100 books like Tomorrow-Land

By Joseph Tirella,

Here are 100 books that Tomorrow-Land fans have personally recommended if you like Tomorrow-Land. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Ruth D. Nelson Author Of Our Lady of the World's Fair: Bringing Michelangelo's Piet  to Queens in 1964

From my list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.

Why am I passionate about this?

There never was nor ever could be a better fair, and that is the memory I’ve carried since that family vacation brought us to the Queens fairgrounds in 1964. Though I do not remember much, what remains in my heart is a sense of wonder and happiness. Over the years, the memory faded until I took a class on Renaissance Sculpture for my master’s studies. It amazed me that Michelangelo’s Pietà could have ever been shipped to Queens–I began researching and was deeply moved by the story that unfolded.

Ruth's book list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

Ruth D. Nelson Why did Ruth love this book?

If I hadn’t read this book, I’d never believe a man like Robert Moses could have ever existed. For all his pros and cons, I liked him. I’m including this book because Caro includes a chapter on Moses and his involvement with both New York’s World’s Fairs and it offers the history behind the fairs. I felt this biography was a little on the ‘con’ side, but I liked Caro’s thoroughness and felt I had a good feel for the man for having read the book.

By Robert A. Caro,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Power Broker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro is 'simply one of the best non-fiction books in English of the last forty years' (Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times): a riveting and timeless account of power, politics and the city of New York by 'the greatest political biographer of our times' (Sunday Times); chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time and by the Modern Library as one of the 100 Greatest Books of the Twentieth Century; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize; a Sunday Times Bestseller; 'An outright masterpiece' (Evening Standard)

The Power Broker tells the…


Book cover of End of the Innocence 1964-1965: The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair

Ruth D. Nelson Author Of Our Lady of the World's Fair: Bringing Michelangelo's Piet  to Queens in 1964

From my list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.

Why am I passionate about this?

There never was nor ever could be a better fair, and that is the memory I’ve carried since that family vacation brought us to the Queens fairgrounds in 1964. Though I do not remember much, what remains in my heart is a sense of wonder and happiness. Over the years, the memory faded until I took a class on Renaissance Sculpture for my master’s studies. It amazed me that Michelangelo’s Pietà could have ever been shipped to Queens–I began researching and was deeply moved by the story that unfolded.

Ruth's book list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

Ruth D. Nelson Why did Ruth love this book?

After reading Lawrence Samuel’s book, I wish I could turn back the hands of time and walk the fairgrounds one more time. This is an excellent history of the fair from beginning to end.

I enjoyed Samuel’s beautiful writing style and in-depth coverage of this slice of Americana. His sense of humor made me laugh out loud. I admit, it’s a nostalgic trip, taking us back to a simpler time. Well, it really wasn’t so simple, but that’s how I remember it as a child visiting the best fair ever!

By Lawrence Samuel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked End of the Innocence 1964-1965 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From April 1964 to October 1965, some 52 million people from around the world flocked to the New York World's Fair, an experience that lives on in the memory of many individuals and in America's collective consciousness. Taking a perceptive look back at ""the last of the great world's fairs,"" Samuel offers a vivid portrait of this seminal event and of the cultural climate that surrounded it. He also counters critics' assessments of the fair as the ""ugly duckling"" of global expositions. Opening five months after President Kennedy's assassination, the fair allowed millions to celebrate international fellowship while the conflict…


Book cover of Remembering the Future: New York Worlds Fair from 1939 to 1964

Ruth D. Nelson Author Of Our Lady of the World's Fair: Bringing Michelangelo's Piet  to Queens in 1964

From my list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.

Why am I passionate about this?

There never was nor ever could be a better fair, and that is the memory I’ve carried since that family vacation brought us to the Queens fairgrounds in 1964. Though I do not remember much, what remains in my heart is a sense of wonder and happiness. Over the years, the memory faded until I took a class on Renaissance Sculpture for my master’s studies. It amazed me that Michelangelo’s Pietà could have ever been shipped to Queens–I began researching and was deeply moved by the story that unfolded.

Ruth's book list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

Ruth D. Nelson Why did Ruth love this book?

At first, I was a little miffed with this book since some contributors favored New York’s first World’s Fair in 1939 over the second in 1964. But the fact is, we’ll always prefer the fair we visited when we were children over the fair we visited as an adult, and this book backs this up.

Still, it was good for me to read about the previous fair to better understand the latter fair. I’m not a New Yorker, but I soaked it up.

By Robert Rosenblum,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Essays on two world fairs summarize their history, social, and cultural impact


Book cover of Walt Disney and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair: Great Moments

Ruth D. Nelson Author Of Our Lady of the World's Fair: Bringing Michelangelo's Piet  to Queens in 1964

From my list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.

Why am I passionate about this?

There never was nor ever could be a better fair, and that is the memory I’ve carried since that family vacation brought us to the Queens fairgrounds in 1964. Though I do not remember much, what remains in my heart is a sense of wonder and happiness. Over the years, the memory faded until I took a class on Renaissance Sculpture for my master’s studies. It amazed me that Michelangelo’s Pietà could have ever been shipped to Queens–I began researching and was deeply moved by the story that unfolded.

Ruth's book list on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair

Ruth D. Nelson Why did Ruth love this book?

I didn’t realize that Walt Disney was so involved in the NY World’s Fair–he was everywhere. How I loved “It’s a Small World”–Disney! I’m from Illinois, and even though I don’t remember it, the animatronic of Abe Lincoln–Disney! General Electric’s Progressland–Disney! The Ford ride back to the future–Disney!

It made sense to me then that Disney World was basically an extension of the New York Fair, but I didn’t understand it until I read Kiste’s book.

By Andrew Kiste, Bob McLain (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Walt Disney and the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Disney's World's Fair

For the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, the Disney company designed four paviliions, which later they reimagined for Disneyland. In this first volume of a definitive series, historian Andrew Kiste presents the story of the first of these pavilions: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

Two score and fifteen years ago, Walt Disney took an opportunity to bring his unique style of entertainment to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadow. Initially using the fair as an opportunity to determine the level of interest in his theme-park attractions with the "more sophisticated tastes" of those east…


Book cover of The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s

Timothy N. Thurber Author Of Republicans and Race: The GOP's Frayed Relationship with African Americans, 1945-1974

From my list on Republicans and Democrats in the 1960s.

Why am I passionate about this?

I developed a strong interest in current events, especially politics, in high school. What the government does, or does not do, struck me as a vital piece of the puzzle in trying to explain why things are the way they are. That soon led, however, to seeing how the past continues to influence the present. No decade is more important than the 1960s for understanding our current political climate.

Timothy's book list on Republicans and Democrats in the 1960s

Timothy N. Thurber Why did Timothy love this book?

Historians rightly stress that social movements and broad forces, often decades in the making, shape history, but Weisbrot and Mackenzie note that many of the monumental reforms of the 1960s that continue to define our society today resulted primarily from decisions made by liberal presidents, members of Congress, and the Supreme Court. 

They vividly convey the confidence in government as a force for good that lay at the core of liberal thinking. They are sympathetic to much of the liberals’ efforts, yet they also acknowledge their shortcomings.    

By G. Calvin Mackenzie, Robert Weisbrot,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

An engaging be hind-the-scenes look at the lesser-known forces that fueled the profound social reforms of the 1960s

Provocative and incisive , The Liberal Hour reveals how Washington, so often portrayed as a target of reform in the 1960s, was in fact the era's most effective engine of change. The movements of the 1960s have always drawn the most attention from the decade's chroniclers, but it was in the halls of government-so often the target of protesters' wrath-that the enduring reforms of the era were produced. With nuance and panache, Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot present the real-life characters-from giants…


Book cover of The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths

Vinícius Guilherme Rodrigues Vieira Author Of Shaping Nations and Markets: Identity Capital, Trade, and the Populist Rage

From my list on understanding the transformation of capitalism and globalisation.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since 2008, I have conducted research on themes related to International Political Economy. I am currently the co-chair of the research committee on this topic at the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and am passionate about making sense of the interplay between material and symbolic factors that shape capitalism and globalisation. Being based in Brazil, I was stuck when the country—which did not have salient identity cleavages in politics—came to be, after 2008, a hotspot of religious-based right-wing populism associated with the defence of trade liberalisation as globalisation started to face meaningful backlash from White-majority constituencies who are relatively losers of the post-Cold War order in the advanced industrialised democracies.

Vinícius' book list on understanding the transformation of capitalism and globalisation

Vinícius Guilherme Rodrigues Vieira Why did Vinícius love this book?

In a time when industrial policy is no longer taboo, even in the West, I would recommend this book to remember the pivotal role that state policies play in promoting development.

More than being the result of self-made people, crucial innovations like the smartphone result from the research backbone that the state provides.

The book is, therefore, thought-provoking as it debunks myths of state decline during the so-called neoliberal age, although recognises that private firms have acquired excessive power.

By Mariana Mazzucato,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked The Entrepreneurial State as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this sharp and controversial expose, Mariana Mazzucato debunks the pervasive myth that the state is a laggard, bureaucratic apparatus at odds with a dynamic private sector. She reveals in detailed case studies, including a riveting chapter on the iPhone, that the opposite is true: the state is, and has been, our boldest and most valuable innovator. Denying this history is leading us down the wrong path. A select few get credit for what is an intensely collective effort, and the US government has started disinvesting from innovation. The repercussions could stunt economic growth and increase inequality. Mazzucato teaches us…


Book cover of Skim, Dive, Surface: Teaching Digital Reading

Regan A.R. Gurung Author Of Study Like a Champ: The Psychology-Based Guide to "Grade A" Study Habits

From my list on teachers who care about students and learning.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to teach and to do research on teaching and learning. Little compares to seeing how students’ faces light up when they get it. I want more students to experience the experience of getting it. After teaching for 25 years, and taking a deep dive into the scientific literature on learning, I have accumulated some important insights that I share in my work as Executive Director of a teaching and learning center, with my students, and with faculty across the nation. Teaching is not an impromptu act. It is an art and a science and I revel in it. These books will light a fire in you.

Regan's book list on teachers who care about students and learning

Regan A.R. Gurung Why did Regan love this book?

Just because most teachers love to read, their students may not feel the same way. 

Teachers struggle with getting students to read and the rise in screen time and social media seems to make the challenge even tougher. Furthermore, is reading on a screen the same as reading on paper?

This book addresses reading on screens head on and provides a rich history of reading, and lays the groundwork for ways to get students to be more effective readers. I loved the facts relating to what catches student eyeballs.

By Jenae Cohn,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Students are reading on screens more than ever-how can we teach them to be better digital readers?

Smartphones, laptops, tablets: college students are reading on-screen all the time, and digital devices shape students' understanding of and experiences with reading. In higher education, however, teachers rarely consider how digital reading experiences may have an impact on learning abilities, unless they're lamenting students' attention spans or the distractions available to students when they're learning online.

Skim, Dive, Surface offers a corrective to these conversations-an invitation to focus not on losses to student learning but on the spectrum of affordances available within digital…


Book cover of Innovation beyond Fiction: An Imaginative Play with Mathematics

Andrée Ehresmann & Jean-Paul Vanbremeersch Author Of Memory Evolutive Systems: Hierarchy, Emergence, Cognition: Volume 4

From my list on mathematical approaches to complex systems.

Why are we passionate about this?

An accident of professional life led us, Jean-Paul Vanbremeersch and Andrée Ehresmann, to meet in 1979. Jean-Paul was then a young physician who was also interested in problems of emergence and complexity. Andrée was a mathematician working in Analysis and, more recently, in Category Theory with Charles Ehresmann (her late husband). With Charles, she shared the idea that: “a category theory approach could open a wealth of possibilities to the understanding of complex processes of any kind.”This idea appealed to Jean-Paul who suggested that we both try applying it to problems of emergence, complexity, and cognition. It led to our 40 years old development of MES. 

Andrée and Jean-Paul's book list on mathematical approaches to complex systems

Andrée Ehresmann & Jean-Paul Vanbremeersch Why did Andrée and Jean-Paul love this book?

The last book on our list is a recent addition, distinguished by its illustrative format and contemporary content; in particular. Structured uniquely, it comprises three parts (plus a foreword). 

The first section, titled "The Innovator’s Odyssey," narrates the journey of a young innovator designer grappling with bureaucratic hurdles in organizational settings. Amidst these challenges, he embarks on a quest for a "mathesis singularis"–a unique mathematical framework to aid innovation management. This quest leads him to discover our MES book.

The second part features an insightful interview with the author, offering valuable insights into the book's creation. Lastly, the third section includes a short Mathematical Appendix (for further exploration).

By Mathias Bejean,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

This book is about mathematics in the management of innovation, showing how recent advances in mathematics help us grasp and support innovation as a social activity of thinking and imagining together. It will make the reader rethink both innovation and mathematics by having them interplay in practical organizational settings.Told as fiction to make its argument more accessible, the book is nonetheless grounded in theoretical reflections and recent mathematical advances. In recounting the adventures of a committed and enthusiastic inventor-designer hampered by the increasing industrial bureaucratization of his world, it accounts for the fate of many innovation processes in large companies…


Book cover of The Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern America

Peter H. Spitz Author Of Reflecting on History: How the Industrial Revolution Created Our Way of Life

From my list on for passionate innovators.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have had a long, fruitful career as a business leader, entrepreneur, and inventor in the energy and chemicals industry with seven scientific patents. I'm the founder/CEO of Chem Systems, Inc., lectured at MIT about entrepreneurship and innovation, and recently wrote a book exploring industrial inventions tracing back to the Industrial Revolution. All inventors share the same qualities: they see opportunities, stay persistent, and maintain their faith in the value of their innovation. The books on this list celebrate those qualities and honor the innovators who embody them. The authors highlight the common threads binding past, present, and future together, showing how humanity's progress depends on innovation.

Peter's book list on for passionate innovators

Peter H. Spitz Why did Peter love this book?

There are plenty of books on Edison, but what I love about Freeberg's telling is that he focuses on more than just the invention itself but its impacts. This book gives a powerful sense of how exciting Edison's incandescent light bulb was and how it transformed America—one light, one household, and one business at a time.

It's also a book that brings history to life, something I really appreciate as an author, not just an inventor. In the "age" of Edison, the late nineteenth century, the world was on the cusp of modernity. It's remarkable to consider just how far we've come in such a short amount of time.

By Ernest Freeberg,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A sweeping history of the electric light revolution and the birth of modern America

The late nineteenth century was a period of explosive technological creativity, but more than any other invention, Thomas Edison's incandescent light bulb marked the arrival of modernity, transforming its inventor into a mythic figure and avatar of an era. In The Age of Edison, award-winning author and historian Ernest Freeberg weaves a narrative that reaches from Coney Island and Broadway to the tiniest towns of rural America, tracing the progress of electric light through the reactions of everyone who saw it and capturing the wonder Edison's…


Book cover of Bank 4.0: Banking Everywhere, Never at a Bank

David Birch Author Of Money in the Metaverse: Digital Assets, Online Identities, Spatial Computing and Why Virtual Worlds Mean Real Business

From my list on the future of money.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a physicist by education and therefore fundamentally interested in how things work, my early career was spent in secure communications before moving into finance, specifically payments. I helped to found one of the leading consultancies in the field and worked globally for organizations ranging from Visa and AMEX to various governments and multiple Central Banks. I wrote, it turned out, one of the key books in the field, Identity Is The New Money (2014), and subsequently, Before Babylon, Beyond Bitcoin (2017), about the history and future of money. The Currency Cold War (2020) was a prescient implication of digital currencies, particularly CBDC.

David's book list on the future of money

David Birch Why did David love this book?

Brett King’s Bank 2.0: How Customer Behaviour and Technology Will Change the Future of Financial Services had an immediate and lasting impact on my career. First, it showed me that you could write about banking, payments, and financial services interestingly. Secondly, it showed me that people were out there thinking the same as me after learning from early internet-era experiments.

Brett’s subsequent work, including this book and The Rise of Technosocialism: How Inequality, AI, and Climate Will Usher in a New World, continues to help me to organize my thoughts about the role of money in a future always, always connected society. 

By Brett King,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bank 4.0 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of best book by a foreign author (2019) at the Business Book of the Year Award organised by PwC Russia

The future of banking is already here ― are you ready?

Bank 4.0 explores the radical transformation already taking place in banking, and follows it to its logical conclusion. What will banking look like in 30 years? 50 years? The world’s best banks have been forced to adapt to changing consumer behaviors; regulators are rethinking friction, licensing and regulation; Fintech start-ups and tech giants are redefining how banking fits in the daily life of consumers. To survive, banks are…


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