Social Science bestsellers

The Anthropocene Reviewed

Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

By: John Green
Narrated by: John Green
Length: 10 hours 42 minutes

“I read this in hardcover but this is worth a listen just capture John Green's tone on all these subjects! Read more

The Serviceberry

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Length: 1 hour 56 minutes

“Read this, listen to this, let it touch your heart, and share it with others. This is the perfect gift - AND the print edition will keep running out of stock this season, so why not try the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. Fans of Braiding Sweetgrass will be satisfied here, and the small, unassuming size will attract a new audience to... Read more

The Message

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Narrated by: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Length: 5 hours 20 minutes

“Facts that make you feel. A must-read for so many reasons, but in particular if you haven't thought about Israel/Palestine in the last week. Read more

Kindred

By: Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Kim Staunton
Length: 10 hours 54 minutes

“A beautiful story of the complex heritage of Dana, a Black woman who mysteriously gets transported from the 1970s to the early 1800 antebellum south where she is faced with saving the white son of a plantation owner from drowning. Throughout, Dana journeys back and forth from present to past, and each of her stays in the past grows longer and... Read more

The Secret History of the Rape Kit

A True Crime Story

By: Pagan Kennedy
Narrated by: Claire Danes
Length: 5 hours 21 minutes

“What an incredible tale, so well written, great style and fascinating content. Wow, Marty Godddard, what a woman. Several notes, Pagan Kennedy has done so much research, has told the story in a compelling way and having Clare Danes narrate was a treat. This is my favourite non-fiction book I have ever read or listened too. I think we... Read more

Doppelganger

A Trip into the Mirror World

By: Naomi Klein
Narrated by: Naomi Klein
Length: 14 hours 47 minutes

“After constantly being mistaken for a right-wing extremist, the author takes a deep dive into the weird and frightening world of deep fakes,  conspiracy theories, anti vaxxers and more. Highly informative and occasionally deeply disturbing. This is a terrific book for anyone looking for a way out of the online jungle. Highly recommended Read more

Nexus

A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

By: Yuval Noah Harari
Narrated by: Vidish Athavale
Length: 17 hours 27 minutes

“Harari takes the listener through the history of human attempts to gather and organize information. Not a technical manual for AI but a historical context for what its place may be in history. Read more

Caste (Oprah's Book Club)

The Origins of Our Discontents

By: Isabel Wilkerson
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 15 hours 10 minutes

“Possibly one of the most important books I've read in the last decade. Caste examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America. Wondering how America came to this? This book has brutal, unflinching answers. Read more

All About Love

New Visions

By: bell hooks
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 6 hours 9 minutes

“There’s nothing I can say about bell hooks that hasn’t already been said. This book is excellent and did cause me to think about love in a different way. It’s beautifully-written and philosophically brilliant. Read more

How to Be an Antiracist

By: Ibram X. Kendi
Narrated by: Ibram X. Kendi
Length: 10 hours 29 minutes

“Among the multi-faceted array of antiracist literature newly published in the last two years, Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist stands alone as a definitive source of history and socio-political critique, while offering a new paradigm of thought aimed at paving the way for correcting centuries of social injustice. Hearing this visionary... Read more

Talking to Strangers

What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know

By: Malcolm Gladwell
Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
Length: 8 hours 57 minutes

“Fascinating! How and why we so frequently misinterpret the words, intentions, and sincerity of strangers. Computers, analyzing only information, are far better at judging someone’s guilt or innocence (and future behavior) than judges, psychologists, and witnesses. Based on our preconceptions of how people should behave in certain situations, the... Read more

Everything Is Tuberculosis

The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

By: John Green
Narrated by: John Green
Length: TBA

John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is... Read more

Cultish

The Language of Fanaticism

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
Length: 8 hours 21 minutes

“Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on Libro.fm. Entertaining, informative, and a must-read (listen to) for anyone interested in Cults, MLMs, Fitness, the English language... etc. Read more

The Age of Magical Overthinking

Notes on Modern Irrationality

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Amanda Montell
Length: 6 hours 5 minutes

“It's possible that Amanda Montell is the only sane and rational human being writing right now. Her voice is a balm for the ever-present existential burn of the present day, a cursed time filled with instant backlash feedback loops, bad-faith takes, constant content consumption and deep, deep loneliness. Montell's essays are insightful yet... Read more

The Warmth of Other Suns

The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

By: Isabel Wilkerson
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 22 hours 40 minutes

“I'm sorry I hadn't gotten to this sooner. Wilkerson pulls together so much of what I already knew about the US but not necessarily why... a great audiobook, too. Read more

The Six

The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts

By: Loren Grush
Narrated by: Inés del Castillo
Length: 11 hours 41 minutes

“This book was like a mini-biography of each of America's first six women astronauts. It was really uplifting to read about their professional successes especially at a time where women were not seen as equals to men in a scientific realm. A great addition to the library of anyone wanting to familiarize themselves with six heroic and courageous... Read more

This Changes Everything

A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don't Talk About

By: Tyler Merritt
Narrated by: Tyler Merritt, Jerrie Merritt, David Tieche & Dr. Marcus Tan
Length: 8 hours 59 minutes

A cancer diagnosis caused Tyler Merritt—beloved author of I Take My Coffee Black—to realize that there was no time for anger, unforgiveness, foolishness, or lost friendships. None of us have any time to waste.

When Tyler Merritt was diagnosed with cancer, everything he thought he knew about what mattered in life changed. Though he made it... Read more

Love in a F*cked-Up World

How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell, Together

By: Dean Spade
Narrated by: Dean Spade
Length: 7 hours 15 minutes

In this inspiring self-help handbook, a trans activist dares us to be the change we want to see—both out in the world, and amongst our closest connections.

Lifelong activist and educator Dean Spade dares us to decide that our interpersonal actions are not separate from our politics of liberation and resistance. Many activist projects and... Read more

Come As You Are: Revised and Updated

The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life

By: Emily Nagoski
Narrated by: Emily Nagoski
Length: 11 hours 29 minutes

A revised and updated edition of Emily Nagoski’s game-changing New York Times bestseller Come As You Are, featuring new information and research on mindfulness, desire, and pleasure that will radically transform your sex life.

For much of the 20th and 21st centuries, women’s sexuality was an uncharted territory in science, studied far less... Read more

How to Say Babylon

A Memoir

By: Safiya Sinclair
Narrated by: Safiya Sinclair
Length: 16 hours 46 minutes

“Jamaican-born poet Safiya Sinclair’s memoir about growing up in a strict Rastafarian household is one of the most powerful stories I have experienced in a long time. I learned so much about Jamaica, Rastafarianism, and this extraordinary woman listening to How to Say Babylon. Sinclair’s exquisite prose, heard in her own voice is ravishing. Her... Read more

Poverty, by America

By: Matthew Desmond
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 5 hours 40 minutes

“Matthew Desmond, best selling author of Evicted, is back to examine the causes of poverty in America. Since the Johnson Administration in the 1960s, the American government has waged war on poverty. Vast amounts of money are spent annually fighting poverty, but poverty seems to be an entrenched part of American society. Desmond argues and... Read more

Cue the Sun!

The Invention of Reality TV

By: Emily Nussbaum
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 15 hours 11 minutes

“Are you low-key fascinated by reality tv? This is the book for you! It follows unscripted television from its game-show-type origins all the way up to today. It's a big part of our culture so I think it's great someone is studying it with such detail. Read more

Burnout

The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

By: Emily Nagoski, PhD & Amelia Nagoski, DMA
Narrated by: Emily Nagoski, PhD & Amelia Nagoski, DMA
Length: 7 hours 1 minute

“Working in an industry I’m super passionate about makes it REALLY hard to set healthy boundaries. When I’m not promoting books, I’m reading them. When I’m not on a Zoom call with an author, I’m stalking their #bookstagram profiles online. Books all day every day! The Nagoski siblings are two of my favorite nonfiction authors. They know how to... Read more

Unmasking Autism

Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

By: Devon Price, PhD
Narrated by: Devon Price, PhD
Length: 9 hours 51 minutes

A deep dive into the spectrum of Autistic experience and the phenomenon of masked Autism, giving individuals the tools to safely uncover their true selves while broadening society’s narrow understanding of neurodiversity

“A remarkable work that will stand at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement.”—Barry M. Prizant, PhD, CCC-SLP, author of... Read more

You Didn't Hear This From Me

(Mostly) True Notes on Gossip

By: Kelsey McKinney
Narrated by: Kelsey McKinney
Length: 7 hours 14 minutes

“Gossip is the only cultural tradition I care about, and Kelsey McKinney has written its Bible” – Samantha Irby, #1 NYT bestselling author

From the host of the Normal Gossip podcast, a delightfully insightful exploration of our obsession with gossip that weaves together journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir.

As the pandemic forced us to... Read more

Revenge of the Tipping Point

Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering

By: Malcolm Gladwell
Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
Length: 8 hours 25 minutes

“Fun return to the Tipping Point. The audio version is great and includes some interesting interviews. Read more

What If We Get It Right?

Visions of Climate Futures

By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Narrated by: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Ayisha Siddiqa, Jacqueline Woodson & Steve Connell
Length: 21 hours 54 minutes

“An excellent book about various aspects of climate change: scientific, social, political. Author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson recorded all of her interviews, so each one is in the interviewee’s own voice. I learned a lot about the work different activists are doing around climate! Johnson also shares actionable advice to help the reader learn what... Read more

The Dawn of Everything

A New History of Humanity

By: David Graeber & David Wengrow
Narrated by: Mark Williams
Length: 24 hours 19 minutes

“In this brilliant and sometimes funny reexamination of human history, the authors argue that we are less free than our ancestors, and that it was not inevitable "progress" that brought us here. Using evidence from the last few decades of archeology, the authors contend that the centralization of power in the hands of a few was often avoided in... Read more

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning

By: Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Narrated by: Jason Reynolds
Length: 4 hours 11 minutes

“Inspiring the next generation of antiracists, Jason Reynolds’ remix of Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning is outstanding. This accessible book for young readers is read in Reynolds’ laid back voice, with transitions between chapters delightfully filled with hip hop. Reynolds’ voice also shines through in the text, which he adapts to be... Read more

The Gifts of Imperfection: 10th Anniversary Edition

Features a new foreword

By: Brené Brown
Narrated by: Brené Brown
Length: 4 hours 31 minutes

“When I first heard of this book, I waved it off. I was 30, and the title sounded too self-helpy and didn't seem relevant to my life. By the time I reached the ripe old age of 40, the book was about to hit its tenth anniversary and Brené Brown was not just a household name but someone whose books, podcast, and talks have influenced me and... Read more

Christmas and Other Horrors

An Anthology of Solstice Horror

By: Ellen Datlow
Narrated by: Carrie Coello & Andrew J. Andersen
Length: 13 hours 9 minutes

“Just how well do you truly know the myths and legends surrounding this time of year? I’m not talking about the Jolly Old Elf. We’ve heard plenty enough of those stories. No, what I’m talking about are the old stories of the Winter Solstice – tales that retain a foothold upon the darkest corners of the human psyche to this day. Tales that... Read more

I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself

One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris

By: Glynnis MacNicol
Narrated by: Glynnis MacNicol
Length: 7 hours 15 minutes

“A delight, the literary equivalent of a long catch-up with a brilliant friend.” —New York Times

“One of the most talked-about books of the year.” —Gayle King

When you’re a woman of a certain age, you are only promised that everything will get worse. But what if everything you’ve been told is a lie?

Come to Paris, August 2021, when the City of... Read more

Ace

What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex

By: Angela Chen
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 7 hours 43 minutes

“This book is an eye-opening collection of personal testimonies, research, and history about asexuality, and to a lesser extent, aromanticism. Whether you are new to learning about asexuality or are asexual yourself, by the end of the book you will have a richer and multifaceted understanding of ace identity and experience. Read more

White Fragility

Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

By: Dr. Robin DiAngelo
Narrated by: Amy Landon
Length: 6 hours 20 minutes

The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.

In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white... Read more

The 1619 Project

A New Origin Story

By: Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman & Jake Silverstein
Narrated by: Nikole Hannah-Jones & Full Cast
Length: 18 hours 56 minutes

“This new landmark work of U.S. history, criticism, and art is forged of 18 essays that consider the relevance of slavery to contemporary America through the prism of such subjects as capitalism, music, and healthcare and poems and fiction that focus on key moments in the oppression, resistance, and liberation of Black people in America. Riveting... Read more

Wild Faith

How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America

By: Talia Lavin
Narrated by: Talia Lavin
Length: 9 hours 45 minutes

The acclaimed author of Culture Warlords investigates the rise of the Christian Right over the last half-century that lays out the grim vision evangelicals are enforcing on our democracy.

All across America, a storm is gathering: from book bans in school libraries to anti-trans laws in state legislatures; firebombings of abortion clinics and... Read more

ADHD for Smart Ass Women

How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain

By: Tracy Otsuka
Narrated by: Tracy Otsuka
Length: 7 hours 33 minutes

An unprecedented guide for any woman with ADHD looking to celebrate her unique brilliance and to embark on a journey of self-discovery.ADHD is one of the most common neurological disor­ders in the United States—yet a staggering 75 percent of girls and women remain undiagnosed. Due to the gen­der gap in medical research, which does not account... Read more

There's Always This Year

On Basketball and Ascension

By: Hanif Abdurraqib
Narrated by: Hanif Abdurraqib
Length: 8 hours 40 minutes

“You need not be a basketball aficionado to have your heart profoundly captured by this incredible work of nonfiction. Part cultural commentary and part memoir, Abdurraqib's writing is poetic and distinct, making you feel like you are watching a cherished friend perform spoken word. Structured like the four quarters of a basketball game,... Read more

"You Just Need to Lose Weight"

And 19 Other Myths About Fat People

Myths Made in America

By: Aubrey Gordon
Narrated by: Aubrey Gordon
Length: 7 hours 10 minutes

“Aubrey Gordon is one of the leading voices in the fat activist movement and I consider myself lucky to read her words (and listen to her podcast with Michael Hobbs called Maintenance Phase). If you want to be a better person and deprogram yourself from the weight-obsessed culture American life is steeped in, read both her books and listen to the... Read more

Fire Weather

A True Story from a Hotter World

By: John Vaillant
Narrated by: Alan Carlson
Length: 14 hours 17 minutes

“Fire Weather is a gripping masterpiece of climate change journalism. On its face, it tells the haunting story of the burning of Fort McMurray in British Columbia in 2016, and the frantic evacuation of 80,000 people from the region’s largest tar oil boom city. The deeply personal stories he unearths about the fire are terrifying, but Vaillant... Read more

Between the World and Me

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Narrated by: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Length: 3 hours 35 minutes

“In this short and powerful book, Coates writes to his 15-year old son about his experience of being a black man in America. Cannot recommend enough! Read more

An African History of Africa

From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence

By: Zeinab Badawi
Narrated by: Zeinab Badawi
Length: 15 hours 31 minutes

Already a major international bestseller, Zeinab Badawi’s sweeping and much-needed survey of African history traces the continent’s extraordinary legacy from prehistory to the present from the African perspective.“Equal parts gripping and galvanizing. . . . Researched across more than 30 countries, it brings the dazzling civilizations of... Read more

Solito

A Memoir

By: Javier Zamora
Narrated by: Javier Zamora
Length: 17 hours 8 minutes

“Solito follows the journey of nine-year-old Javier Zamora, a boy from El Salvador, as he attempts to cross into the United States on his own. Though Zamora is supported and loved by his family in El Salvador, they are unable to make the voyage with him, meaning that he must face the challenges and unfamiliar terrain with a group of strangers... Read more

How to Know a Person

The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

By: David Brooks
Narrated by: David Brooks
Length: 7 hours 27 minutes

“Brooks went from zero to hero in my mind. His deep research and obvious self-reflection glows in this book. I not only have new terminology to grapple with people who don't listen, but also used his story telling inquiry for richer conversations with my family. Read more

Stolen Focus

Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again

By: Johann Hari
Narrated by: Johann Hari
Length: 10 hours 21 minutes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening—and how to get our attention back.

“The book the world needs in order to win the war on distraction.”—Adam Grant, author of Think Again

“Read this book to... Read more

It Begins with You

The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life

By: Jillian Turecki
Narrated by: Jillian Turecki
Length: 8 hours 5 minutes

The beloved relationship coach, teacher, and host of the top relationship podcast Jillian on Love reveals nine core truths about love and self-acceptance and provides powerful self-healing techniques and strategies to help us repair our relationship with ourselves and start building the rewarding relationships we deserve.Jillian Turecki’s... Read more

Mood Machine

The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist

By: Liz Pelly
Narrated by: Liz Pelly
Length: 11 hours 50 minutes

An unsparing investigation into Spotify’s origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is reshaping music for listeners and artists alike.

Drawing on over one hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians, Mood Machine takes us to... Read more

Rest Is Resistance

A Manifesto

Rest Is Resistance: Book #1

By: Tricia Hersey
Narrated by: Tricia Hersey
Length: 5 hours 26 minutes

Disrupt and push back against capitalism and white supremacy by connecting to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, encourages us to elevate rest as a form of resistance and a divine human right.

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too... Read more

How the Word Is Passed

A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

By: Clint Smith
Narrated by: Clint Smith
Length: 10 hours 6 minutes

“Smith has crafted a resource, narrative and detailed explanation into how we teach the legacy of slavery. He recounts visits from everywhere from NYC to the Whitney Plantation, integrating stories of people and visitors today. This book is lays a beautiful written foundation for interrogating the history we've been taught. Particularly... Read more

Hood Feminism

Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot

By: Mikki Kendall
Narrated by: Mikki Kendall
Length: 6 hours 57 minutes

“Hood Feminism touches on many subjects that mainstream feminists may not think of as feminist issues. Issues like food and housing insecurity, parenting, and disability rights, among others. Mikki Kendall calls out mainstream feminism as existing only for the advancement of white women, to the detriment of women of color. Some of my biggest... Read more