31 Best 20-Year-Old Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best 20-year-old books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Barack Obama, Daymond John, John Doerr, and 5 other experts.
1
Our "thirty-is-the-new-twenty" culture tells us the twentysomething years don't matter. Some say they are a second adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, argues that twentysomethings have been caught in a swirl of hype and misinformation, much of which has trivialized what is actually the most defining decade of adulthood.

Drawing from a decade of work with hundreds of twentysomething clients and students, The Defining Decade weaves the latest science of the twentysomething years with behind-closed-doors stories from...
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Recommended by John Doerr, Hannah Hart, and 2 others.

Hannah Hart@KristenMirandaM It's okay to be lost. ♥️ A great book for your twenties is called "The Defining Decade" - just in case your looking for some ways to be found. (Source)

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2
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, the #1 Personal Finance book of all time, Robert Kiyosaki shares the story of his two dad: his real father, whom he calls his ‘poor dad,’ and the father of his best friend, the man who became his mentor and his ‘rich dad.’ One man was well educated and an employee all his life, the other’s education was “street smarts” over traditional classroom education and he took the path of entrepreneurship…a road that led him to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. Robert’s poor dad struggled financially all his life, and these two dads—these very different points of view of... more
Recommended by Daymond John, Will Smith, and 2 others.

Will Smith[Will Smith mentioned sharing this book with his son.] (Source)

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3
They came to earth--Pestilence, War, Famine, Death--four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now...
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4
There's a lot a guy needs to know as he grows up and makes his way in the world. And a lot of it, he wouldn't necessarily want to have to ask about because then, well, people would know he didn't know what he was doing! For all the guys out there who want to have it all together, Jonathan Catherman offers this collection of one hundred step-by-step instructions on almost everything a guy needs to know, including how to
- wear cologne correctly
- manage a credit card
- talk to a girl
- plan a date
- write a rEsumE
- ask for a reference
- clean a bathroom
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5
Every twenty-something needs a little black book of secrets. Our twenties are filled with confusion, terrible jobs, anticipation, disappointment, cubicles, break-ups, transition, quarter-life crisis, loneliness, post-college what the heck, moderate success sandwiched in-between complete failure, and we need a worn, weathered guide stashed somewhere close by to help shed some light on this defining decade.

This is that book.

Expanded from the blog post, "21 Secrets for Your 20s" that spread like Internet wildfire with nearly a million readers in 190...
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6
Twenty-five is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but Jack Lancaster is going to make a go of it anyway, and give it his best shot.

Two complicated ladies and an awful job with an even more awful boss is only half the size of it. Dimly aware that a life taken up with Excel spreadsheets and bottom lines is no life at all, our hero sets out to sabotage his career and save his soul. Superhuman amounts of backsliding, snoozing, and emotional incontinence will be needed if somehow Jack is going to dig himself out of the hole he has found himself in.

Dumping his...
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8
The bible of sustainable living, food gardening, and living green, no home is complete without this one-of-a-kind encyclopedia! For more than thirty years, people have relied on the thousands of recipes, detailed how-to instructions, and personal advice provided in this definitive classic. It is the most complete source of step-by-step information about growing, processing, cooking, and preserving homegrown foods from garden, orchard, field, or barnyard. This book is so basic, so thorough, so reliable, that it deserves a place in every home whether country, city, or in between. Carla Emery... more

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9
The first—and definitive—Polish vegetarian cookbook, with over 80 recipes from a Saveur award winner

Most people associate Polish cuisine with rich, heavy meats such as kielbasa. But in Fresh from Poland, Michał Korkosz reveals a whole new side of his beloved culinary heritage—showcasing beautiful fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs while still evoking the traditional food of his mother and grandmother.

Korkosz’s passion for food shines through in his award-winning photographs. Here is vegetable-forward comfort food for every occasion: Brown...
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10
The Barnes & Noble Review
Soak up some sassy and fresh stories in this fabulous box set from everybody's favorite kindergartner, Junie B. Jones. This four-book collection chronicles the first four adventures in the highly popular series from award-winning writer Barbara Park. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth, and Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying are featured in all their hilarious glory.


Junie B. is a feisty firecracker with her own sense of style,...

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Recommended by Barack Obama, and 1 others.

Barack ObamaIn November 2014, Obama took a trip to D.C. independent bookstore Politics and Prose to honor small businesses and add to his personal library. Accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha, POTUS picked up novels from the Redwall fantasy series by Brian Jacques, as well as some from the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park. (Source)

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Don't have time to read the top 20-Year-Old books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
13
A perfect learning activity workbook for toddlers, either boys or girls for their fun & exciting learning of basic shapes, numbers, and counting, all done while super fun coloring!

This very book, "Toddler Coloring Book. Numbers Colors Shapes: Baby Activity Book for Kids Age 1-3, Boys or Girls, for Their Fun Early Learning of First Easy Words about Shapes & Numbers, Counting While Coloring!", contains easy-and-cute coloring pages of;



Shapes
Circle, Oval, Square, Rectangle, Triangle, Pentagon, Star, Heart, Cross, & Diamond
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14
Adulting got you down?

Whether you just polished off your college graduation cake, are in your twenties or thirties struggling through a quarter-life crisis, you're simply trying to figure out how to become all grown up, or you're a parent looking for that perfect college graduation gift or Christmas gift for your twentysomething, 101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties is the book for you. 

To find important life answers in your 20s, you need to start with good questions. Author, speaker, and blogger Paul Angone has dedicated the last 12...
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15
THE HEALING POWER OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Long a champion of complementary medicine and nutritional therapy, Dr. Robert Atkins, author of the #1 best-seller Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, presents the scientific basis for the use of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and hormones in the treatment and prevention of many of the chronic illnesses that plague us today. These vita-nutrients harness the body's ability to heal itself, rather than resorting to conventional drugs and invasive procedures, and address the true causes of disease instead of temporarily...
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16
“The best all-around study of the American cowboy ever written. Every page crackles with keen analysis and vivid prose about the Old West. A must-read!” — Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America

The open-range cattle era lasted barely a quarter century, but it left America irrevocably changed. Cattle Kingdom reveals how the West rose and fell, and how its legacy defines us today. The tale takes us from dust-choked cattle drives to the unlikely splendors of boomtowns like Abilene, Kansas, and...
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18
BradyGAMES-Final Fantasy VIII Official Strategy Guide Features:
Detailed Walkthroughs Boss Strategies Item & Magic Lists Complete Bestiary and over 450 Full-Color Maps!
The ONLY Official Guide!   Platform: PlayStation Genre: RPG
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20
From career to relationships and grooming to gaming and more, the guys’ ultimate man-ual for living. 

For every guy too intimidated to ask a question for fear of seeming inexperienced and unworldly, here’s a book to answer all (or most!) of life’s pressing quandaries: Howdo you break off a friendship when it’s not working any longer? What should you cook when a date is coming over for dinner? How do you buy a used car and not get totally taken for a ride? How do you stop a charging dog?

In Man Up!, journalist Paul O’Donnell and his team...
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Don't have time to read the top 20-Year-Old books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
22
In the age of smartphones and selfies, why not learn from the pros how to take great photos to share with friends and family! Here's a fun, fact-filled, kid-friendly guide that is jam-packed with all the essentials for budding photographers. From how to set up a shot and stage the lighting and from the best software to short assignments, you'll learn all the important photographic concepts and basics of equipment, lighting aperture, lenses, depth of field, and more. This wide-ranging book also has sections devoted to composition and photographing different subjects (animals, people, sports,... more

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24
Just because you're in college doesn't mean you have to eat like it. With The 5-Ingredient College Cookbook, you can cook simple, delicious meals on the tightest of budgets and in the smallest of spaces.

College food has developed quite the culinary "reputation." Most students don't have the time, money, or space to make meals like mom used to, so words like fast, cheap, and microwavable have become synonymous with college eating. But there IS a better way!

Healthy cooking expert and cookbook author Pamela Ellgen brings you the latest in...
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25
A funny, inspirational banquet of delicious bon mots, quips, and unforgettable one-liners from movie stars, musicians, politicians, and women writers. Sometimes shocking, always entertaining, everyone from Rihanna to Rosie to Dr. Ruth to Margaret Atwood weighs in on the meaning of life with badass women wit and timeless wisdom. less

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26
“Tremendous. This guy has done history like you would not believe.”
—Glenn Beck

The secrets of history’s most enduring mystery are finally revealed in The Lost Empire of Atlantis. Through impeccable research and intelligent speculation, Gavin Menzies, the New York Times bestselling author of 1421, uncovers the truth behind the mysterious “lost” city of Atlantis—making the startling claim that the “Atlanteans” discovered America 4,000 years ago and ruled a vast Mediterranean empire that was violently destroyed in 1,500 BC. Forget everything you’ve...
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27

The Early Childhood Coaching Handbook

Evidence-based and highly effective, coaching helps early childhood practitioners support other professionals and families as they enhance existing knowledge, develop new skills, and promote healthy development of young children. This hands-on guide shows professionals how to conduct skillful coaching in any setting—home, school, or community.

An expanded, more practical follow-up to the groundbreaking Coaching Families and Colleagues in Early Childhood, this is the guidebook that walks professionals step by step through the coaching process and shows them explicitly...
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29

Chinese Negotiating Behavior

After two decades of hostile confrontation, China and the United States initiated negotiations in the early 1970s to normalize relations. Senior officials of the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations had little experience dealing with the Chinese, but they soon learned that their counterparts from the People s Republic were skilled negotiators.This study of Chinese negotiating behavior explores the ways senior officials of the PRC Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, and others managed these high-level political negotiations with their new American old friends. It follows the... more

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30
The season will glow with warmth and good feeling for families lucky enough to spend the holidays with these two expert party planners. Imaginative party ideas include a White Christmas extravaganza, a Tree-Trimming party, two great Hanukkah parties, and a New Year's brunch. 2-color line drawings throughout. less

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Don't have time to read the top 20-Year-Old books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.

Don't have time to read the top 20-Year-Old books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.