We Can Do Hard Things (2025) by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle is a practical guide to authentic living that addresses the fundamental questions people face when trying to live with greater intention and self-awareness. Drawing from their popular podcast of the same name, the three authors combine wisdom and anecdotes taken from interviews with over 100 contributors, or “wayfinders,” to help readers navigate life’s most challenging moments. The book serves as both... Read We Can Do Hard Things Summary

We Who Wrestle With God by Jordan B. Peterson is an examination of biblical narratives through the lens of psychology, philosophy, and theology. Peterson, a professor and psychologist with a wide following as a cultural commentator, explores the lessons that these stories offer about the human condition, morality, and the pursuit of a meaningful life, presenting them as universal, enduring guides for personal and societal development. The book surveys nine different episodes from the Old... Read We Who Wrestle with God Summary

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing (2021) is a best-selling book written in collaboration between Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D. Perry. It examines how individuals can understand themselves and others better through the lens of childhood adversity and trauma, offering scientific insights on the impact of traumatic experiences on human behavior.Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, author, and philanthropist, best known for her television show The Oprah Winfrey... Read What Happened To You? Summary

What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg was first published in 1941. Set in the mid to late 1930s, it follows the rise of the ruthless and clever Sammy Glick through Hollywood. Schulberg was himself a screenwriter, and was the son of a powerful Hollywood producer. Written as an analysis of the power-hungry nature of many Hollywood executives, Schulberg faced a significant amount of pushback against the novel both before and after it was published... Read What Makes Sammy Run? Summary

What My Bones Know is a memoir about healing from C-PTSD written by Stephanie Foo and published in 2022. It begins with Foo’s diagnosis in 2018 and retraces her history growing up in an abusive household. What My Bones Know is notable for commenting on the theme of Trauma and Silence in Asian American Communities. Beneath the homogenizing stereotype of the “model minority” is a diverse group of people who have in many cases survived... Read What My Bones Know Summary

What the Best College Students Do, by American professor Ken Bain, describes how students can make the best of their college experience, not by trying to get good grades, but by studying deeply the topics that fascinate them. Filled with examples of students who followed their love of knowledge and went on to successful professional careers, What the Best College Students Do makes the case for deep learning, a process that provides benefits that can... Read What the Best College Students Do Summary

Ken Bain’s international best-selling monograph, What the Best College Teachers Do (2004), is an award-winning study of the science of teaching and learning. Bain, a historian and pedagogical expert, promotes deep learning, backward design, and student-centered pedagogy through an analysis of effective university faculty from a variety of disciplines. His work received the Virginia and Warren Stone Prize for an outstanding book on education in 2004 and became a documentary series several year later. This... Read What the Best College Teachers Do Summary

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures (2009) is Malcolm Gladwell’s fourth book, comprised of 19 essays that he wrote for The New Yorker at the turn of the 21st century. The book is thematically eclectic but also builds upon interests explored in his former books, including the power of small things, decision-making, and success stories. Since the book’s publication, Gladwell’s reputation has grown: He is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, one... Read What the Dog Saw Summary

Written by Rabbi Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People is a contemplation on the death of his son due to a degenerative disease, progeria. As a devout man, Kushner’s first response was to ask, 'Why? Why did God permit such suffering?' The book documents Kushner’s grappling with this question, the doubts and fears it triggered, and offers others afflicted by grief comfort and solace. It proposes that while God desires to ease... Read When Bad Things Happen to Good People Summary

When the Body Says No is a 2003 work of nonfiction written by Canadian physician and author Gabor Maté. In his text, which is a critique of the limitations of modern Western medicine, Maté explores the role of chronic stress in causing disease and illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, bowel diseases, and inflammatory illnesses. Maté suggests that chronic physiological stress often has its roots in childhood; even loving parents can inadvertently make their child feel... Read When the Body Says No Summary

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, written in 1996 by Pema Chödrön, is a self-help and spiritual guidance book that aims to teach readers how to transcend the pain and anguish of daily life through Tibetan Buddhist mindfulness techniques. The book also explains how to use these practices to help reduce suffering in others. The work became a bestseller and generated increased interest in mindfulness meditation as a therapeutic and spiritually uplifting... Read When Things Fall Apart Summary

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation (2010) is a nonfiction book by Steven Johnson, a science and technology writer known for his interdisciplinary approach to understanding innovation and cultural evolution. Throughout the book, Johnson synthesizes ideas from diverse fields such as biology, urban studies, and technology history. The title reflects Johnson’s central argument that innovation follows patterns similar to those found in natural ecosystems, suggesting a “natural history” of how good... Read Where Good Ideas Come From Summary

Wherever You Go, There You Are (1994) is a work of nonfiction by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a renowned teacher and researcher in the field of mindfulness-based stress reduction. It has received widespread acclaim for its positive impact and practical approach to mindfulness, aimed at an audience of adult readers who wish to engage with their life more authentically. The book has become a classic in the genre, recommended by professionals, and has garnered a strong following... Read Wherever You Go, There You Are Summary

Published in 2018, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo received critical acclaim and became a New York Times Bestseller for explaining how white people should address racism in the moment and how they can move into a new, healthier, less racist paradigm. DiAngelo holds a PhD in multicultural education and specializes in critical racial and social justice education.Plot SummaryDiAngelo stresses that all white people play... Read White Fragility Summary

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” is an essay by Peggy McIntosh originally published in 1989 in Peace and Freedom Magazine. It is a condensed version of a longer essay published the previous year titled “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women’s Studies.” Both essays offer a narrative of McIntosh’s explorations into her previously unacknowledged racism. “Male privilege” describes advantages men have that they are... Read White Privilege Summary

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, is an inspirational advice book on how people and businesses can respond to changing times and situations by learning how to adapt quickly and successfully. The book centers on a parable about two mice and two people who live in a maze and search for cheese—the things each wants in life—and what happens when the cheese they’ve been enjoying disappears. First published in 1998, the book proved... Read Who Moved My Cheese? Summary

In Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith embarks on an in-depth exploration of mental health, aiming to make therapeutic tools and knowledge accessible to all. Published in 2022, this text falls under the self-help genre, specifically focusing on mental health. The title itself laments the scarcity of information about mental health in mainstream education and daily life, underscoring the book’s mission to democratize mental health education. This study guide... Read Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? Summary

British-American neuroscientist Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (2017) provides an in-depth exploration of the science of sleep health. Walker argues that sleep loss is an epidemic and one of the most serious public health issues of the 21st century. Drawing from a wealth of data and scientific studies, including his own innovative scientific breakthroughs during his time as a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, Walker illustrates the... Read Why We Sleep Summary

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (1994) is a science text written by Robert Sapolsky. Sapolsky is a prominent Harvard professor, neuroscience researcher, and author. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines numerous branches of science to explore the health implications of modern chronic stress. Sapolsky primes readers by providing an overview of the biological processes and implications of the body’s stress-response. He then explores how psychological and social stress contribute to... Read Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers Summary

Will is a celebrity memoir written by Will Smith with Mark Manson. It was published in 2021. The memoir details Smith’s rise through the hip-hop world and his eventual move to film and television. As he describes his rise to fame and his life as a celebrity, Smith tells the story of his family and relationships. The memoir is a mix of autobiography, hip-hop history, and analysis.This guide refers to the 2021 Penguin Kindle version... Read Will Summary