Books like Figuring by Maria Popova

Stephen Hawking explains the fundamental physics of the universe—space, time, cosmology, black holes, and the Big Bang—in clear, accessible language.

A series of spiritual exercises for leading a meaningful life, 2,000 years old and still relevant today.

Walter Isaacson chronicles the minds that forged the digital age, from Ada Lovelace to Larry Page, showing how vision, collaboration, and engineering transformed abstract ideas into the computers, Internet, and technology we use today.

Explore Michelle Obama’s public voice through 200‑250 curated quotations, organized into 75 themes, spanning her early career as a Chicago corporate lawyer, her roles in the city government and University of Chicago, up to the 2008 presidential election.

Explore the path to inner peace and freedom with Michael A. Singer’s practical guide to letting go of limiting thoughts and emotions.

Mary Roach explores the science that shapes a soldier's toughest challenges—panic, fatigue, heat, and noise—while introducing the researchers striving to overcome them.

Joseph Campbell’s classic study of myth examines how recurring hero narratives shape human experience and inspire modern storytelling, from ancient folklore to contemporary cinema.

The Road Less Traveled encourages facing life's challenges as a path to deeper self‑understanding, emotional maturity, and healthier loving relationships.

During World War II, more than ten thousand U.S. women were recruited by the Army and Navy from towns and elite colleges to serve as codebreakers in Washington, whose efforts shortened the war and opened new career paths.

Northrop Frye’s foundational text argues that literary criticism is a structured body of knowledge—an evolving total history of thought—rather than mere opinion, drawing on examples from ancient to contemporary world literature.

Lauren Elkin traces how cities shape women’s lives, weaving together literature, art, history and film to illuminate the complex bond between women and the metropolis.

"Today, only twenty percent of Americans are wed by age twenty-nine, compared to nearly sixty percent in 1960. The Population Reference Bureau calls it a 'dramatic reversal.' [This book presents a] portrait of contemporary American life and how we got here, through the lens of the single American woman, covering class, race, [and] sexual orientation, and filled with ... anecdotes from ... contemporary and historical figures"-- In 2010, award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started a book that she thought would be about the twenty-first-century phenomenon of the American single woman. Over the course of her research, Traister made a startling discovery: historically, when women have had options beyond early heterosexual marriage, their resulting independence has provoked massive social change. Unmarried women were crucial to the abolition, suffrage, temperance, and labor movements; they created settlement houses and secondary education for women. Today, only 20% of Americans are wed by age 29, compared to nearly 60% in 1960. The Population Reference Bureau calls it a "dramatic reversal." Traister sets out to examine how this generation of independent women is changing the world. This is a remarkable portrait of contemporary American life and how we got here, through the lens of the single American woman. Covering class, race, and sexual orientation, and filled with vivid anecdotes from fascinating contemporary and historical figures, this book is destined to be a classic work of social history and journalism.--Adapted from dust jacket. Working on a book about single women in the twenty-first-century, Traister made a startling discovery: historically, when women have had options beyond early heterosexual marriage, their resulting independence has provoked massive social change. Unmarried women were crucial to the abolition, suffrage, temperance, and labor movements; they created settlement houses and secondary education for women. Today, only 20% of Americans are wed by age 29, compared to nearly 60% in 1960. Through the lens of the single American woman, Traister covers issues of class, race, and sexual orientation.

Marie‑Madeleine Fourcade, a Frenchwoman born into privilege, led the largest spy network in occupied France during World War II, gathering crucial intelligence that helped plan D‑Day and supporting the resistance against the Nazis.

Thomas Friedman argues that the 21st century is shaped by the accelerating forces of technology, globalization, and climate change, urging readers to pause and consider their profound impact on work, politics, geopolitics, ethics, and community.

Harlem Nocturne chronicles the artistic and political breakthroughs of three pioneering African‑American women—novelist Ann Petry, dancer Pearl Primus, and composer Mary Lou Williams—during the 1940s, showing how they advanced civil rights and cultural vibrancy in Harlem.

The Astronaut Wives Club follows the lives of the wives of NASA’s Mercury Seven astronauts as they navigate fame, social change, and personal trials while supporting one another during a historic era.

Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer Avis Lang explore how astrophysics tools—from celestial navigation to satellite warfare—have shaped and been shaped by military power, revealing a long‑standing, mutually influential relationship between science and defense.