. New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestsellers September 29, 2019 1. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell Famous examples of miscommunication serve as the backdrop to explain potential conflicts and misunderstandings. 2. Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis and Bing West The former Marine infantry officer and secretary of defense recounts key moments from his career and imparts his leadership philosophy. 3. Educated by Tara Westover The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university. 4. The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's journey from being an immigrant to being an activist outsider to serving in President Obama's cabinet.  5. The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff An oral history of the events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, based on transcripts, declassified documents and interviews. 6. She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story that Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey Two reporters for The New York Times recount their investigation into Harvey Weinstein’s alleged abuses of power and the subsequent global disclosure of women's traumatic stories. 7. How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems by Randall Munroe The former NASA roboticist dispenses complex and excessive solutions to common problems; reclassified this week as nonfiction. 8. Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty A funeral director answers 35 questions from children about death. 9. Radicals, Resistance, and Revenge: The Left's Plot to Remake America by Jeanine Pirro The Fox News host posits those she labels anti-Trump conspirators have committed possible crimes and a plot to destroy liberty. 10. Becoming by Michelle Obama The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband's political ascent. 11. Lifespan: Why We Age--and Why We Don't Have to by David A. Sinclair and Matthew D. LaPlante A professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School expounds on some new technologies and lifestyle changes that may affect aging. 12. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo The inequality of female desire is explored through the sex lives of a homemaker, a high school student and a restaurant owner. 13. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi A primer for creating a more just and equitable society through identifying and opposing racism. 14. A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Neil M. Gorsuch with Jane Nitze and David Feder The associate justice of the Supreme Court shares key moments from his life and his views on the Constitution. 15. Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age by Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne Microsoft's president makes his case that technology companies should take responsibility for the future and governments need to regulate those companies. © 2019  All rights reserved by New York Times Syndication Sales Corp. This material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.   A version of this list appears in the September 29, 2019 issue of The New York Times Book Review. Rankings reflect sales for the week ending September 14, 2019. Home  | Catalog | Contact Us | Frequently Asked Questions