We want every list at Shepherd to be aimed at intelligent general readers. 

What does this mean?

1. It is crucial that your list is not aimed purely at an academic audience. We want to help you reach a wider audience by feeding their curiosity with books for every level.  
2. We do not want lists to be written in academic language. Academic lingo is impossible to decipher, and we need this to be written for intelligent general readers in a straightforward and personal manner. Please ban the phrase "foundational text" from your recommendations 😜.

For example, imagine you are an expert on the Black Death and its societal impact...

You are at lunch with two friends; one is an engineer, and the other is a doctor. They are both super interested in learning about the Black Death; what 5 books would you recommend to them to understand the Black Death and its impact on society?

The 5 books you recommend would probably be some general books that are more accessible, as well as some advanced books on the subject that you find fascinating. 

Why is this approach so important for the long-term health of civilization?

One of my core goals for Shepherd is to increase respect for complexity. We are in the midst of a crisis where people are losing trust in the institutions that run our society (including academia and experts such as yourself). 

I need experts like you to help me ease them into a better understanding of the world and the complex nature of the civilization we have built. We can't do that if we speak to them in "academic lingo" or only give them advanced book options. 

Humans are at their best when they appreciate the complexity of civilization, nature, society, and their fellow humans. Some politicians tell us that there are easy and simple solutions to large and complex problems. They are pandering to this simplistic nonsense to gain power. It is reminiscent of the rise of fascism in the early 20th century and is terrifying. Books are one way we can fight this trend.

As an academic, how does this help you sell your book?

I love history, and I often buy academic books on niche subjects. For example, I just bought Tom Shippey's book Laughing Shall I Die: Lives and Deaths of the Great Vikings. 

And I often buy textbooks on subjects I am interested in (I just bought one on UX and engineering product design and one covering the British rule of India). 

My point is that Readers are interested in going deeper into subjects and buying academically oriented books. But your list needs to speak to them. 

If you are a historian who knows everything there is to know about the Black Death, please share your knowledge and wisdom on this subject. But keep in mind it needs to be written for a general audience. And you should pick some books that are a good starting point for general readers alongside advanced books.

Questions? Comments? Frustrations?

Email me at ben@shepherd.com and ask me anything, give comments, or tell me how I can improve. I am all ears (literally, they are huge). 

If you intend to yell at me, please be kind and ask questions first. I do this project for free, and I get enough screaming already (and an occasional death threat).