100 books like Aftershock

By Jessie Gruman,

Here are 100 books that Aftershock fans have personally recommended if you like Aftershock. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death

Susannah Fox Author Of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care

From my list on defend yourself U.S. health care system.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m not a clinician, but friends often ask for my advice when they get sick or need help caring for a loved one. I’ve spent nearly 25 years mapping the terrain created by innovative patients, survivors, and caregivers, the rebels of medical care. I’m also a caregiver to elders. Along the way, I’ve collected books to loan when someone facing a health challenge asks me, “What do I do now?” Each of these five books was written for when you find yourself in the healthcare maze and need to borrow courage, sharpen your senses, and navigate as best you can.

Susannah's book list on defend yourself U.S. health care system

Susannah Fox Why did Susannah love this book?

My mom and I are competing to see who can give away more copies of this book; we love it that much. Both of us have been bedside caregivers for dying relatives and have seen firsthand how beautiful that process can be if people are prepared.

I love how the book is designed with nice, large print, lovely illustrations, and little snacks of insight sprinkled throughout in boxes and “fast facts.” This book is the essential What to Expect When You’re Expecting–but for death.

By Bj Miller, Shoshana Berger,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked A Beginner's Guide to the End as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A gentle, knowledgeable guide to a fate we all share” (The Washington Post): the first and only all-encompassing action plan for the end of life.

“There is nothing wrong with you for dying,” hospice physician B.J. Miller and journalist and caregiver Shoshana Berger write in A Beginner’s Guide to the End. “Our ultimate purpose here isn’t so much to help you die as it is to free up as much life as possible until you do.”

Theirs is a clear-eyed and big-hearted action plan for approaching the end of life, written to help readers feel more in control of an…


Book cover of The Long COVID Survival Guide: Stories and Advice from Twenty Long-Haulers and Experts

Susannah Fox Author Of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care

From my list on defend yourself U.S. health care system.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m not a clinician, but friends often ask for my advice when they get sick or need help caring for a loved one. I’ve spent nearly 25 years mapping the terrain created by innovative patients, survivors, and caregivers, the rebels of medical care. I’m also a caregiver to elders. Along the way, I’ve collected books to loan when someone facing a health challenge asks me, “What do I do now?” Each of these five books was written for when you find yourself in the healthcare maze and need to borrow courage, sharpen your senses, and navigate as best you can.

Susannah's book list on defend yourself U.S. health care system

Susannah Fox Why did Susannah love this book?

The COVID-19 virus swept across the world like a hurricane, and 20 survivors of the storm gathered to share the lessons they had learned.

I love how this book centers on the experiences of people living with Long Covid who not only point out the inequities of our health systems but also give practical advice about getting a diagnosis, navigating care, asking for help, and contributing to research.

You don’t have to have Long Covid to benefit. Their wise advice applies to everyone.

By Fiona Lowenstein (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Long COVID Survival Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first patient-to-patient guide for people living with Long COVID - with expert advice and an afterword by the leading research scientist.

For people living with Long COVID, navigating the uncharted territory of this new chronic illness can be challenging. With over two hundred unique symptoms, and with doctors continuing to work toward a cure, people experiencing Long COVID are often left with more questions than answers.
A support group in book form, The Long COVID Survival Guide is here to help. Twenty contributors - from award-winning journalists, neuroscientists, and patient-researchers to corporate strategists, activists, and artists - share their…


Book cover of The Caregiver's Encyclopedia: A Compassionate Guide to Caring for Older Adults

Susannah Fox Author Of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care

From my list on defend yourself U.S. health care system.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m not a clinician, but friends often ask for my advice when they get sick or need help caring for a loved one. I’ve spent nearly 25 years mapping the terrain created by innovative patients, survivors, and caregivers, the rebels of medical care. I’m also a caregiver to elders. Along the way, I’ve collected books to loan when someone facing a health challenge asks me, “What do I do now?” Each of these five books was written for when you find yourself in the healthcare maze and need to borrow courage, sharpen your senses, and navigate as best you can.

Susannah's book list on defend yourself U.S. health care system

Susannah Fox Why did Susannah love this book?

Caring for an aging relative is an incredible honor and, let’s be honest, an incredible burden. When I became the caregiver for an elder cousin, this book gave me the information and tools I needed to get him the best care possible and then, in the end, to spring him from the hospital so he could die at home, as he wished.

This is very much a medical guide written by a physician specializing in geriatrics and palliative care, and I love the detail she provides on both chronic and acute illnesses, as well as how to choose a care facility. 

By Muriel R. Gillick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Caregiver's Encyclopedia as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An indispensable, comprehensive reference for family caregivers.

Caregivers hold the key to the health, well-being, and happiness of their aging relatives, partners, or friends. The Caregiver's Encyclopedia provides you with all of the information you need to take the best care of your loved one-from making major medical decisions to making sure you don't burn out.

Written by Muriel R. Gillick, MD, a geriatrician with more than 30 years' experience caring for older people, this book highlights the importance of understanding your friend's or family member's overall health. With compassion and expertise, this book will help you "think like a…


Book cover of Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe

Susannah Fox Author Of Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care

From my list on defend yourself U.S. health care system.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m not a clinician, but friends often ask for my advice when they get sick or need help caring for a loved one. I’ve spent nearly 25 years mapping the terrain created by innovative patients, survivors, and caregivers, the rebels of medical care. I’m also a caregiver to elders. Along the way, I’ve collected books to loan when someone facing a health challenge asks me, “What do I do now?” Each of these five books was written for when you find yourself in the healthcare maze and need to borrow courage, sharpen your senses, and navigate as best you can.

Susannah's book list on defend yourself U.S. health care system

Susannah Fox Why did Susannah love this book?

Speak up. Ask questions. Be the squeaky wheel. Your life or the life of someone you love may depend on it. That’s the message of Josie’s Story. I could not put this book down even as I had to steel myself to turn the page sometimes, knowing that a tragedy caused by a medical error was at the heart of it.

Grief, the unreleased love for a child, compelled the author to demand–and accomplish–systemic change that has saved lives. Read it, weep, and know that you, too, have the power to shift the axis of medical care.

By Sorrel King,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Josie's Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ninety-eight thousand people die every year from medical errors, making it a leading cause of death in the United States, but the subject has long been taboo. All that changed with Josie. Sorrel King's eighteen-month-old daughter was badly burned by a faulty water heater in the family's new home, but was taken to the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she made a remarkable recovery. But as she was preparing to leave, the hospital's system of communication broke down and Josie was given a fatal shot of methadone, sending her into cardiac arrest. Within forty-eight hours, the King family went from…


Book cover of Throughput Economics: Making Good Management Decisions

Uwe Techt Author Of Projects That Flow

From my list on speed for multiple projects.

Why am I passionate about this?

Business development and projects have fascinated me since my studies and my first experiences in companies. Time and again, I think I have understood what it's really all about... and shortly thereafter, completely new insights emerge that challenge previously perceived assumptions and thus enable leaps in performance. This is sometimes exhausting, but I wouldn't want to miss this path of development! Today I help management teams to improve their business results quickly and sustainably by guiding them to question assumptions, find new perspectives and thereby enable performance leaps.

Uwe's book list on speed for multiple projects

Uwe Techt Why did Uwe love this book?

Everyone realizes that the economic leverage from "doing the right projects" can be even greater than "doing the projects faster." Only how should the selection be made sensibly? In addition: If we want to work flow and be bottleneck-oriented, we always come up against the limits of the usual key figures and target world in companies, e.g. the paradigm "everyone must be busy all the time." With Throughput Economics I finally had the tools at my disposal to be able to work on both questions in a target-oriented way with a management team. I am very grateful to the authors!

By Eli Schragenheim, Henry Camp, Rocco Surace

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Throughput Economics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Schragenheim, Camp and Surace, three leaders of TOC community, are tackling one of value destroyers of corporations-the misuse and abuse of traditional cost accounting. This book develops a practical methodology for better decision making by looking at the impact of certain types of decisions on a company's bottom line. This well-defined methodology allows mid-managers, higher level managers and financial staff to create real value by concentrating on what truly matters."
Boaz Ronen, Professor Emeritus, Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

"Throughput Economics is a must read for entrepreneurs and managers who want to make their organizations…


Book cover of Winning Decisions: Getting It Right the First Time

Michael A. Roberto Author Of Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus

From my list on decision making.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been studying how leaders and their teams make complex decisions for the past 25 years. As a professor, I am passionate about teaching students and managers. My published work includes three books, as well as numerous best-selling management case studies. I have served on the faculty at Bryant University in Rhode Island for the past 16 years, and prior to that, I served on the faculty at Harvard Business School for 6 years. 

Michael's book list on decision making

Michael A. Roberto Why did Michael love this book?

I found Russo & Schoemaker’s book to be a useful, practical, step-by-step guide for refining the way I make decisions. They inspired me to think about why I make flawed choices at times, as well as why the teams on which I work might stumble as well. In my work, I’ve been able to then employ some of the techniques they describe for overcoming various decision-making biases and obstacles. As you read the book, you will find tips that you can use right away in your personal lives and professional work.

By J. Edward Russo, Paul J.H. Schoemaker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Winning Decisions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Business revolves around making decisions, often risky decisions, usually with incomplete information and too often in less time than we need. Executives at every level, in every industry, are confronted with information overload, less leeway for mistakes, and a business environment that changes rapidly. In light of this increased pressure and volatility, the old-fashioned ways of making decisions–depending on intuition, common sense, and specialized expertise–are simply no longer sufficient. Distilling over thirty years of groundbreaking research, Winning Decisions, written by two seasoned business advisers and world leaders in behavioral decision studies, is a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind guide to the proven methods…


Book cover of The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing

John M. Jennings Author Of The Uncertainty Solution: How to Invest with Confidence in the Face of the Unknown

From my list on novices to learn about investing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve long been fascinated by money and wealth and people’s relationship to them. I started my career as an estate planning attorney and then broadened my expertise to investing. I know that investing can seem scary due to the complexity of the financial markets and the overwhelming amount of investment products and strategies. But successful investing doesn’t have to be hard or scary. With the proper guidance, anyone can embark on a strategy of creating wealth through investing. Reading the right book is a good first step in the right direction.

John's book list on novices to learn about investing

John M. Jennings Why did John love this book?

The Success Equation is my favorite investment book.

In it, Mauboussin tackles a significant question in investing: to what extent can investment results be attributed to skill versus luck? Mauboussin introduces the skill-luck continuum to explain this, with competitions like chess and running races being at the skill end and games like roulette and slot machines being at the luck end.

Sports such as football and basketball are closer to the skill side, while investing is closer to the luck side. Using this model, Mauboussin provides useful tools for evaluating investment opportunities while considering skill and luck. 

By Michael J. Mauboussin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Success Equation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Much of what we experience in life results from a combination of skill and luck." -- From the Introduction The trick, of course, is figuring out just how many of our successes (and failures) can be attributed to each--and how we can learn to tell the difference ahead of time. In most domains of life, skill and luck seem hopelessly entangled. Different levels of skill and varying degrees of good and bad luck are the realities that shape our lives--yet few of us are adept at accurately distinguishing between the two. Imagine what we could accomplish if we were able…


Book cover of Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen

Mary Stewart Author Of Creative Inquiry: From Ideation to Implementation

From my list on for cultivating creativity.

Why am I passionate about this?

Trained as an artist, through my work as a college professor I became committed to helping others cultivate and expand their creativity. It has always been heartbreaking to hear friends and acquaintances bemoan their lack of creativity simply because they hadn't developed drawing skills. Creativity is a human characteristic that can be developed in any discipline and with practice and encouragement, is available to anyone. In my reading and my writing, I seek a combination of accessibility and substance. If a book is engaging enough to read at the beach yet substantial enough to provide fuel for thought long afterward, it is a winner!

Mary's book list on for cultivating creativity

Mary Stewart Why did Mary love this book?

This eye-opening and informative book provides vivid examples of small problems that became real tragedies due to inaction, miscommunication, and poor decision-making. By looking upstream to seek and address root causes of problems, we can save money, improve lives, and increase productivity. I loved the gripping examples Dan Heath used in this book. It was as engaging as reading a novel, yet provided substantial information based on careful research.

By Dan Heath,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Upstream as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath asks what happens when we take our thinking upstream and try to prevent problems before they happen.

When we shift our energies upstream, we stop dealing with the symptoms of problems and we start fixing problems.

If we can stop crimes from being committed, we do not need to work to 'solve' crimes.
If we can prevent chronic diseases from developing, we do not need to treat these diseases.
If we can provide affordable housing, we do not need to provide shelter for the homeless.
Looking to business, politics, and society, Dan Heath…


Book cover of Wise Child

Jo Spurrier Author Of A Curse of Ash and Embers

From my list on witchy women to read in a cottage in the woods.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved folklore and fantasy literature since I was tiny, but I’ve also had a lifelong fascination with science, history, and the natural world. As a disabled mother of two, I’ve not (yet) had the opportunity to see as much of our world as I’d like, but I love building fantasy worlds and weaving within them stories that blend a grounded earthiness with the supernatural and metaphysical. My writing always begins with a single mental image, the seed of an idea that I explore and build around until I have a full-fledged story ready to commit to paper. I love stories that break the mould, take you somewhere unexpected, and then make you never want to leave.

Jo's book list on witchy women to read in a cottage in the woods

Jo Spurrier Why did Jo love this book?

This is a vintage read, but well worth your time if you can get your hands on it. It’s a gentle but immersive story, well suited to a rainy day when all you want to do is curl up with a blanket and a book. Set in early Christian Britain, it’s the story of a misfit child taken in by the village witch, and chronicles her path in learning the slow craft of herbs and magic, until she is inducted into the ranks of those who work magic, serving the people and the land. When you’re looking for something a little more grounded and restorative, without heavy violence and unburdened by overwrought romance, this is the one for you.

By Monica Furlong,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wise Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Orphaned by the death of her grandmother and her father’s disappearance, 9-year-old Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, a healer and sorceress. Soon enough, the young girl finds herself flourishing under Juniper’s care—learning about herbal lore, and even introductory magic. But just as she begins to feel at home in the Scottish village, the girl’s mother—the black witch Maeve—returns.

Forced to choose between Maeve and Juniper, Wise Child has a difficult decision to make. She could stay with Juniper or leave with Maeve and adopt a life of luxury. In making her choice, Wise Child comes to discover her…


Book cover of Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm

Wayne Moloney Author Of The Wentworth Prospect: A novel guide to success in B2B sales

From my list on B2B salespeople to stay relevant and successful.

Why am I passionate about this?

Everyone survives by selling something whether we wear the title or not. Selling has been my career, even before I was a salesperson. I started my career in engineering but quickly realised my passion was in developing business, not designing industrial ventilation systems. Helped by a boss who also saw I was better suited to roles other than engineering (he wasn’t so polite) I went on to enjoy a successful career spanning 4 decades working in Australian, Asian, and European markets that embraced all facets of sales and business development. Helped by great mentors and learning from the experience of others, I have endeavoured to give back by mentoring business owners, salespeople, and writing.

Wayne's book list on B2B salespeople to stay relevant and successful

Wayne Moloney Why did Wayne love this book?

The internet delivers us a tsunami of information. Approximately 328.77 million terabytes of data are created each day – 60 times more than in 2010 and estimated to grow at 20% per year.

How can we make sense of this? What is valuable and what is not? What is real, what is fake?

Mardsbjerg argues that our fixation with data makes us lose touch with reality and that we need to be making sense of the world through deep, nuanced engagement with culture, language, and history.

By Christian Madsbjerg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sensemaking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH (APRIL 2017) Humans have become subservient to algorithms. Every day brings a new Moneyball fix - a maths whiz who will crack open an industry with clean fact-based analysis rather than human intuition and experience. As a result, we have stopped thinking. Machines do it for us. Christian Madsbjerg argues that our fixation with data often masks stunning deficiencies, and the risks for humankind are enormous. Blind devotion to number crunching imperils our businesses, our educations, our governments, and our life savings. Too many companies have lost touch with the humanity of…


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