Ultimate Quests (67 books)

Discover new books on Goodreads

Meet your next favorite book

Listopia > Ultimate Quests

Books about a quest to find or do something interesting or extraordinary. Usually the process is best part. Bonus points if it’s a topic I wasn’t interested in before reading.

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves by James Nestor 4.45 avg rating — 8,636 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds (Story of Elsa, #1) by Joy Adamson 4.16 avg rating — 33,845 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 590,263 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Monk in the Garden : The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics by Robin Marantz Henig (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 439 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Almost Heaven: Women on the Frontiers of Space by Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles 3.98 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 189, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland's Border by Garrett Carr (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 237 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes by Svante Pääbo 4.08 avg rating — 3,521 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks by Susan Casey 4.02 avg rating — 7,449 ratings score: 183, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier by Stephen E. Ambrose 4.23 avg rating — 69,819 ratings score: 183, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe 4.23 avg rating — 57,090 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Brooklyn Bridge Park: A Dying Waterfront Transformed by Joanne Witty 3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings score: 180, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Running with the Kenyans: Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth by Adharanand Finn 3.94 avg rating — 10,712 ratings score: 178, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein 4.18 avg rating — 59,235 ratings score: 168, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 65,018 ratings score: 157, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria by Kevin F. McMurray 4.11 avg rating — 1,048 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen 4.19 avg rating — 19,945 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	How We Found the Mary Rose by Alexander McKee 4.24 avg rating — 62 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Last Hours on Everest by Graham Hoyland (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 441 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James M. Tabor 3.73 avg rating — 4,219 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire and the Secret Formula for the World's Favourite Drink by Sarah Rose (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 4,495 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent into the World's Most Treacherous Cave by William Stone 4.05 avg rating — 551 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports by Kathrine Switzer 4.22 avg rating — 2,701 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Big Miracle by Tom Rose 3.44 avg rating — 331 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 23,111 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh 4.30 avg rating — 34,190 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 95,494 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Wright Brothers by David McCullough 4.18 avg rating — 101,083 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste by Bianca Bosker (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 16,259 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Animal Lover's Guide to Changing the World: Practical Advice and Everyday Actions for a More Sustainable, Humane, and Compassionate Planet by Stephanie Feldstein (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 96 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt by William Nothdurft 3.78 avg rating — 302 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69 by Stephen E. Ambrose 3.99 avg rating — 14,372 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Walking Home From Mongolia: Ten Million Steps Through China, From the Gobi Desert to the South China Sea by Rob Lilwall 3.81 avg rating — 348 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	I Am Not a Tractor!: How Florida Farmworkers Took On the Fast Food Giants and Won by Susan L. Marquis 4.34 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels by Janet Martin Soskice 4.09 avg rating — 947 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Next Factory of the World: How Chinese Investment Is Reshaping Africa by Irene Yuan Sun 3.93 avg rating — 345 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Plant Messiah: Adventures in Search of the World's Rarest Species by Carlos Magdalena 4.03 avg rating — 1,438 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Heidi's Alp: One Family's Search for Storybook Europe by Christina Hardyment 3.84 avg rating — 88 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	A Nuclear Family Vacation: Travels in the World of Atomic Weaponry by Nathan Hodge 3.64 avg rating — 197 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places by Andrew Blackwell 3.64 avg rating — 1,875 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 2,071 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by Elizabeth Letts (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 8,385 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova 3.86 avg rating — 1,173 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Crash Detectives: Investigating the World's Most Mysterious Air Disasters by Christine Negroni (Goodreads Author) 3.65 avg rating — 1,328 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Girl Who Escaped ISIS: Farida's Story by Farida Khalaf 4.40 avg rating — 6,209 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell 3.93 avg rating — 47,644 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	North Korea Undercover: Inside the World's Most Secret State by John Sweeney 3.63 avg rating — 1,447 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll 4.28 avg rating — 16,711 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It by Gina Kolata 3.91 avg rating — 7,703 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker by Kevin D. Mitnick 3.97 avg rating — 28,044 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver 4.05 avg rating — 114,398 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America's Most Wanted Computer Outlaw - By the Man Who Did It by Tsutomu Shimomura 3.47 avg rating — 676 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Man Who Deciphered Linear B: The Story of Michael Ventris by Andrew Robinson 3.97 avg rating — 239 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester 3.81 avg rating — 14,356 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Keys of Egypt: The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code by Lesley Adkins 4.01 avg rating — 448 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Spaceflight by Margaret Lazarus Dean (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 588 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	One Red Paperclip: The Story of How One Man Changed His Life One Swap at a Time by Kyle Macdonald 3.52 avg rating — 1,316 ratings score: 79, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Diamond: A Journey to the Heart of an Obsession by Matthew Hart (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 517 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel 3.99 avg rating — 78,006 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson (Goodreads Author) 4.38 avg rating — 38,507 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Mapmaker's Wife : A True Tale of Love, Murder and Survival in the Amazon by Robert Whitaker 3.62 avg rating — 1,921 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 12,426 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Breaking the Maya Code by Michael D. Coe 4.01 avg rating — 795 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Meet Me in Atlantis: My Obsessive Quest to Find the Sunken City by Mark Adams 3.65 avg rating — 1,906 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist by Thomas Levenson 3.77 avg rating — 1,908 ratings score: 73, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs by Michael Novacek 4.06 avg rating — 124 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 27,443 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Blackjack Life: A Journey Through the Inner World of Card Counting, the Lessons of Teamwork, and the Clandestine Pursuit of Beating the Odds by Nathaniel Tilton (Goodreads Author) 4.22 avg rating — 129 ratings score: 69, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars