Five Books
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Five Books is a library of knowledge, curating book recommendations on any topic. Experts recommend the five best books in their subject.
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Pinned Tweet
NEW: Anna Fleming (
@annamfleming
), author of the rock-climbing memoir "Time on Rock" recommends five fascinating mountaineering books that combine history, nature, and sheer adventure:
cc
@HelenMort
0
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6
Anne Applebaum, the historian and writer, specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia. Her books have won a number of prestigious prizes and feature on many Five Books reading lists. …
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Cormac McCarthy achieved deserved status as a living titan of literary fiction for his philosophical, violent, often deeply moving novels. RIP
4
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265
"Critical thinking is not just pure logic. It’s a cluster of things. But its aim is to be clear about what is being argued, what follows from the given evidence and arguments, and to detect any cognitive biases or rhetorical moves that may lead us astray"
0
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NEW interview:
Aristotle, says Edith Hall, is "quite simply the most important intellectual who ever lived."
Here the author and classicist selects five key texts to further your understanding of the great philosopher's life and work.
4
73
179
"My most exciting daily journey is to the compost bin and back." As we get going with our second lockdown here in the UK, bestselling author
@neilhimself
on his favourite comfort reads:
8
34
181
NEW interview: Learning Python and Data Science
Vicki Boykis (
@vboykis
) recommends the best books for learning Python—a language, she says, as versatile as a Swiss Army knife—and shows that it's possible to teach yourself coding and data science.
2
54
182
OUT NOW: The best philosophy books of 2017, selected by philosopher Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
):
2
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166
"I am looking for a book which actually increases my knowledge, rather than giving me another angle on what I already know. I don’t just mean knowledge of plants, I mean knowledge of how to live" —
@montydon
on his favourite gardening books:
3
31
162
"We tend to see writing in books as an act of defacement. But readers in the Renaissance thought that if you didn’t leave notes in a book then you were being lazy and passive. You weren’t doing the job of engaging with the text and answering back to it”
7
69
162
NEW:
Political scientist
@LarrySabato
recommends the best politics books to read in 2021, with a focus on the internal turmoil of the United States.
ft.
@anneapplebaum
@jonkarl
@RepAdamSchiff
@dziblatt
@costareports
@realBobWoodward
8
55
152
If you find the quirks of the human mind fascinating, you'll love books about behavioural economics:
(And Nudge, by
@R_Thaler
and
@CassSunstein
, remains the must-read)
9
56
157
Essential reading for understanding today's world — a list by (and interview with)
@georgemonbiot
: …
4
46
158
NEW The best philosophy books of the year:
@philosophybites
talks us through his 2020 selection:
4
40
152
Are you comfort reading your way through the pandemic? Here Neil Gaiman (
@neilhimself
) recommends comfort reads to turn to in difficult times.
7
33
151
To learn more about the Holodomor famine in Ukraine we recommend reading
@anneapplebaum
's book 'Red Famine'.
90 years ago, millions of Ukrainians starved to death in the Holodomor famine deliberately caused by Soviet policies. The Kremlin now wages a brutal war to subjugate Ukraine’s people, but will not prevail. We will stand with Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!
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3K
10K
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NEW:
Nigel Warburton (
@PhilosophyBites
) selects five of the best public philosophy books published in 2021, including a defence of righteous rage, a critique of 'time management,' and an intellectual biography of Hannah Arendt.
3
34
129
“Reading philosophy books is partly about disagreeing with what is said so that you stay alive as a thinker” Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
) edits our philosophy category. Find all the topics we've covered here:
5
31
130
“I think this is the best gardening book ever written” —
@TheMontyDon
. Spring is in the air (in the UK at least). Browse our gardening section to find which books to inspire you as you plan for the season ahead:
2
25
127
NEW: The Best Economics Books of 2022
@jasonfurman
a Harvard economics professor and former adviser to Barack Obama, picks out five of the best economics books of 2022.
Features:
@GalorOded
,
@delong
,
@leah_boustan
,
@RichardvReeves
2
52
119
Are you comfort reading your way through the pandemic? Here Neil Gaiman (
@neilhimself
) recommends comfort reads to turn to in difficult times.
3
26
121
“Having basic critical thinking skills is a prerequisite of being a good citizen in a democracy. If you're too easily swayed by rhetoric, weak at analysing arguments and prone to biases you're unaware of, how can you engage politically?”
@philosophybites
1
42
118
“If he is right, as I believe him to be, then most of theoretical philosophy (philosophy of language and logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind) since Descartes has been wrong.”
Professor Peter Hacker introduces us to Wittgenstein.
2
31
116
"It mobilizes the masses, but its aim is to install a dictatorship that ultimately subjects everyone—of every class, race and gender—to its rule."
@ruthbenghiat
, political commentator and historian, recommends the best books for understanding fascism.
1
64
108
Cambridge University philosopher Tim Crane introduces the best books on metaphysics.
2
57
111
ICYMI: “Critical thinking is not just pure logic. But its aim is to be clear about what is being argued, what follows from the given evidence and arguments, and to detect any cognitive biases or rhetorical moves that may lead us astray.” —
@philosophybites
2
39
110
"There were several generations in the Latin world where they were reading Avicenna and thinking about Avicenna more than they were thinking about Aristotle."
@histphilosophy
discusses the richness and sophistication of philosophy in the Islamic world.
0
46
107
"Escapism, for me, is worth its weight in gold. What I’ve been reading for pleasure lets me travel." Neil Gaiman (
@neilhimself
) on comfort reads. …
1
24
107
NEW: "I’ve chosen books that bear witness to the war taking place right now"
@sasha_weirdsley
@Ukr_Institute
@PenUkraine
on the best Ukrainian literature:
Books by
@serhiy_zhadan
@OKhromeychuk
,
@AseyevStanislav
,
cc
@HURI_Harvard
@harvard_press
@splokhy
2
52
108
NEW INTERVIEW: "I asked myself what the books were that made me fall in love with Hannah Arendt as a thinker and which included her most beautiful writing"
@Samantharhill
talks to
@philosophybites
about the best books by (and about) Hannah Arendt:
2
40
105
“Reading philosophy books is partly about disagreeing with what is said so that you stay alive as a thinker” Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
) edits our philosophy category. Find all the topics we've covered here:
1
33
106
"I asked myself what the books were that made me fall in love with Hannah Arendt as a thinker and which included her most beautiful writing"
@Samantharhill
talks to
@philosophybites
about the best books by (and about) Hannah Arendt:
2
21
103
"The laws of economics are as difficult to defy as the laws of physics" — former treasury secretary Larry Summers. One of many eminent economists who have contributed to our economics book recommendations:
1
28
100
NEW
We asked Ursula Vernon, the Hugo Award-winning author, to recommend her top five fantasy books based on fairy tales.
@UrsulaV
2
26
100
Are you comfort reading your way through the pandemic? Here Neil Gaiman (
@neilhimself
) recommends comfort reads to turn to in difficult times. …
0
29
100
“We make mistakes, classically, in being overly pessimistic about things that are changing in the world.”
@philosophybites
recommends five books that teach critical thinking skills:
0
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98
"When historians say ‘white supremacy’, what we’re talking about is not only individual racist beliefs, but also a broad system of laws, norms and customs that create a society with unequal opportunities for people based on race."
@kathleen_belew
3
46
95
Hannah Arendt died
#OnThisDay
in 1975.
@Samantharhill
talks us through Hannah Arendt's life and work—and suggests which books to read
2
33
97
On misogyny: “It’s not that men don’t see women as people. Rather, men are morally outraged. They expect things from women: nurturance, sex, love, care. And they get enraged when these expectations aren’t met.”
@paulbloomatyale
on
@kate_manne
's DOWN GIRL:
2
30
95
"I agree that dehumanisation often has terrible effects. But it turns out as well that evil is often a result of recognising another’s humanity, which is pretty much the opposite of the usual view."
The best books on Cruelty and Evil by
@paulbloomatyale
2
31
94
"Quantum mechanics is hugely accurate but says an atom can be in two places at once. We’ve learned to live with that" Professor of theoretical physics
@jimalkhalili
explores the best books on the atom:
5
28
96
At one point, the Persian polymath Avicenna’s influence outstripped that of Aristotle.
Philosophy in the Islamic World, a
#readinglist
by
@HistPhilosophy
:
0
30
91
"2022 was probably the best year for economic history books since 2009" Best economic history books of this year, chosen by
@dkedrosky
:
1
25
95
“It’s amazing that the two greatest philosophical novels written in English in the 19th century, Moby Dick and Middlemarch, come out of a preoccupation with Spinoza.”
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (
@platobooktour
) recommends the Best Philosophical Novels
2
26
94
NEW: "2022 was probably the best year for economic history books since 2009" Best economic history books of this year, chosen by
@dkedrosky
:
Books by
@delong
,
@MarkKoyama
,
@jaredcrubin
,
@JanLuitenV
, James Belich, Marrten Prak, Debin Ma, Richard von Glahn
1
24
95
Essential reading for understanding today's world — a list by (and interview with)
@georgemonbiot
:
2
32
90
"These books are all from a part of the world where borders and regimes change frequently. Cities like Lvov – a town known as Lwow before the war, when it was Polish and Jewish, and now known in the present as L’viv, a Ukrainian city."
@anneapplebaum
3
42
92
"How should we live our lives? How can we best help others? What is the meaning of religious belief?" Philosopher Nigel Warbuton introduces the best philosophy books of 2017.
0
30
91
The best nonfiction books of 2020, as recommended by
@sophiemaynard
, editor of Five Books:
Books by
@anneapplebaum
,
@Skye_Cleary
,
@mpigliucci
, Margaret MacMillan,
@NewRoomBristol
,
@danielsusskind
,
@WanderingGaia
10
24
93
Five Books has been in existence for over a decade now, and we're still going strong—with more and more readers every month. If you like our site, please share it with friends, as we don't have anything fancy like, you know, a marketing budget:
2
48
92
"2022 was probably the best year for economic history books since 2009" Best economic history books of this year, chosen by
@dkedrosky
:
… …
0
17
81
NEW
Cambridge historian Gary Gerstle (
@glgerstle
) discusses five books that will help you understand neoliberalism's origins, its ambitions and why it has been supported and opposed with such partisanship.
0
19
92
NEW: "Why is inflation increasing now? There are different theories" Best books to understand inflation and how to deal with it, recommended by
@Federomei1
of
@OxfordEconDept
@UniofOxford
:
1
35
92
#Fivebooks
on philosophy in the Islamic world, as picked by
@histphilosophy
.
Read the full interview:
0
45
88
"If you go back to Hume, Locke or Descartes, you find that they weren’t writing for professionals in university, they were writing for their educated peers. Every educated mind should be engaged with the great questions."
A C Grayling: Ideas That Matter
0
32
86
Aristotle, says Edith Hall, is "quite simply the most important intellectual who ever lived." Here are five key texts for understanding the great philosopher's life and work:
4
34
91
What is the relation between language and thought? Are you a linguistic determinist or a linguistic relativist?
The best books on linguistics, a
#readinglist
by Daniel L. Everett, who argues that Chomsky is like Freud: crucial, but crucially wrong.
0
36
85
NEW interview: In terms of new science books, 2018 has been "strewn with riches," says
@nature
Arts and Books editor
@barbkiser
. Here, she rounds up some of the very best science books released this year:
0
38
85
5 Best Economics Books of the past year:
Books by
@JeanTirole
,
@rodrikdani
,
@AndrewWLo
@desaimihira
,
@JMorduch
and
@RachelSchneider
0
41
84
"The male body is politically neutral, but the female body is sexualised, whether as sinful Eve or the Virgin Mary. It’s very difficult for a queen, as a woman, to find neutral political ground to stand on."
Helen Castor (
@hrcastor
) on Queens and Power.
5
26
86
Hannah Arendt was born
#OnThisDay
in 1906. Arendt biographer
@Samantharhill
talks us through Hannah Arendt's life and work—and suggests which books to read if we want to learn more about her and her ideas.
3
33
87
Aristotle, says Edith Hall, is "quite simply the most important intellectual who ever lived." Here are five key texts for understanding the great philosopher's life and work:
4
35
83
“It’s amazing that the two greatest philosophical novels written in English in the 19th century, Moby Dick and Middlemarch, come out of a preoccupation with Spinoza.”
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein (
@platobooktour
) recommends the Best Philosophical Novels
3
31
83
“Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world at the time, yet his wife was cheating on him, and his advisers who were treacherous”
@mpigliucci
recommends the five books that best express how stoicism might be applied to real life
2
28
84
NEW:
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books' philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects the best books on critical thinking.
@philosophybites
2
29
85
“Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world at the time, yet his wife was cheating on him, and his advisers who were treacherous”
@mpigliucci
recommends the five books that best express how stoicism might be applied to real life
0
21
85
"The male body is politically neutral, but the female body is sexualised, whether as sinful Eve or the Virgin Mary. It’s very difficult for a queen, as a woman, to find neutral political ground to stand on."
Helen Castor (
@hrcastor
) on Queens and Power.
0
18
85
“How would you introduce philosophy to someone who didn’t know anything about it?”
The best introductions to philosophy, a
#readinglist
by philosopher Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
).
1
24
86
NEW
"I’ve imagined other worlds beside ours for so long, I’ve genuinely forgotten what it’s like to live only in this one"
Samantha Shannon, author of the internationally bestselling The Bone Season series, selects the best mythopoeic fantasy books
1
18
84
“Julius Caesar is seen by many people as a very attractive figure—my own feeling is that he is actually much darker, verging on psychopathic.”
@holland_tom
on Ancient Rome:
2
18
85
At one point, the Persian polymath Avicenna’s influence outstripped that of Aristotle.
Philosophy in the Islamic World, a
#readinglist
by
@HistPhilosophy
:
2
29
80
What have been your comfort reads during the pandemic? Here are Neil Gaiman's (
@neilhimself
) to get us started.
4
14
81
“We make mistakes, classically, in being overly pessimistic about things that are changing in the world.”
@philosophybites
recommends five books that teach critical thinking skills:
1
34
83
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
), Five Books' philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects the best books on critical thinking.
0
32
80
"I asked myself what the books were that made me fall in love with Hannah Arendt as a thinker and which included her most beautiful writing"
@Samantharhill
talks to
@philosophybites
about the best books by (and about) Hannah Arendt:
2
28
83
“Violence has always been a source of inspiration for great dramatists and novelists, such as Homer, Shakespeare and Tolstoy”.
Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker (
@sapinker
) picks the best books on the decline of violence in the modern world.
1
29
79
NEW: "Economics is a very, very difficult subject"
@martinwolf_
@FT
recommends books to better understand the current state of the world economy:
Books by
@AdairTurnerUK
,
@adam_tooze
,
@DrDaronAcemoglu
,
@DAcemogluMIT
,
@delong
,
@rjg_gordon
0
20
83
NEW: The History of Science and Religion
Have science and religion been fundamentally at war throughout history? While a popular view, few historians believe so. Historian Peter Harrison (
@uqpharri
) looks at the complexity of science-religion interactions
0
34
81
NEW: Our annual roundup of the best philosophy books of 2019, as recommended by our philosophy editor,
@philosophybites
:
Books by
@philosofemme
,
@eschwitz
,
@ArmandDAngour
,
@Philip_Goff
and Andrew Hui.
2
38
80
Have science and religion been fundamentally at war throughout history? While a popular view, few historians believe so. Historian Peter Harrison (
@uqpharri
) looks at the complexity of science-religion interactions
…
3
32
79
Essential reading for understanding today's world — a list by (and interview with)
@georgemonbiot
:
3
33
80
Aristotle, says Edith Hall, is "quite simply the most important intellectual who ever lived." Here are five key texts for understanding the great philosopher's life and work:
2
25
74
"A human brain needs about 500 calories in a day. That is a very strict requirement. If you don’t eat enough calories your body will start breaking itself down to feed the brain first."
Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel
@suzanahh
on the human brain:
3
21
75
NEW: Great books to read on African American women's history, recommended by
@KeishaBlain
:
Books by
@TeraWHunter
,
@BarbaraRansby
,
@ErikSMcDuffie
and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham (
@Harvard_Press
)
3
45
80
NEW: “I’ve chosen books that I think are incredibly important and not too threatening to read if you haven’t studied philosophy formally” Our philosophy editor
@philosophybites
recommends some key texts in the Western philosophical canon:
5
26
78
RIP Milan Kundera (1929-2023). Books recommended on Five Books include more than just "The Unbearable Lightness of Being":
2
34
77
“No part of the criminal justice process—from police to the Crown Prosecution Service to legal aid to the courts to probation to the prisons—is sufficiently resourced to perform its functions safely and competently.” —
@BarristerSecret
0
17
76
"I agree that dehumanisation often has terrible effects. But it turns out as well that evil is often a result of recognising another’s humanity, which is pretty much the opposite of the usual view."
The best books on Cruelty and Evil by
@paulbloomatyale
5
25
78
NEW: "We wanted to question this idea of who counts as a philosopher and who has been traditionally recognized as a philosopher" Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton recommend the best philosophy books by women.
@ThePhiloQueens
@lisawhiting_
@RebeccaBuxton
3
27
76
The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness—how the physical matter of the brain produces the psychological phenomenon of consciousness—has dogged scientists for decades. But what if we've been posing the question incorrectly?
@philosophybites
with Susan Blackmore
1
22
77
NEW: “What we see is the process of disintegration of one of the last world empires”
@SPlokhy
, Professor of Ukrainian History
@Harvard
recommends the best books on Russia and Ukraine:
Books by Paul D'Anieri
@UCRiverside
, Serhy Yekelchyk
@UVicResearch
0
49
78
"If all our knowledge of the physical universe is an island and the ocean of the unknown lies beyond it, this book is an exploration of the shoreline."
@jimalkhalili
on his new book, The World According to Physics, and what inspired him:
@PrincetonUPress
2
19
74
"The laws of economics are as difficult to defy as the laws of physics" —
@LHSummers
. Former treasury secretary Larry Summers is one of many eminent economists who have contributed to our economics book recommendations:
19
19
78
NEWLY UPDATED: Recommendations from
@philosophybites
on the best books on critical thinking, with two new books:
@callin_bull
by
@CT_Bergstrom
and
@jevinwest
and
@TimHarford
's How to Make the World Add Up:
0
18
76
"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots ...whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty." Hannah Arendt.
@Samantharhill
on Arendt.
1
26
78
At one point, the Persian polymath Avicenna’s influence outstripped that of Aristotle.
Philosophy in the Islamic World, a
#readinglist
by
@HistPhilosophy
:
0
23
74
“We make mistakes, classically, in being overly pessimistic about things that are changing in the world.”
@philosophybites
recommends five books that teach critical thinking skills:
1
20
76
“How would you introduce philosophy to someone who didn’t know anything about it?”
The best introductions to philosophy, a
#readinglist
by philosopher Nigel Warburton (
@philosophybites
).
4
26
76