TED Books library

Broken Spaces & Outer Places: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected

by Nnedi Okorafor
A powerful journey from star athlete to sudden paralysis to creative awakening, award-winning science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor proves that what we think are our limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths. Learn moreBuy now

The Hot Young Widows Club

by Nora McInerny
Whether you lost your spouse or lost your job, navigating grief is often a lonely business. Welcome to The Hot Young Widows Club. Drawing from her own life experience, Nora McInerny offers a wise, humorous roadmap and caring community for anyone going through a challenging life moment. Learn moreBuy now

Thanks a Thousand

by A.J. Jacobs
The idea was deceptively simple: A.J. Jacobs would thank every single person who had a role (however small) in producing his morning cup of coffee. The resulting journey takes Jacobs across the globe and reveals secrets about how gratitude can change us all. Learn moreBuy now

In Praise of Wasting Time

by Alan Lightman
In today's frenzied and wired world, we are obsessed with the idea of not "wasting time." But have we lost the silences and solitude so essential to our inner lives? Learn moreBuy now

How to Fix a Broken Heart

by Guy Winch
Imagine if we treated broken hearts with the same respect and concern we have for broken arms. With great wisdom and empathy, psychologist Guy Winch explores how different our lives and our society would be if we better understood this unique emotional pain. Learn moreBuy now

Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time

by David Miliband
We are in the midst of a global refugee crisis. Sixty-five million people are fleeing for their lives. The choices are urgent, not just for them but for all of us. What can we possibly do to help? Learn moreBuy now

The Misfit's Manifesto

by Lidia Yuknavitch
By reclaiming and celebrating the word misfit, this manifesto makes a powerful case for not fitting in—for recognizing the beauty, and difficulty, in forging an original path. Learn moreBuy now

Why Dinosaurs Matter

by Kenneth Lacovara
Join world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara on a remarkable journey––back to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth––to discover fundamental truths about our own humanity. Lacovara reveals dinosaurs to be widespread, persistent, and innovative creatures that achieved feats unparalleled by any other species. Yet dinosaurs remain mysterious and misunderstood. Learn moreBuy now

Who Are You, Really?

by Brian Little
Who are you? Are you an introvert or extrovert? Agreeable or irritable? Chance are you probably have a pretty fixed idea of what makes you, you. But what if your personality was flexible, and ultimately in your control? Learn more

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The Great Questions of Tomorrow

by David Rothkopf

We are on the cusp of a sweeping revolution––one that will change every facet of our lives. The changes ahead will challenge and alter fundamental concepts such as national identity, human rights, money and markets. In this pivotal, complicated moment, what are the great questions we need to ask to navigate our way forward? Learn moreBuy now

Asteroid Hunters

by Carrie Nugent
Carrie Nugent is an asteroid hunter—part of a group of scientists working to map our cosmic neighborhood. Why keep an eye out for asteroids? Just a single collision could alter life on earth forever. But today, we have the technology to not only find these objects, but to prevent such an incredible natural disaster. Learn more

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Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations

by Dan Ariely
Payoff investigates the true nature of motivation, our partial blindness to the way it works, and how we can bridge this gap. Dan Ariely digs deep to find the root of motivation—how it works and how we can use this knowledge to approach important choices in our own lives. Learn moreBuy now

When Strangers Meet: How People You Don't Know Can Transform You

by Kio Stark
Kio Stark reveals how these simple, surprising encounters push us toward greater openness and tolerance--and also how these fleeting but powerful emotional connections can change you, and the world we share. Learn moreBuy now

The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon

by Andrés Ruzo
In this exciting adventure mixed with amazing scientific discovery, a young, exuberant explorer and geoscientist, journeys deep into the Amazon—where rivers boil and legends come to life. Learn moreBuy now

The Laws of Medicine: Field Notes From an Uncertain Science

by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Essential, required reading for doctors and patients alike: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author and one of the world’s premiere cancer researchers reveals an urgent philosophy on the little-known principles that govern medicine—and how understanding these principles can empower us all. Learn moreBuy now

Why We Work

by Barry Schwartz
In this groundbreaking work, acclaimed writer and thinker Barry Schwartz dispels a deeply ingrained myth: The reason we work is primarily to get a paycheck. How did we come to believe this? Through fascinating studies and compelling anecdotes, Schwartz takes the reader on an eye-opening tour, illuminating the destructive way work operates in our culture, and ultimately empowering the reader to find their own path to good work. Learn moreBuy now

How We'll Live on Mars

by Stephen Petranek
It sounds like science fiction, but award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek considers it fact: Within 20 years, humans will live in Mars. We’ll need to. In this sweeping, provocative book that mixes business, science and human reporting, Petranek makes the case that living on Mars is an essential back-up plan for humanity, and explains in fascinating detail just how it will happen. Learn moreBuy now

Judge This

by Chip Kidd
First impressions are everything. They dictate whether something stands out, how we engage with it, whether we buy it, and how strongly we feel. This is especially true when it comes to design. And design is all around us, secretly shaping our world in ways we rarely recognize. Except if you yourself are a designer, like Chip Kidd. Learn more

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Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes

by Margaret Heffernan
A powerful manifesto for CEOs and managers alike, Beyond Measure reveals how organizations can make huge changes with surprisingly small steps. In this book, Heffernan looks back over decades spent overseeing different organizations and comes to a counterintuitive conclusion: it's the small shifts that have the greatest impact. Learn moreBuy now

Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes

by Rob Knight, with Brendan Buhler
Allergies, obesity, acne: these are just a few of the conditions that may be caused—and someday cured—by the microscopic life inside us. How does this groundbreaking science influence your health, mood and more? Pioneering scientist Rob Knight pairs with award-winning science journalist Brendan Buhler to explain why these new findings matter to everyone. Learn more

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The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings

by Marc Kushner
Through his unique position at the crossroads of architecture and social media, architect and Architizer.com founder Marc Kushner highlights 100 buildings, and the questions they seem to ask of us: How can we live smaller? Can a building breathe? With stunning photography and stories of architectural wonder from across the globe, The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings illustrates the rapidly evolving world of architecture in the digital age. Learn more

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The Mathematics of Love: Patterns, Proofs and the Search for the Ultimate Equation

by Hannah Fry
In this must-have for anyone who wants to better understand their love life, mathematician Hannah Fry pulls back the curtain and reveals the hidden patterns—from dating sites to divorce, sex to marriage—behind the rituals of love. Learn more

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The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere

by Pico Iyer
An unexpected truth from a celebrated travel writer: Stillness just might be the ultimate adventure. Pico Iyer reveals how stillness can act as a creative catalyst, and advocates for a way of living that counters the frenetic design of our modern lives. Learn more

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The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice

by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles
The astonishing first-person account of an American boy raised on dogma and hate — a boy presumed to follow in his father’s footsteps — and the man who chose a different path. The idea that reverberates through the prose: Everyone has a choice. Even if you're raised to hate, you can choose tolerance. You can choose empathy. Learn more

Winner of the 2015 American Library Association AwardBuy now