Library
Welcome to The School of Life Library. Here you will find a selection of ideas, thoughts and further resources arranged around the themes covered in our programme. Read our latest blog posts, get reading recommendations from our faculty, browse photos of recent events or watch past sessions online. You can browse by type of resource, or by subject. Simply click on a shelf heading to explore a range of items on that topic.
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The Craftsman by Richard SennettSearching inquiry into the nature of craftmanship. -
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A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel PinkLeading US thinker on what he calls the shift to the Conceptual... -
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How to be an Explorer of the World by Keri SmithA practical narrative that forces you to look at the world differently. -
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Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah LehrerNeuroscientist Lehrer explains the patterns and processes behind 'eureka!' moments. -
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The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan FletcherThe perfect coffee table book full of witty illustrations and musings. -
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12 Rules of Creativity by Michael AtavarGuides you through the basic principles of the creative process.
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Sad Book by Michael Rosen and Quentin BlakeA sparse and moving reflection on losing a son to meningitis. -
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Sum: Tales from the Afterlives by David EaglemanShows us forty possibilities of life beyond death. -
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Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son's Memoir by David RieffRieff's personal account of Susan Sontag’s last year of life. -
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My Last Sigh by Luis BunuelWitty semi- autobiographical story of the many lives of the surrealist filmmaker. -
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Seize the Day: How the dying teach us to live by Marie de HennezelThe best book about what we can learn from those working with the... -
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Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Dread of Death by Irvin YalomA classic look at death anxiety.
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The Shallows by Nicholas CarrAn elegant outline of concerns that digital technologies are altering the way we... -
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The Master Switch by Tim WuAn impressive history of technology and monopolies in the 20th century. -
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The Most Human Human: What Artificial Intelligence Teaches Us About Being Alive by Brian ChristianAn elegant, provocative meditation on what it uniquely means to be human. -
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How to Thrive in The Digital Age by Tom ChatfieldCan we live well with technology? -
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You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto by Jaron LanierA brief, brilliant manifesto by the father of virtual reality. -
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Alone Together by Sherry TurkleWhy we might be learning to expect more from technology and less from...
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The F*** You Up By Oliver JamesAn exhaustive study of our early years. -
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Are we related? The New Granta Book of the Family edited by Liz JobeyA recent compilation of factual and fiction writing about family. -
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The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand RussellA highly readable and provocative analysis of family happiness. -
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The Baby in the Mirror: A Child's World from Birth to Three by Charles FernyhoughOne of our founding faculty member's account of the first years of his... -
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Families and How to Survive Them by Robin Skynner and John CleeseA classic early guide to family therapy from family therapist and Monty Python... -
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Why do I love these people? by Po BronsonAttempting to decode the enigma of the thing we call 'family.'
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Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes by Robert KullWhat one man learned from living on a remote island. -
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How to Stay Sane by Philippa PerryEveryone accepts the importance of physical health: isn't it just as important to... -
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Solitude by Anthony StorrThis study challenges the widely-held view that success in personal relationships is the... -
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Flow by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiSeminal book about the virtues of absorbed engagement in activity. -
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Alone by Richard E. ByrdThe tale of Admiral Richard E. Byrd's six months alone near the bottom... -
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Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor FranklAustrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor on surviving the concentration camps.
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status anxiety by alain de bottonHow money and emotions intertwine to shape the direction of our lives. -
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The Undercover Economist by Tim HarfordLooking at familiar situations in unfamiliar ways. -
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How To Worry Less About Money by John ArmstrongCan money make us happy? -
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The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall FergusonFerguson writes superbly about the history of money. -
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Affluenza by Oliver JamesJames tells us that we are suffering from a virus called ‘affluenza.’ -
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Ways of Seeing by John BergerHow society and money culture shape the way we look at the... -
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Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain by George MonbiotA devastating indictment of the corruption at the heart of Britain.
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The Meaning of Friendship by Mark VernonAn exploration of the perils and promise of friendship. -
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Living alone and loving it by Barbara FeldonThis book celebrates the benefits of life without a partner. -
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How to Think More About Sex by Alain de BottonWe don’t think too much about sex; we’re merely thinking about it in... -
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Landscapes of Love by Diana IssidoridesGreat to spark your scribbling and reflections. -
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Philosophy of Love by Irving SingerUS philosophy professor examines the history of ideas of love through the... -
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Celebrating Time Alone: Stories of Splendid Solitude By Lionel FisherOften schmaltzy but occasionally revealing interviews. -
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Norwegian Wood by Haruki MurakamiA unique take on the wonders and terrors of love. -
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The Three Marriages by David WhyteA poet examines our three marriages with Mate, Work and Self.
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One Wild Life: A Journey to Discover People Who Change Our World by Clare MulvanyA series of interviews with change-makers and social entrepreneurs. -
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How To Change The World by John-Paul FlintoffWhat difference can you make in the world? -
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Rules for Radicals by Saul AlinskySeminal text about collective action. -
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Utopian Dreams by Tobias JonesAn interesting, fresh take on the attractions and perils of community-living. -
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The Interventionists: Users' Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Life by Nato Thompson and Gregory SholetteA well of inspiration for the practical application of community interventions. -
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Dead Aid: Why aid is not working and how there is another way for Africa by Dambisa MoyoControversial thesis for cutting international aid. -
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The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul CollierOne of the wisest voices around on how to deal with global...
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The Poems of Emily DickinsonArguably the greatest, modern literary explorer of spiritual yearning. -
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Religion for Atheists: A non-believer's guide to the uses of religion by Alain de BottonThe ultimate 'pic n' mix' guide for secular society. -
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A Book of Silence by Sara MaitlandRecounts this spiritual journeyer's search for silence. -
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How To Be An Agnostic by Mark VernonLooking at how science relates to meaning and how modern religion falls... -
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God is Back: How the Global Rise of Faith is Changing the World by John Micklethwait and Adrian WooldridgeThe editors of 'The Economist' survey the global religious scene. -
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How Are We To Live? by Peter SingerA guide by the philosopher who has particularly developed the notion of transcendent... -
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Finding Sanctuary by Christopher JamisonFor some spiritual practices and how to build a spiritual element in...
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The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de BottonAn insightful journey into the worlds of different occupations. -
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What Should I Do With My Life? by Po BronsonCase histories of people who sought to change their lives. -
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How To Find Fulfilling Work by Roman KrznaricCan you take your working life in new directions? -
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An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore ZeldinA history of human relationships crossing all cultures. -
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Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs TerkelReal people speak about their experiences of work. -
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Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia IbarraFascinating case studies of personal and professional reinventions. -
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Work and the Art of Living by Roman KrznaricDraws on Roman's personal experience of trying multiple jobs. -
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Let Your Life Speak by Parker PalmerShort, reflective essays on the nature of vocation.