An excellent reference text that looks at philosophers and their ideas from pre-Socratic era to the early twentieth century. This book was on of the main pieces of work that led to Russell winning the Nobel prize for Literature in 1950.
50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need To Know by Ben Dupre
Short and engaging essays that introduce you to the world of philosophy.
Man is the Measure – A Cordial Invitation to the Central Problems of Philosophy by Reuben Abel
A very readable introduction to the central issues in philosophy.
The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten: 100 experiments for the armchair philosopher by Julian Baggini
A 100 philosophical puzzles that will initiate thought provoking discussions – great for dinner parties!
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
A powerful book that describes how the Native Americans lost their land with stories of the legendary figures Sitting Bull, Cochise, Crazy Horse and Geronimo intertwined.
Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order) by Bridget Quinn and illustrated by Lisa Congdon
Art by women is not usually included in the history of art. Bridget, a historian, details the stories of 15 female artists and their works of art from 1600 to the present day.
Doughnut Economics – Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth
Economics is suppose to predict and prevent crises, which it has failed to do, while the rich keep getting richer in midst of extreme poverty. Kate Raworth, an Oxford academic, has identified seven critical ways in which current economics isn’t working and has a roadmap to get it where it should be, a doughnut shaped one. On the way she unravels the ‘rational economic man’ and tells us what our motivation is.
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII by Antonio Fraser
Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr famous for being the wives of Henry VIII and the way their lives ended. Their story shows that it wasn’t just the King who had a feisty personality but they too were strong and intelligent despite the limitations that were put on them for being women.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
Read about the madness and genius that was required in the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Frida: The Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera
Famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo suffered a terrible accident which crippled her as she was growing up during the Mexican Revolution, and in order to remain still she started to paint. A moving life story of an amazing artist whose personal life and political leanings were not dull.