Back to School for Adults

You may not be headed back to school this year, but that doesn’t mean you’ve stopped learning!

Updated July 28, 2024
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They came for the schools : one town's fight over race and identity, and the new war for America's classrooms
Hixenbaugh, Mike
Paper Book
The urgent, revelatory story of how a school board win for the conservative right in one Texas suburb inspired a Christian nationalist campaign now threatening to undermine public education in America--from an NBC investigative reporter and co-creator of the Peabody Award-winning...
You're not done yet : parenting young adults in an age of uncertainty
Hibbs, B. Janet
Paper Book
A clear-eyed, optimistic guide for parents with adult children who need help navigating the challenges to launching an independent life. Times were already tough for young adults looking for ways to start living independent lives after high school and college: rents were up,...
Let's talk about aging parents : a real-life guide to solving problems with 27 essential conversations
Tamblyn Watts, Laura
Paper Book
Age-proofing an older relative's living space, figuring out powers of attorney, spotting and dealing with signs of dementia, asking them to give up the car keys or consider assisted living . . . the first step toward tackling these concerns and more is an honest, informed discussion. Here...
We refuse to forget : a true story of Black Creeks, American identity, and power
Gayle, Caleb
Paper Book
Caleb Gayle tells the story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full members. A chief named Cow Tom - a former Black slave - created a treaty with the U.S. government which recognized Creek citizenship for its Black members. This...
An immense world : how animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us
Yong, Ed
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A "thrilling" (The New York Times), "dazzling" (The Wall Street Journal) tour of the radically different ways that animals perceive the world that will fill you with wonder and forever alter your perspective, by Pulitzer Prize-winning science...
21 lessons for the 21st century
Harari, Yuval N.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In Sapiens, he explored our past. In Homo Deus, he looked to our future. Now, one of the world's most innovative thinkers explores what it means to be human in an age of bewilderment. "Fascinating . . . a...
Palaces for the people : how social infrastructure can help fight inequality, polarization, and the decline of civic life
Klinenberg, Eric
Paper Book
"A comprehensive, entertaining, and compelling argument for how rebuilding social infrastructure can help heal divisions in our society and move us forward."--Jon Stewart NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * "Engaging."--Mayor Pete Buttigieg, The New York...
Educated : a memoir
Westover, Tara
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER * One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University
The family : the secret fundamentalism at the heart of American power
Sharlet, Jeff
Paper Book
Inspiration for the Netflix Documentary Series "Of all the important studies of the American right, The Family is undoubtedly the most eloquent. It is also quite possibly the most terrifying."  -- Thomas Frank, New York Times bestselling author of What's the Matter with...
The warmth of other suns : the epic story of America's great migration
Wilkerson, Isabel.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER * TIME'S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE * ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S FIVE BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY   "A brilliant and stirring epic . . . Ms. Wilkerson does for the...
A little devil in America : notes in praise of black performance
Abdurraqib, Hanif
Paper Book
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * A sweeping, genre-bending "masterpiece" (Minneapolis Star Tribune) exploring Black art, music, and culture in all their glory and complexity--from Soul Train, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Whitney...
Winners take all : the elite charade of changing the world
Giridharadas, Anand
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling, groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite's efforts to "change the world" preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve. An essential read for understanding some of the egregious abuses...
Your journey to financial freedom : a step-by-step guide to achieving wealth and happiness
Souffrant, Jamila
Paper Book
*A Next Big Idea Club December 2023 Must-Read* Podcaster Jamila Souffrant shows how to skyrocket your savings, blast through debt and ultimately accelerate your unique and truly epic journey to financial freedom and independence Our fast-paced...
The last palace : Europe's turbulent century in five lives and one legendary house
Eisen, Norman L.
Paper Book
A sweeping yet intimate narrative about the last hundred years of turbulent European history, as seen through one of Mitteleuropa's greatest houses--and the lives of its occupants   When Norman Eisen moved into the US ambassador's residence in Prague, returning to the land...
All that she carried : the journey of Ashley's sack, a black family keepsake
Miles, Tiya
Paper Book
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A renowned historian traces the life of a single object handed down through three generations of Black women to craft a "deeply layered and insightful" (The Washington Post) testament to people who are left out...
The poison squad : one chemist's single-minded crusade for food safety at the turn of the twentieth century
Blum, Deborah
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book  From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for...
This is your mind on plants
Pollan, Michael
Paper Book
The instant New York Times bestseller | A Washington Post Notable Book | One of NPR's Best Books of the Year "Expert storytelling . . . [Pollan] masterfully elevates a series of big questions about drugs, plants and humans that are likely to leave readers thinking in...
Schooled : a love letter to the exhausting, infuriating, occasionally excruciating yet somehow completely wonderful profession of teaching
Jankowski, Stephanie
Paper Book
In this snarky essay collection, former high school English instructor Stephanie Jankowski reveals everything your education degree doesn't prepare you for about being a teacher. New and experienced educators alike will laugh and commiserate with Stephanie's blunt, no-holds-barred commentary, which...
How to ADHD : an insider's guide to working with your brain (not against it)
McCabe, Jessica
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In this honest, friendly, and shame-free guide, the creator of the award-winning YouTube channel How to ADHD shares the hard-won insights and practical strategies that have helped her survive, even thrive, in a world not built for her brain. ...
Your turn : how to be an adult
Lythcott-Haims, Julie
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims is back with a groundbreakingly frank guide to being a grown-up What does it mean to be an adult? In the twentieth century, psychologists came up with five markers of adulthood: finish your education, get a...
You need a budget : the proven system for breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, getting out of debt, and living the life you want
Mecham, Jesse
Paper Book
Wall Street Journal Bestseller "Jesse Mecham has achieved the impossible: a book on budgeting that is fascinating, entertaining, and practical. Read this book, follow his advice, then watch your bank account grow and your financial worries fade." --Josh Kaufman,...
Emotional : how feelings shape our thinking
Mlodinow, Leonard
Paper Book
We've all been told that thinking rationally is the key to success. But at the cutting edge of science, researchers are discovering that feeling is every bit as important as thinking in this "lively exposé of the growing consensus about the limited power of rationality and decision-making"...
Indecent advances : a hidden history of true crime and prejudice before Stonewall
Polchin, James
Paper Book
Edgar Award finalist, Best Fact Crime American Masters (PBS), "1 of 5 Essential Culture Reads" One of CrimeReads' "Best True Crime Books of the Year" "A fast-paced, meticulously researched, thoroughly engaging (and often infuriating) look-see into the...
Caliban and the witch
Federici, Silvia.
Paper Book
Literary Nonfiction. CALIBAN AND THE WITCH is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch-hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction. She...
The mosquito : a human history of our deadliest predator
Winegard, Timothy C.
Paper Book
**The instant New York Times bestseller.** *An international bestseller.* "Hugely impressive, a major work."--NPR A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing...
Romaine wasn't built in a day : the delightful history of food language
Tschann, Judith
Paper Book
"A truly delightful smorgasbord of history and linguistics that kept us entertained--and made us hungry." --Apple Books "Scrumptious...This book was meant to be devoured." --Roy Peter Clark, author of Murder Your Darlings...
Sapiens : a brief history of humankind
Harari, Yuval N.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller * New York Times Readers' Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century * The Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama and Bill Gates Official U.S. edition with full color illustrations throughout. From renowned historian Yuval Noah Harari...
In defense of witches : the legacy of the witch hunts and why women are still on trial
Chollet, Mona
Paper Book
Mona Chollet's In Defense of Witches is a "brilliant, well-documented" celebration (Le Monde) by an acclaimed French feminist of the witch as a symbol of female rebellion and independence in the face of misogyny and persecution. Centuries after the infamous witch...
Success through failure : the paradox of design
Petroski, Henry.
Paper Book
Design pervades our lives. Everything from drafting a PowerPoint presentation to planning a state-of-the-art bridge embodies this universal human activity. But what makes a great design? In this compelling and wide-ranging look at the essence of invention, distinguished engineer and author Henry...
The Earth transformed : an untold history
Frankopan, Peter
Paper Book
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * A revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development--and demise--of civilizations across time Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as...
Mott Street : a Chinese American family's story of exclusion and homecoming
Chin, Ava
Paper Book
"Essential reading for understanding not just Chinese American history but American history--and the American present." --Celeste Ng, #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere * TIME 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 * San Francisco...
Existential physics : a scientist's guide to life's biggest questions
Hossenfelder, Sabine
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "An informed and entertaining guide to what science can and cannot tell us." --The Wall Street Journal "Stimulating . . . encourage[s] readers to push past well-trod assumptions [...] and have fun doing so." --Science Magazine...
The greatest invention : a history of the world in nine mysterious scripts
Ferrara, Silvia
Paper Book
In this exhilarating celebration of human ingenuity and perseverance--published all around the world--a trailblazing Italian scholar sifts through our cultural and social behavior in search of the origins of our greatest invention: writing. ...
A brief history of Earth : four billion years in eight chapters
Knoll, Andrew H.
Paper Book
Harvard's acclaimed geologist "charts Earth's history in accessible style" (AP) "A sublime chronicle of our planet." -Booklist, STARRED review How well do you know the ground beneath your feet  Odds are, where you're standing was once cooking...
Eureka! : 50 scientists who shaped human history
Grant, John
Paper Book
Galileo, Einstein, Curie, Darwin, Hawking--we know the names, but how much do we really know about these people? Galileo gained notoriety over his battle with the Vatican, but did you know that this "father of modern science" was also an accomplished lute player? And...
The secret history of home economics : how trailblazing women harnessed the power of home and changed the way we live
Dreilinger, Danielle
Paper Book
The term "home economics" may conjure traumatic memories of lopsided hand-sewn pillows or sunken muffins. But common conception obscures the story of the revolutionary science of better living. The field exploded opportunities for women in the twentieth century by reducing domestic work and...
All the sh*t you should have learned : a digestible re-education in science, math, literature, history...and all the other important crap
Kleinman, Paul
Paper Book
If you've forgotten a thing or two since school, now you can go from knowing jack sh*t to knowing your sh*t in no time! This highly entertaining, useful and fun trivia book fills the gaps, offering hundreds of bite-sized facts about history, grammar, math, and more! Get ready to...
Making numbers count : the art and science of communicating numbers
Heath, Chip
Paper Book
A clear, practical, first-of-its-kind guide to communicating and understanding numbers and data--from bestselling business author Chip Heath. How much bigger is a billion than a million? Well, a million seconds is twelve days. A billion seconds is...thirty-two years....
The Constitution explained : a guide for every American
Hudson, David L.
Paper Book
The United States Constitution is a short document, and it is written in general language, which leaves much of the meaning unwritten and open to interpretation. Dig into this important document and watershed in the history of governments! ...
How to speak any language fluently
Rawlings, Alex
Paper Book
This book will give you the skills to learn to speak any language with confidence. It uses techniques that can easily be incorporated into your daily life, while making use of whatever resources you have available. Whether you are starting out with your first foreign language or...

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