Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to The Gene

An Intimate History

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. The Gene launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Sapiens▲185

   A brief history of humankind

   2015 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   The Stranger in My Genes▲5

   A Memoir

   2017 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood▲67

   Where the big ideas of the modern era came from

   2016 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   The Knowledge▲62

   A too close to true novel

   2017 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Stiff▲62

   The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

   2016 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   We Need Diverse Books▲87

   Advocating and supporting non-majority narratives

   2014 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Alone Together▲71

   Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other

   2017 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Homo Deus▲105

   A Brief History of Tomorrow

   2017 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Essentialism▲80

   The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

   2016 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Man V. Nature▲148

    Stories that illuminate the complexity of human behavior

    2015 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Dark Matter of the Mind▲67

    The Culturally Articulated Unconscious

    2017 · its alternatives →

12. 12
    The Throwback Special▲61

    A Novel

    2016 · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Rise of the Machines▲61

    A Cybernetic History 1st Edition

    2016 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    The Origin of Species▲81

    Charles Darwin's theory of evolution

    2015 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Idea Makers▲53

    Personal Perspectives on the Lives & Ideas of Notable People

    2016 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    The Distracted Mind▲72

    Ancient brains in a high-tech world

    2016 · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Winning with Data▲64

    Transform Culture, Empower People, and Shape the Future

    2016 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Time Travel: A History▲63

    A meditation on exploring time, travel, and technology

    2016 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    The Greatest▲92

    My Own Story (Muhammad Ali Autobiography)

    2016 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Tools for Thought▲69

    The history and future of mind-expanding technology

    2016 · its alternatives →

21. 21
    The Culture Code▲66

    Why people around the world live and buy as they do

    2017 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    What Women Want▲67

    The science of female shopping

    2016 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Envisioning Information▲87

    A remarkable range of examples of visual thinkinking

    2015 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Story▲83

    The classic guide to the fundamentals of storytelling

    2015 · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →