Books like

Books like The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

12 books with a reading profile close to The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein. Outward-looking and clear-cut; a moderate read.

1

Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World

by Tom Wright

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Journalists Tom Wright and Bradley Hope document the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, centered on Jho Low, a financier who siphoned billions from a sovereign wealth fund.
2

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

by Beth Macy

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Beth Macy chronicles the rise of the opioid crisis within the Appalachian region, documenting how the aggressive marketing of OxyContin by Purdue Pharma ignited a public health disaster.
3

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Deborah Blum

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

In Jazz Age New York, poison was the perfect weapon because medical examiners lacked the chemical knowledge to detect it in human tissue.
4

Moneyball

by Michael Lewis

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Michael Lewis tracks the 2002 Oakland Athletics and their general manager, Billy Beane, as they attempt to compete against wealthy franchises on a restricted budget.
5

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

by Walter Isaacson

Also outward-looking · analytical, narrative

Walter Isaacson chronicles the development of CRISPR-Cas9, a tool that allows scientists to edit DNA by cutting and pasting genetic sequences.
6

The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy

by Michael Lewis

Also outward-looking · analytical, narrative

In this study of federal governance, Michael Lewis details the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, focusing on the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce.
7

The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

by Richard Dawkins

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Richard Dawkins assembles a cumulative case for biological evolution, positioning it as an established fact rather than a tentative hypothesis.
8

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

by Matthew Desmond

Also outward-looking · analytical, narrative

Matthew Desmond tracks eight families in Milwaukee as they navigate the private rental market, illustrating how eviction functions as a cause, rather than just a symptom, of poverty.
9

The science of Game of thrones

by Helen Keen

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, data driven

Helen Keen investigates the technical and historical realities behind George R.R.
10

Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany

by Norman Ohler

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Norman Ohler examines the pervasive use of Pervitin, a factory-produced methamphetamine, within the military and civilian sectors of the Third Reich.
11

Revenge of the Tipping Point

by Malcolm Gladwell

Also outward-looking and clear-cut · analytical, narrative

Twenty-five years after his first look at social epidemics, Malcolm Gladwell revisits how ideas and behaviors spread through populations.
12

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

by Mary Roach

Also outward-looking · narrative, data driven

Mary Roach investigates the legal and lethal intersections where wildlife violates human safety and property laws.

Get picks matched to your own reading on papr.

Get papr

Your library, beautifully understood.