Top list: Society and Social Sciences

Big ideas, bold discussions, and insightful reads. Explore the most popular books on society, psychology, politics, philosophy, the history of ideas—and beyond. Dive into something new, revisit the familiar, or challenge your thinking with fresh perspectives. Did someone say genius?

4.7 (332)

Down the Drain

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Down the Drain


A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The hotly anticipated book from “one of the all-time pop-culture greats” (New York magazine) that chronicles her shocking life and unyielding determination to not only survive but achieve her dreams.

Julia Fox is famous for many things: her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow, and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media, where she entertains and educates her millions of followers. But all these share the trait for which she is most famous: unabashedly and unapologetically being herself.

This commitment to authenticity has never been more on display than in Down the Drain. With writing that is both eloquent and accessible, Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural supremacy: her parents’ volatile relationship that divided her childhood between Italy and New York City and left her largely raising herself; a possessive and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend whose torment continued even from within Rikers Island; her own trips to jail as well as to a psychiatric hospital; her work as a dominatrix that led to a complicated entanglement with a sugar daddy; a heroin habit that led to New Orleans trap houses and that she would kick only after the fatal overdose of her best friend; her own near-lethal overdoses and the deaths of still more friends from drugs and suicide; an emotionally explosive, tabloid-dominating romance with a figure she dubs “The Artist”; a whirlwind, short-lived marriage and her trials as a single parent striving to support her young son. Yet as extraordinary as her story is, its universality is what makes it so powerful. Fox doesn’t just capture her improbable evolution from grade-school outcast to fashion-world icon, she captures her transition from girlhood to womanhood to motherhood. Family and friendship, sex and death, violence and love, money and power, innocence and experience—it’s all here, in raw, remarkable, and riveting detail.

More than a year before the book’s publication, Fox’s description of it as “a masterpiece” in a red carpet interview went viral. As always, she was just being honest. Down the Drain is a true literary achievement, as one-of-a-kind as its author.

4.7 (31)

It Begins with You : The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life

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It Begins with You : The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life


THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER

The beloved relationship coach, teacher, and host of the top relationship podcast Jillian on Love reveals nine core truths about love and self-acceptance and provides powerful self-healing techniques and strategies to help us repair our relationship with ourselves and start building the rewarding relationships we deserve.

Jillian Turecki’s holistic, compassionate, yet no-nonsense approach to love has attracted a devoted following of millions. In her highly anticipated debut book, she makes clear that if you want a meaningful relationship filled with connection, security, and intimacy, you have to look within. The common denominator in all your relationships is you.

Drawing from decades of experience helping clients heal themselves and their relationships, It Begins with You introduces the 9 core truths we must accept in order to change our lives:

Truth 1: It begins with you. Truth 2: The mind is a battlefield. Truth 3: Lust is not the same thing as love. Truth 4: You have to love yourself. Truth 5: You must speak up and tell the truth. Truth 6: You need to be your best self (even after the honeymoon). Truth 7: You cannot convince someone to love you. Truth 8: No one is coming to save you. Truth 9: You must make peace with your parents. Blending therapeutic strategies, somatic techniques, client case studies, practical tools, tips, and guiding questions, It Begins with You gives us a roadmap to finally start doing the work needed to love ourselves and find the love we deserve. It's never too late to choose yourself.

4.1 (67)

The 48 Laws of Power

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The 48 Laws of Power


Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control—from the author of The Laws of Human Nature.

In the book that People magazine proclaimed "beguiling" and "fascinating," Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into forty-eight essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P. T. Barnum.

Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), others teach the value of confidence ("Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness"), and many recommend absolute self-preservation ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.

4.6 (161)

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents : How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents

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Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents : How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents


In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents' emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you'll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

4.1 (310)

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think

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101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think


Over the past few years, Brianna Wiest has gained renown for her deeply moving, philosophical writing. This new compilation of her published work features pieces on why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. Some of these pieces have never been seen; others have been read by millions of people around the world. Regardless, each will leave you thinking: this idea changed my life.

Disclaimer: This audiobook contains explicit language.

4.6 (102)

The Third Gilmore Girl : A Memoir

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The Third Gilmore Girl : A Memoir


INCLUDES A FOREWORD WRITTEN AND READ BY GILMORE GIRLS CREATOR, AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO!

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A Goodreads Choice Awards Winner

“Come for the Gilmore Girls anecdotes, stay for the revealing truths about what it takes to build a lifelong career in and out of Hollywood” (The A.V. Club) in this candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more.

Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights and featuring a special collection of personal and professional photographs, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

4.5 (309)

The Untethered Soul : The Journey Beyond Yourself

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The Untethered Soul : The Journey Beyond Yourself


Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out

how elusive it really is. Are you a physical body? A collection of

experiences and memories? A partner to relationships? Each time you consider these aspects of yourself, you realize that there is much more to you than any of these can define. In The Untethered Soul,

spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our

consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves, and the world around us. By tapping into traditions of meditation and

mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can

enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful

thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and

self-realization.

The Untethered Soul offers a frank and friendly discussion of consciousness and how we can

develop it. In part one, Singer examines the notion of self and the inner dialogue we all live with. Part two examines the experience of energy as it flows through us and works to show listeners how to open their hearts to the energy of experience that permeates their lives. Ways to overcome tendencies to close down to the rest of the world are the subject of

part three. Enlightenment, the embrace of universal consciousness, is the subject of part four. And finally, in part five, Singer returns to daily life and the pursuit of unconditional happiness. Throughout, the book maintains a light and engaging tone, free from heavy dogma and prescriptive religious references. The easy exercises that figure in each chapter help listeners experience the ideas that Singer presents.

4.4 (68)

Men Who Hate Women

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Men Who Hate Women


By turns fascinating and horrifying, Men Who Hate Women is a broad, unflinching account of the deep current of loathing toward women and anti-feminism that underpins our society and is a must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone who believes in equality for women.

4.2 (139)

Range : How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

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Range : How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World


'A gold mine of surprising insights. Makes you smarter with every page' – James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits

The essential guide to improving your performance, and a powerful argument for how to succeed in any field: develop broad interests and skills while everyone around you is rushing to specialize.

Instant Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller

Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award

A Financial Times Essential Read

From the ‘10,000 hours' rule to the power of tiger parenting, we have been taught that success in any field requires early specialization and many hours of deliberate practice. If you only dabble or delay, you'll never catch up with those who got a head start.

This is completely wrong.

In this landmark book, David Epstein shows you that the way to succeed is by sampling widely, gaining a breadth of experiences, taking detours, experimenting relentlessly and juggling interests – this is the power of developing range.

Studying the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors and scientists, Epstein demonstrates why, in most fields. generalists, not specialists are primed to excel.

In the years since its initial release, Range has challenged the status quo, reshaped career paths and changed lives. Listen it to view the world differently.

'I loved Range' – Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of Outliers and The Tipping Point

'Fascinating . . . if you're a generalist who has ever felt overshadowed by your specialist colleagues, this book is for you' – Bill Gates

4.1 (137)

Hillbilly Elegy : The Internationally Bestselling Memoir from Trump’s Future Vice-President of the United States

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Hillbilly Elegy : The Internationally Bestselling Memoir from Trump’s Future Vice-President of the United States


THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER / OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD

THE AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT'S ORIGIN STORY

‘Essential reading for this moment in history’ New York Times

'You will not read a more important book about America this year' Economist

‘Brilliant … offers an acute insight into the reasons voters have put their trust in Trump’ Observer

J. D. Vance grew up in the hills of Kentucky. His family and friends were the people most of the world calls rednecks, hillbillies or white trash.

In this deeply moving memoir, Vance tells the story of his family’s demons and of America’s problem with generational neglect. How his mother struggled against, but never fully escaped, the legacies of abuse, alcoholism, poverty and trauma. How his grandparents, ‘dirt poor and in love’, gave everything for their children to chase the American dream. How Vance beat the odds to graduate from Yale Law School. And how America came to abandon and then condescend to its white working classes, until they reached breaking point.

‘A beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America … Vance offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it … a riveting book’ Wall Street Journal

** Now a major-motion picture directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams, Glenn Close, and Gabriel Basso **

4.6 (59)

Brave Enough

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Brave Enough


Travel with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins on her compelling journey from America's heartland to international sports history, navigating challenges and triumphs with rugged grit and a splash of glitter.

4.4 (253)

Come As You Are: Revised and Updated : The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life

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Come As You Are: Revised and Updated : The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life


A revised and updated edition of Emily Nagoski’s game-changing New York Times bestseller Come As You Are, featuring new information and research on mindfulness, desire, and pleasure that will radically transform your sex life.

For much of the 20th and 21st centuries, women’s sexuality was an uncharted territory in science, studied far less frequently—and far less seriously—than its male counterpart.

That is, until Emily Nagoski’s Come As You Are, which used groundbreaking science and research to prove that the most important factor in creating and sustaining a sex life filled with confidence and joy is not what the parts are or how they’re organized but how you feel about them. In the years since the book’s initial publication, countless women have learned through Nagoski’s accessible and informative guide that things like stress, mood, trust, and body image are not peripheral factors in a woman’s sexual wellbeing; they are central to it—and that even if you don’t always feel like it, you are already sexually whole by just being yourself. This revised and updated edition continues that mission with new information and advanced research, demystifying and decoding the science of sex so that everyone can create a better sex life and discover more pleasure than you ever thought possible.

4.5 (127)

How to Keep House While Drowning : A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

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How to Keep House While Drowning : A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing


KC Davis offers a compassionate approach to cleaning and organizing, helping you transform your home without guilt. A perfect Mother’s Day gift for moms seeking peace and practical solutions.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of your to-do list, you probably have a good reason: anxiety, fatigue, depression, ADHD, or lack of support. For therapist KC Davis, the birth of her second child triggered a stress-mess cycle. The more behind she felt, the less motivated she was to start. She didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months. One life-changing realization restored her sanity—and the functionality of her home: You don’t work for your home; your home works for you.

In other words, messiness is not a moral failing. A new sense of calm washed over her as she let go of the shame-based messaging that interpreted a pile of dirty laundry as “I can never keep up” and a chaotic kitchen as “I’m a bad mother.” Instead, she looked at unwashed clothes and thought, “I am alive,” and at stacks of dishes and thought, “I cooked my family dinner three nights in a row.”

Building on this foundation of self-compassion, KC devised the powerful practical approach that has exploded in popularity through her TikTok account, @domesticblisters. The secret is to simplify your to-do list and to find creative workarounds that accommodate your limited time and energy. In this book, you’ll learn exactly how to customize your cleaning strategy and rebuild your relationship with your home, including:

-How to see chores as kindnesses to your future self, not as a reflection of your worth

-How to start by setting priorities

-How to stagger tasks so you won’t procrastinate

-How to clean in quick bursts within your existing daily routine

-How to use creative shortcuts to transform a room from messy to functional

With KC’s help, your home will feel like a sanctuary again. It will become a place to rest, even when things aren’t finished. You will move with ease, and peace and calm will edge out guilt, self-criticism, and endless checklists. They have no place here.

4.4 (67)

Becoming Bulletproof : Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly

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Becoming Bulletproof : Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly


Former Secret Service agent and star of Bravo’s Spy Games Evy Poumpouras shares lessons learned from protecting presidents, as well insights and skills from the oldest and most elite security force in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you are perceived, and live a more fearless life.

Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras—former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor—demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you. Poumpouras shows us that ultimately true strength is found in the mind, not the body.

Courage involves facing our fears, but it is also about resilience, grit, and having a built-in BS detector and knowing how to use it. In Becoming Bulletproof, Poumpouras demonstrates how to heighten our natural instincts to employ all these qualities and move from fear to fearlessness.

4.5 (34)

Stoicism: Discover How Stoic Philosophy Works and Master the Modern Art of Happiness, Stronger Self Discipline, Increased Confidence, Calmness, and Mental Resilience in a Turbulent World!

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Stoicism: Discover How Stoic Philosophy Works and Master the Modern Art of Happiness, Stronger Self Discipline, Increased Confidence, Calmness, and Mental Resilience in a Turbulent World!


STAY GROUNDED AND LEARN HOW TO STAY CALM NO MATTER WHAT LIFE THROWS YOUR WAY We all know that life can be tough.

You don't need to be a genius to realize that things are constantly changing and that we're constantly faced with new challenges.

It's hard enough trying to keep up with the demands of work, family, and social life, but when you add in stress, anxiety, and depression it can feel impossible.

Stoicism is the answer!

Stoicism is the perfect philosophy to live by in today's world. The Stoics believed in using reason and logic, and their techniques are still incredibly useful for modern living.

This ancient philosophy can help you learn how to deal with difficult situations calmly and effectively. With Stoicism, you'll develop stronger self-discipline, increased confidence, calmness, and mental resilience.

Learn how to apply Stoic philosophy to your own life, gain control of your emotions, and become happier and more resilient!

In this audiobook, you’ll discover:

The pillars of Stoicism: Understand this ancient philosophy on a deeper level so you can successfully incorporate these philosophies in your life! How to maintain calmness no matter what: With these philosophies, you’ll be able to stay level-headed no matter what life throws at you. Make better decisions and keep your cool! The Happiness Triangle: These rules will set the foundation of your new state of mind. This audiobook will help you earn, understand, and embody these values. An easy-to-follow guide: With everything explained in simple and plain English, you can skip the confusion and get straight into learning.

View life through a different lens and watch your life change for the better! Learn how to find peace in the chaos of the modern world and be happier than you’ve ever been.

The key to a happy life is the cultivation of a sound state of mind.

SCROLL UP, CLICK ON “BUY NOW”, AND START LISTENING!

4.1 (245)

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

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Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?


“Smart, insightful, and warm. Dr. Julie is both the expert and wise friend we all need.” –Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and co-host of the ""Dear Therapists"" podcast?

Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith provides the skills you need to navigate common life challenges and take charge of your emotional and mental health in her debut book.

Filled with secrets from a therapist's toolkit, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before teaches you how to fortify and maintain your mental health, even in the most trying of times. Dr Julie Smith’s expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient, whether you want to manage anxiety, deal with criticism, cope with depression, build self-confidence, find motivation, or learn to forgive yourself. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before tackles everyday issues and offers practical solutions in bite-sized, easy-to-digest entries which make it easy to quickly find specific information and guidance.

Your mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. Packed with proven strategies, Dr. Julie’s empathetic guide offers a deeper understanding of how your mind works and gives you the insights and help you need to nurture your mental health every day. Wise and practical, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before might just change your life.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

4.6 (94)

Chip War : The Quest to Dominate the World's Most Critical Technology

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Chip War : The Quest to Dominate the World's Most Critical Technology


The Financial Times Business Book of the Year, this epic account of the decades-long battle to control one of the world’s most critical resources—microchip technology—with the United States and China increasingly in fierce competition is “pulse quickening…a nonfiction thriller” (The New York Times).

You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil—the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything—from missiles to microwaves—runs on chips, including cars, smartphones, the stock market, even the electric grid. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower, but America’s edge is in danger of slipping, undermined by players in Taiwan, Korea, and Europe taking over manufacturing. Now, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more on chips than any other product, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America’s military superiority and economic prosperity.

Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the US became dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America’s victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. Until recently, China had been catching up, aligning its chip-building ambitions with military modernization. Here, in this paperback edition of the book, the author has added intriguing new material focused on "America's Chip Comeback,” which overviews the global consequences of the just passed CHIPS Act, the new export controls on China, and the effort to rally allies to better guard chip technology.

Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War is “an essential and engrossing landmark study” (The Times, London).

4.7 (29)

Love Life : How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily (No Matter What)

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Love Life : How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily (No Matter What)


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

An essential set of tools and principles for healing your heart, finding love, and loving life.

Finding love can be hard. Being single can feel even harder. In Love Life, world-renowned coach and New York Times bestselling author Matthew Hussey provides a practical roadmap for letting go of past relationships, overcoming the fear of getting left behind, and finding the love we want.

Sometimes it feels like life and love are working against us. Just finding someone we like can be a struggle. Even when we do, we often find they’re not ready, or they want different things. Then there are the internal fears and anxieties that lead us to self-sabotage—that make us indulge the wrong behavior in others, hold back from expressing our needs for fear of losing someone, or overinvest in people and lose ourselves in the process. Love Life sheds light on these common patterns and how to overcome them, by showing us how to adopt new standards, elegantly communicate them, and develop the deepest levels of confidence that underpin them. Like many of us, Hussey has gone through major life changes over the past decade, and he opens up about his experiences, vulnerabilities, and mistakes.

Love Life is about doing love better. More than a book about romantic relationships, Love Life shows us how to take control of each of the major relationships in our lives: our relationship with others, our relationship with ourselves, and our relationship with life itself.

Our love lives have the power to elevate or eradicate the adjacent joy in our lives. Love Life sets you on the path to finding the love of your life, while deepening your love for life.

4.5 (88)

Why Does He Do That?

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Why Does He Do That?


A groundbreaking look into the minds of abusive men from counselor Lundy Bancroft that gives listeners the tools they need to improve, survive, or leave an abusive relationship.

4.3 (48)

I Am A SEAL Team Six Warrior

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I Am A SEAL Team Six Warrior


For young listeners-the dramatic tale of how Howard Wasdin overcame a tough childhood to live his dream and enter the exciting and dangerous world of US Navy SEALS and Special Forces snipers.