Picked by Mona Eltahawy
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Slow Sex Picked by Matt D'Avella
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Snow Falling on Cedars Picked by Scott Turow
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Some of Us Did Not Die Picked by Mona Eltahawy
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Son of Hamas Picked by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
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Sovereign Virtue Picked by Matthew Yglesias
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Stalin Picked by Robert Greene
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Stolen Pride Picked by Barack Obama
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Supermac Picked by Douglas Hurd
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Tales from the Expat Harem Picked by Elif Shafak
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Tears of the Desert Picked by Mia Farrow
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The Accidental Constitution Picked by David Owen
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The Age of American Unreason Picked by David Bowie
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The American Political Tradition Picked by Matthew Yglesias
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The Art of War Picked by Michael Howard
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The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Picked by Chris Guillebeau
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The Bible According to Mark Twain Picked by Stephen Greenblatt
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The Blair Years Picked by Chris Mullin
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The Blue Sweater Picked by Nicholas Kristof
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The Bodhicaryāvatāra Picked by Andy Puddicombe
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The Bond Picked by David Lammy
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The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Picked by Timothy Snyder
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The Bottom Billion Picked by Nicholas Kristof
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The Bridge Picked by Van Jones
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The British Atlantic World, 1500-1800 Picked by Bernard Bailyn
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The Bully Pulpit Picked by Bill Gates
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The Church and the Left Picked by Timothy Snyder
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The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order Picked by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
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The Coddling of the American Mind Picked by Mark Manson
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The Communist Manifesto Picked by Peter Singer
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The Concubine Picked by Alison Weir
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The Conscience of a Conservative Picked by Karl Rove
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The Conscience of a Liberal Picked by John Kerry
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The Constitution of Liberty Picked by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
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The Cost of Discipleship Picked by Mike Huckabee
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The Cultural Defense of Nations Picked by Yuli Tamir
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The Culture Picked by Mark Manson
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The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Picked by Mark Manson
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The Descent of Man Picked by Peter Singer
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The Diary of Samuel Pepys Picked by Peter Ackroyd
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The Duel Picked by Fatima Bhutto
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The End of the Free Market Picked by Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo
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The Enigma of Reason Picked by Scott H. Young
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The eXile Picked by Aaron Swartz
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The Extreme Gone Mainstream Picked by Cas Mudde
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The Federalist Papers Picked by Karl Rove
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The Feeling of What Happens Picked by Carol Gilligan
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The Female Eunuch Picked by Erica Jong
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The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report Picked by Francis Fukuyama
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The First Circle Picked by Orlando Figes
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The First Crossing of Greenland Picked by Roland Huntford
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The Five Books of Moses Picked by Stephen Greenblatt
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The Fringe of Power Picked by Chris Mullin
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The Future and Its Enemies Picked by Mitch Daniels
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The Future of Capitalism Picked by Bill Gates
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The General Picked by Michael Howard
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The Ghosts of Eden Picked by Ann Widdecombe
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The Globalization of Addiction Picked by Johann Hari
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The Goths Picked by Norman Davies
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The Grid Picked by Bill Gates
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The Heretic Picked by Alison Weir
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The Hidden Force Picked by Ian Buruma
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The Hidden-Hand Presidency Picked by Ryan Holiday
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The House of Lords Picked by David Owen
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The Idea of India Picked by Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai
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The Inevitable Picked by David Allen
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The Inland Sea Picked by Ian Buruma
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The Insider Picked by Chris Mullin
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The Internationalists Picked by Steven Pinker
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The Jewish War Picked by Simon Sebag Montefiore
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The Just and the Unjust Picked by Scott Turow
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The Last Days of Mankind Picked by Niall Ferguson
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The Last King of Poland Picked by Norman Davies
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The Last Lion Picked by Ryan Holiday
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The Library Book Picked by Reese Witherspoon
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The Life of Milarepa Translated Picked by Andy Puddicombe
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The Life You Can Save Picked by Will MacAskill
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The Machiavellians Picked by Marc Andreessen
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The Mahabharata Picked by William Dalrymple
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The Mediterranean in History Picked by Norman Davies
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The Methods of Ethics Picked by Peter Singer
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The Mirage of Power Picked by Fatima Bhutto
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The Murderers Picked by Johann Hari
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The Naked Ape Picked by Angela Saini
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The Net Delusion Picked by Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo
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The New Class Picked by Robert Conquest
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The New Constitution Picked by David Owen
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The New Industrial State Picked by Robert Reich
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The New Jim Crow Picked by Bill Gates
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The New Threat from Islamic Militancy Picked by David Miliband
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The News of the World? Picked by Max Mosley
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The North-West Passage Picked by Roland Huntford
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The Origins of Political Order Picked by Mark Manson
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The Orphanage Picked by Serhii Plokhy
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The Other America Picked by John Kerry
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The Other Wes Moore Picked by Stephen Curry
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The Party Picked by Dambisa Moyo, Baroness Moyo
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The Politics of Fear Picked by Cas Mudde
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The Post-American World Picked by Joseph Nye
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The Power of the Powerless Picked by Timothy Snyder
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The Problem of Pain Picked by Mike Huckabee
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The Promise of American Life Picked by Robert Reich
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The Red Queen Picked by Naval Ravikant
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The Responsibility to Protect Picked by Mia Farrow
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The Revolt of the Public Picked by Mark Manson
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The Rise and Decline of Nations Picked by Mitch Daniels
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The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt Picked by Sam Parr
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The Road to Wigan Pier Picked by Jordan Peterson
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The Rule of Law Picked by Max Mosley
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The Russian Mind Picked by Robert Conquest
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The Sandman Picked by Kate Bornstein
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The Secret Power of Beauty Picked by Alain de Botton
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The Shooting Party Picked by Boris Akunin
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The Siege Picked by Abraham Foxman
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The South Pole Picked by Roland Huntford
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The Spirit of Democracy Picked by Francis Fukuyama
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The Storyteller of Jerusalem Picked by Simon Sebag Montefiore
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The Symbolism of Evil Picked by Stephen Greenblatt
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The Theory of the Leisure Class Picked by Robert Reich
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The Undocumented Americans Picked by Selena Gomez
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The War Against the Jews Picked by Abraham Foxman
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The Wheels of Commerce Picked by Robert Reich
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The White Guard Picked by Orlando Figes
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The Woman That Never Evolved Picked by Angela Saini
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The Woman's Hour Picked by Ryan Holiday
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These Truths Picked by Bill Gates
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This America Picked by Yuli Tamir
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This Bridge Called My Back Picked by Mona Eltahawy
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Three Cups of Tea Picked by Nicholas Kristof
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Three Trapped Tigers Picked by Oscar Hijuelos
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Too Big to Know Picked by Alan Rusbridger
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Trap Door Picked by Susan Stryker
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Trials of the Diaspora Picked by Abraham Foxman
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Tudor Pilgrimage Picked by Alison Weir
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Ukraine Picked by Serhii Plokhy
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Ukraine and Russia Picked by Serhii Plokhy
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Ukraine in Histories and Stories Picked by Serhii Plokhy
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Ukraine’s Nuclear Disarmament Picked by Serhii Plokhy
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Unequal Childhoods Picked by Aaron Swartz
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Unlocking Democracy Picked by David Owen
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Untouchables Picked by Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai
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Upheaval Picked by Bill Gates
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Wally Funk's Race for Space Picked by Angela Saini
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We the Media Picked by Alan Rusbridger
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We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Picked by Mia Farrow
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What It Means to Be a Libertarian Picked by Mitch Daniels
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What Will It Take to Make a Woman President? Picked by Beyoncé
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Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Picked by Mike Huckabee
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When the Clock Broke Picked by Barack Obama
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Which Side Are You On? Picked by Aaron Swartz
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Whipping Girl Picked by Kate Bornstein
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Who Is Government? Picked by Barack Obama
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Why We're Polarized Picked by Bill Gates
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Wild Swans Picked by Harry Wu
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Worse than War Picked by Mia Farrow
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You Are Not a Gadget Picked by Cal Newport
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You Look Like a Thing and I Love You Picked by Derek Sivers
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Young Stalin Picked by Thomas Keneally
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Young, British and Muslim Picked by Tariq Ramadan
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