Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to The Way the World Works

What troubles us, what brings us joy?

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

1. 1
   How the Mind Works▲71

   Tackles the workings of the human mind

   2015 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Delivering Happiness▲92

   Seeking happiness and making people happy

   2015 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Inventology▲72

   How we dream up things that change the world

   2016 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   How We Learn▲64

   The surprising truth about when, where, and why it happens

   2016 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Sapiens▲185

   A brief history of humankind

   2015 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   DoHow | How We Do How We Do▲66

   This book isn’t a play on words but a play on possibilities.

   2015 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Making Things Work▲6

   Solving Complex Problems in a Complex World

   2017 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   The Art of Happiness▲65

   A handbook for living

   2015 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Breaking Busy▲64

   How to find peace and purpose in a world of crazy

   2016 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Prosper!▲55

    How to create a world worth inheriting

    2016 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    The Utopia Experiment▲103

    An attempt to live life as if global society collapsed

    2015 · its alternatives →

12. 12
    The 20's Chronicles▲54

    A guide on how to successfully navigate through life

    2016 · its alternatives →

13. 13
    The End of Average▲63

    How we succeed in a world that values sameness

    2016 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    The Happiness Trap▲63

    How to stop struggling and start living

    2016 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Deep Work ▲71

    Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    2016 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Light▲58

    A Radiant History from Creation to the Quantum Age

    2016 · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Calm▲81

    Calm the mind. Change the world.

    2015 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Man V. Nature▲148

    Stories that illuminate the complexity of human behavior

    2015 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Simplify▲71

    How the best businesses in the world succeed

    2017 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    The End of Jobs▲98

    Money, meaning and freedom without the 9-to-5

    2016 · its alternatives →

21. 21
    The Lost Art of Finding Our Way▲78

    Brings our own world into sharper view

    2015 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    The Mind Club▲67

    Who thinks, what feels and why it matters

    2016 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    The Book of Joy▲5

    The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

    2017 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    The Art of Possibility▲58

    Transforming Professional and Personal Life

    2016 · 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 →