How the Irish Saved Civilization
by Thomas Cahill

1. The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table by Tracie McMillan
   
2. A Gift of Hope: Helping the Homeless by Danielle Steel
   
3. The Emergency State: America’s Pursuit of Absolute Security at All Costs by David C. Unger
   
4. It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism by Thomas E. Mann
   
5. Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans by David Niose
   
6. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
   
7. Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America by Tanner Colby
   
8. Us + Them: Tapping the Positive Power of Difference by Todd L. Pittinsky
   
9. Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes
   
10. Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future by Roy H. Williams and Michael R. Drew

1. Attention All Passengers: The Airlines’ Dangerous Descent – And How to Reclaim Our Skies by William J. McGee

2. Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown
   
3. Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
   
4. Chicks With Guns: A Cultural Portrait Of Women Gun Owners In America by Lindsay McCrum
   
5. Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow
   
6. The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers- and the Coming Cashless Society by David Wolman
   
7. Governing the World: The History of an Idea by Mark Mazower
   
8. How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America by Otis Webb Brawley
   
9. Medical Marijuana 101 by Mickey Martin, Ed Rosenthal, and Gregory T. Carter
   
10. Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right by Thomas Frank
    
11. Scapegoat: A History of Blaming Other People by Charlie Campbell
    
12. Tea Party Patriots: The Second American Revolution by Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin
    
13. While America Sleeps: A Wake-up Call for the Post-9/11 Era by Russ Feingold

16 Living Books of OUR AMERICAN PAST

1. Batmobile: The Complete History by Mark Cotta Vaz
   
2. Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home of Love and Loss by Ron McCrea
   
3. Decades: A Century of Fashion by Cameron Silver and Rebecca DiLiberto
   
4. Decorating With Books by from House Beautiful by Marie Proeller Hueston
   
5. Flowers by Carolyne Roehm
   
6. Heirloom Fruits & Vegetables by Toby Musgrave and Clay Perry
   
7. The Impossible Museum: The Best Art You’ll Never See by Céline Delavaux
   
8. More than Human by Tim Flach
   
9. National Geographic 125 Years: Legendary Photographs, Adventures, and Discoveries That Changed the World by Mark Collins Jenkins
   
10. On Railways Far Away by William D. Middleton
    
11. Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever
    
12. The Sourcebook of Contemporary Houses by Àlex Sánchez Vidiella
    
13. Serengeti Spy : Views From a Hidden Camera On the Plains of East Africa by Anup Shah
    
14. Space Atlas: Mapping the Universe and Beyond by from National Geographic by James Trefil
    
15. Time: History’s Greatest Images by Kelly Knauer and the Editors for Time Magazine
    
16. Wonders of the Deep: The Astonishing Splendor of the Seven Seas by Editors of Life

1. 1494: How a Family Feud in Medieval Spain Divided the World in Half by Stephen R. Bown
   
2. Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt
   
3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo (Winner of the National Book Award)
   
4. Beyond the Blue Horizon: How the Earliest Mariners Unlocked the Secrets of the Oceans by Brian Fagan
   
5. Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam by Fredrik Logevall
   
6. From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia by Pankaj Mishra
   
7. The Graves Are Walking: The Great Famine and the Saga of the Irish People by John Kelly
   
8. The Great Divide: Nature and Human Nature in the Old World and the New by Peter Watson
   
9. Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power by Andrew Nagorski
   
10. In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire by Tom Holland
    
11. A Labyrinth of Kingdoms: 10,000 Miles Through Islamic Africa by Steve Kemper
    
12. Mexico: Democracy Interrupted by Jo Tuckman
    
13. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt 9/11
    ( Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction. Winner of the National Book Award.)
    
14. The Lost History of 1914: Reconsidering the Year the Great War Began by Jack Beatty
    
15. Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750 by Odd Arne Westad
    
16. Scattered Sand: The Story of China’s Rural Migrants by Hsiao-Hung Pai
    
17. Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths by Nancy Marie Brown
    
18. A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead 11/11
    
19. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

The 12 Most Intriguing BIOGRAPHIES

1. American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michellle Obama by Rachel L. Swarns

2. Blue Water, Green Skipper: A Memoir of Sailing Alone Across the Atlantic by Stuart Woods
   
3. Bob Dylan: Forever Young by from the Editors of Life
   
4. Cronkite by Douglas G. Brinkley
   
5. Custer by Larry McMurtry
   
6. It Worked for Me In Life and Leadership by Colin Powell
   
7. The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone
   
8. Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science’s First Family by Shelley Emling
   
9. Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox by Lois W. Banner
   
10. Once Upon a Secret: My Affair With President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford
    
11. Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man by Walter Stahr
    
12. Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson by Randall Sullivan

1. The Book of Business Awesome / The Book of Business Unawesome: How Engaging Your Customers and Employees Can Make Your Business Thrive by Scott Stratten
   
2. Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk: The Plain Truth About Employee Engagement and Your Bottom Line by Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden
   
3. Do Nothing: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader by J. Keith Murnigham
   
4. How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life by Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston
   
5. Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers by Todd Whitaker
   
6. Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn’t and What’s Next by Cecily Sommers
   
7. The Top 10 Distinctions Between Entrepreneurs and Employees by Keith Cameron Smith
   
8. What Matters Now: How to Win In a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation by Gray Hamel
   
9. When Work & Family Collide: Keeping Your Job from Cheating Your Family by Andy Stanley

5 Extraordinary CRAFT & HOBBY Books

1. Artful Watercolor: Learning to Use the Secrets of Light by Lou Bonamarte and Carolyn Janik
   
2. Handmade to Sell: Hello Craft’s Guide to Owning, Running, and Growing Your Crafty Biz by Kelly Rand
   
3. Marbles Identification and Price Guide by Robert Blcok
   
4. Phantoms on the Bookshelves by Jacques Bonnet
   
5. Reinvention: Sewing With Rescued Materials by Maya Donenfeld

1. The Big Disconnect: The Story of Technology and Loneliness by Giles Slade
   
2. Digital Vertigo: How Today’s Online Social Revolution is Dividing, Diminishing, and Disorienting Us by Andrew Keen
   
3. How Powerpoint Makes You Stupid: The Faulty Causality, Sloppy Logic, Decontextualized Data, and Seductive Showmanship that Have Taken Over Our Thinking by Franck Frommer
   
4. iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us by Larry D. Rosen
   
5. Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum

9 Terrrrific Books for COOKING Up a Storm!

1. Ani’s Raw Food Essentials: Recipes & Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food by Ani Phyo
   
2. The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day
   
3. The Big Book of Cookies by from Betty Crocker
   
4. Cake Balls: More Than 60 Delectable and Whimsical Sweet Spheres of Goodness by Dede Wilson
   
5. Cake Balls: Amazingly Delicious Bite-Sized Treats by Robin Ankeny and Charlotte Lyon
   
6. Cupcakes : The Complete Guide to Making Beautiful and Delicious Cupcakes by Ingrid Hancock Bjerknes
   
7. The Organized Kitchen: Keep Your Kitchen Clean, Organized, and Full of Good Food – and Save Time, Money, (and Your Sanity) Every Day! by Brette Sember
   
8. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
   
9. Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth by Julie Richardson

1. Chronotherapy: Resetting Your Inner Clock to Boost Mood, Alertness, and Quality Sleep by Michael Terman and Ian McMahan
   
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus
   
3. The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils: The Science of Advanced Aromatherapy by Kurt Schnaubelt
   
4. Predictive Health: How We Can Reinvent Medicine to Extend Our Best Years ~ Kenneth Brigham and Michael M. E. Johns
   
5. The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad

1. The Bassoon by James B. Kopp
   
2. Hearts of Darkness: James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens and the Unlikely Rise of the Singer-Songwriter by Dave Thompson
   
3. This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of An American Folksong by Robert Santelli

1. The Black Rhinos of Namibia: Searching for Survivors in the African Desert by Rick Bass
   
2. Giant George: Life With the World’s Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser and Lynne Barrett-Lee
   
3. Sergeant Rex: The Unbreakable Bond Between a Marine and His Military Working Dog by Mike Dowling and Damien Lewis
   
4. Top Dog: Choose the Perfect Breed for You by Edited by Kim Dennis-Bryan

1. Do the Movies Have a Future? by David Denby
   
2. Never Would Have Made It: The Rise of Tyler Perry, the Most Powerful Entertainer in Black America (and What It Really Took to Get Him There) by Melvin Childs
   
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney’s Classic Animated Film by J. B. Kaufman
   
4. Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye
   
5. Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle by Andrea Hiott

1. The Bridal Bible: Inspiration for Planning Your Perfect Wedding by Sharon Naylor
   
2. Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? Trick Questions, Zen-like Riddles, Insanely Difficult Puzzles, and Other Devious Interviewing Techniques You Need to Know to Get a Job Anywhere in the New Economy by William Poundstone
   
3. The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Robin Zasio
   
4. Lifelong Love Affair: Who to Have a Passionate and Deeply Rewarding Marriage by Jimmy Evans
   
5. The Only Way to Win: How Building Character Drives Higher Achievement and Greater Fulfillment in Business and Life by Jim Loehr
   
6. Would It Kill You To Stop doing That? – A Modern Guide to Manners by Henry Alford
   
7. You Can Be Right (or You Can Be Married): Looking for Love in the Age of Divorce by Dana Adam Shapiro

1. Aging as a Spiritual Practice: A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser by Lewis Richmond
   
2. Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass
   
3. The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity by Robert Louis Wilken
   
4. God Believes in Love: Straight Talk About Gay Marriage by V. Gene Robinson
   
5. Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott
   
6. Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What is Sacred by Mark Nepo
   
7. Serving God and Country: U. S. Military Chaplains in World War II by Lyle W. Dorsett
   
8. The Wisdom of the Shire: a Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life by Noble Smith

1. Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet’s Twin ~ Michael D. Lemonick
   
2. Solar System: A Visual Exploration of the planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun by Marcus Chown
   
3. Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See In a Home Telescope – And How to Find Them by Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis
   
4. A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss

1. The Day the World Discovered the Sun: An Extraordinary Story of Scientific Adventure and the Race to Track the Transit of Venus by Mark Anderson

2. Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep by David K. Randall

3. Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Hat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas, and the Weather of the Future by from Climate Central
   
4. In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations that Changed the World by Ian Stewart
   
5. The Violinist’s Thumb and Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean

1. 50 Hikes in Wisconsin: Trekking the Trails of the Badger State by John & Ellen Morgan
   
2. Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail by David Mickelson, Louis J. Maher Jr., and Susan L. Simpson
   
3. Lost Antarctica: Adventures in a Disappearing Land by James B. McClintock
   
4. World’s Best Travel Experiences: 400 Extraordinary Places by from National Geographic

1. The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson
   
2. The Story of Ain’t: America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Every Published by David Skinner
   
3. Timber! The Story of the Lumberjack World Championships by Lew Freedman
   
4. The Woman Who Wasn’t There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception by Robyn Gaby Fisher and Angelo J Guglielmo Jr

1. Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World by Hugh Brewster
   
2. Titanic in Photographs by Daniel Klistorner
   
3. Titanic: The Tragedy that Shook the World: One Century Later by from the Editors of Life
   
4. Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds Them Came From by Richard Davenport-Hines

1. The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache mystery by Louise Penny
   
2. The Black Hills, a literary western by Rod Thompson
   
3. Don’t Cry Tai Lake, an Inspector Chen mystery by Qiu Xiaolong
   
4. Mudwoman by Joyce Carol Oates
   
5. The Sea Is My Brother: the lost novel of Jack Kerouac
   
6. The Spinoza Problem by Irvin D. Yalom
   
7. Honorary best novel of the year: 11/22/63 by Stephen King
   (It was actually published near the end of 2011, but most of us didn’t finish it until 2012!)

1. American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America by Michelle Obama
   
2. Easy to Build Backyard Projects by Monte Burch
   
3. Herb Gardening from the Ground Up by Sal Gilbertie
   
4. Natural Companions: The Garden Lover's Guide to Plant Combinations by Ken Druse
   
5. Paint & Color: 50 Easy Weekend Projects by Sunset Make It Your Own series from the editors of Sunset Magazine

1. Beautiful Chickens: Portraits of Champion Breeds by Christie Aschwanden
   
2. The Fresh Egg Cookbook: From Chicken to Kitchen by Jennifer Trainer Thompson
   
3. In Praise of Chickens: A Compendium of Wisdom Fair and Fowl by Jane S. Smith