Does anyone read non-fiction? [Archive]

The Mattador

02/15/2008, 17:49

I see a lot of threads/posts on this forum about fiction/fantasy books, but I wonder who reads non-fiction and not necessarily biographies...

Three of the best that I have read in recent years are:

The Essential Writings of Machiavelli
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey

I like anything that can be related back to real life. Don't get me wrong, I do like my Harry Potter books and the like...I was just curious...

theanalogkid

02/15/2008, 18:29

I read a lot of history, astronomony, physics, and natural history books.

JGonspy

02/15/2008, 19:29

Most of my non-fiction consists of psychology textbooks right now. However, I have read The Art of War by Sun Tzu and The World We Want by Mark Kingwell which were both pretty good.

Maniac_nmt

02/15/2008, 21:55

I love Machiavelli's The Prince.

Caser's Conquest of Gaul is a great read, and I love his writing style.

Some other good ones I've read this year.

Cnut - England's Viking King
1000 - England in the year 1000
Under the Black Flag - it's a history of Piracy in the New World (Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, etc)
The Normans
211 Things for Bright Boy to do - this is a great book, and definitely not for 'boys' in the traditional sense of the word.

others I've read in the past I'd recommend:

The Heimskringla
The Icelandic Sagas - both of these are gripping reads, that read more like fantasy then the histories they are.
Dungeon, Fire, and Sword

Darkseid Sr.

02/15/2008, 21:59

If I can find something on medieval warfare or Roman battles and democracy, I'll read it. :)

AlienFlanders

02/16/2008, 05:49

Machiavelli's The Prince and Sun Tzu's the Art of War are very interesting reads.

Aristotle's Politics is very interesting regarding the fact that some cities (read Countries) are not always instantly ready to change their form of government.

Scott Peck's The Road Less Travelled is an interesting journey into religion.

I found Musashi's Book of Five Rings an interesting biography of a Samurai master combatant.

Shinigami

02/16/2008, 07:36

So far only non-fiction that I have readed was about J.J.R Tolkien's life.

thepunisher27

02/16/2008, 13:32

In Cold Blood by truman Capote in my opinion defines Non-Fiction Literature.

I've read alot of great war Memoires in my opinion the best are from the Vietnam era. If I Die In A Combat Zone Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'brien stands out as a good quick read.

I read the book The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt is pretty good.It's about the Fenice which is a play house in Venice that burned down and how it affects the populace.

Finally there are two books that are near and dear to my heart in nonfiction they are by David Kushner: The first is Johhny Magic and the card shark kids which is about a former magic player turned card counter, and second is Masters of Doom which is about the two guys who created doom in the 80's.

The Mattador

02/16/2008, 14:29

In Cold Blood by truman Capote in my opinion defines Non-Fiction Literature.

I, too, have read this book and at first didn't think to put it in the category of non-fiction, but it is a great book! My girlfriend passed it on to me from her collection and I was surprised because the movie about how Capote fell in love with one of the murderers off-put me from the book, but you can tell in the book how he concentrates on one character more than any others and it's a little creepy...

thepunisher27

02/16/2008, 14:35

I, too, have read this book and at first didn't think to put it in the category of non-fiction, but it is a great book! My girlfriend passed it on to me from her collection and I was surprised because the movie about how Capote fell in love with one of the murderers off-put me from the book, but you can tell in the book how he concentrates on one character more than any others and it's a little creepy...
The description of the book is absolutely astounding though, the first 5 pages are just the setting, I think he focused more on Perry because he was willing to share information much more willingly and freely than his accomplise.

charlesdward

02/18/2008, 03:21

I enjoy The Art Of War, both the one by Sun Tzu and the one by Machiavelli.
A personal favourite that I've gone back to many times over the years is Dracula: Prince of Many Faces (http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Prince-Many-Faces-Times/dp/0316286567), by Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu.
A biography of the infamous Vlad Tepes (The Impaler), that essentially forms a snapshot of the climate of political intrigue and warfare in fifteenth-century Europe.

readyeddy?

02/18/2008, 06:17

I don't read as much nonfiction as I probably should. I read a biography of Ivan the Terrible and Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels not long ago. I like to read about animal behaviour and the old west off and on. Most of my nonfiction comes from magazines like Discover.

I try to keep up with Robert Peldon's editions of World's Most Dangerous Places. It';s usually a good barometer of the political climate in the more volatile regions of the world. By the way, the U.S. always seems to make the list.

I like books about rock music such as the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Rock the Rough Guide.

These are things that catch my interest.

AlienFlanders

02/18/2008, 07:50

Another non fiction book I find well worth a read is Doris Lessing's Cats, one episode is more for cat haters but it is an interesting biography of Lessing's cat interactions through her life.

neutralmarkhot

02/27/2008, 18:30

i read a lot of bios. mostly music and baseball related.

Pashmina

02/27/2008, 19:43

Read a few non-fiction. Can't remember what they were, except one about Japanese culture.

MattPetersen

02/28/2008, 15:17

I read TONS of nonfiction to keep up with the subjects I teach in class.
I love Science, History, and Social Sciences so I tend to lean toward those.

I will pick up the occasional autobiography about someone I find interesting (like Ben Franklin, Theodore Roosevelt, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle etc.)

I also like to read those Unsolved Mysteries type books that write about/classify paranormal activities and strange sightings.

I'll read just about anything as long as it is of interest to me.... ;)

DeltaPi1049

02/28/2008, 19:36

I love a lot of non-fiction books, especially about history. The farther back the better.

I also love reading biography and sports books - Moneyball is by far my favorite sports book.

bagman04

02/29/2008, 03:36

I do. Usually is political related stuff. The occasional funny.

pxb006

02/29/2008, 10:55

I read a lot of bios and history related non-fiction. Currently reading Boom- Voices of the Sixties by Tom Brokaw. Pretty good stuff.

bagman04

03/02/2008, 02:15

Currently reading Liberalism is a Mental Disorder. I spent half my afternoon reading this, I cannot wait to read more of Michael Savage's work.

readyeddy?

03/02/2008, 07:43

I'm currently reading a biography of Kit Carson called Blood and Thunder. I can't think of the author's name and the book's in my locker at work.

TheComedian

03/02/2008, 17:25

I read far more non-fiction than fiction.

For non-fiction that anyone would enjoy I highly recommend:

Blink:The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Black Swan:The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson

The Accelerating Universe: Infinite Expansion, the Cosmological Constant, and the Beauty of the Cosmos by Mario Livio

CustomCreator

03/03/2008, 16:02

I, too, enjoy biographies of interesting people and historical accounts of events.

Daniel Stashower has written a couple of very interesting books that I recommend highly. The Beautiful Cigar Girl is a highly detailed account of the murder of Mary Rogers, the first high-profile murder case in American history, and Edgar Allen Poe's attempt to use it to revive his flagging literary career by inventing the genre of detective fiction. The Boy Genius and the Mogul tells the tale of the invention of television and the struggles of a lone inventor to overcome the monopolies of the American captains of industry.

Wodehouse, a recent biography of P.G. Wodehouse, tells a fascinating story of the popular humorist (creator of Jeeves)'s experiences as a captive of the Nazis in occupied France, and how he was branded a collaborator for making certain radio broadcasts while their prisoner.

Lion of Hollywood tells the story of Louis B. Mayer's humble beginnings, reign as the King of Hollywood, and decline in the postwar years, along the way including fascinating anecdotes like Mayer's attempts to "cure" Van Johnson of his homosexuality and his turning down the new property of Mickey Mouse.

VelvetGuru9

03/04/2008, 00:21

My uncle wrote the greatest non-fiction book about baseball. They say that without it there would be no "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton. It's called the Long Season and it pretty much drove him out of baseball as a player because back in those days no one had ever broken the "code of the locker-room".

Hatut Zeraze

03/15/2008, 13:06

I used to never read non-fiction. I was a narrative junkie. In the last 10 years or so, I've broadened my horizons.

In the last year or two, though, the only non-fiction I've been reading are "current events," aka "political," books. I'll refrain from discussing which ones since that is the kind of thing that tends to push threads off-topic.

readyeddy?

03/15/2008, 15:19

So how do you all feel about historical fiction? I just bought a book telling the story of Genghis Khan that looks like it should be fun and informative.

Wyldstaar

03/16/2008, 18:01

After I got hooked on Eric Flint's 1632 alternate history novels, I began to collect lots of other books about the period. Several different histories of the Thrity-Years War, a couple of biographies on Gustavus Adolphus II, Warfare in the 17th Century, Naval Combat in the 17th Century, that sort of thing.

tidge

03/26/2008, 19:56

I try to mix in non-fiction as one of my "current" reads.

Right now I'm reading Humphrey Carpenter's Biography of JRR Tolkien. I also have the biography of Douglas Adams Wish You Were Here (which I plan to skim for the Doctor Who and Infocom bits, and then reread if I like).I plan to reread bits of the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich before starting in on Inside the Third Reich.

My audio-collection of night-time "fall asleeps" has a huge portion of the BBC "This Sceptred Isle" series. There are four series (that I am aware of) of 15 minute episodes. The first is ~215 episodes of the history of the English Isles from pre-Roman to the 20th century...followed by another 90 part series covering the 20th century. Then there is a 90 part series based only on the British Empire (from the conquest of Ireland through Pakistan Independence) and a small series on family dynasties.

CustomCreator

04/04/2008, 13:27

On the subject of non-fiction, I'm currently reading The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu. If you like comic books (and I think everyone on this board does, or at least did at one time), you'll find it very interesting.

Rokk_Krinn

04/23/2008, 19:07

I'd say my reading - which is -a lot- (as those who participated in the first "Recommend a Book" thread remember :laugh: ) - is split maybe 60/40 in favour of non-fiction (all sorts of topics).

Current non-fiction books on my reading table (rotate through and read a bit of each of them every day until finished and another book enters the queue): "Song Man" ("sequel" to "Guitar Man" by Will Hodgkinson; I highly recommend that book and may feel the same about "Song Man" though it's still a bit early to tell), "The Music Lesson" (by Victor Wooten, suggested to me by VelvetGuru), "Miracle Mongers and Their Methods" (by Harry Houdini; yes, the one you're thinking of), the 7th edition of "Bloodstain Pattern Recognition" (really just a refresher from the prior edition I own and studied), and "The Primal Cheeseburger".

MagicMaster

04/23/2008, 19:21

I'm all about Non-Fiction Humor. Sarah Vowell? Yup! Chuck Klosterman? Assuredly! Julia Sweeny? Don't mind if I do!

To this day it's a struggle for me to fall asleep if my ipod isn't blaring Me Talk Pretty One Day or (the very much not funny) The Disappearance: A Primer of Loss GUT WRENCHING!!!!!!!!

lensnart

05/01/2008, 13:43

I read a lot of non-fiction, lately I have been really into off-the wall autobiographies I highly suggest:

A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius - David Eggers
(pulitzer nominated journal of an average guy)

How To Talk Dirty and Influence people - Lenny Bruce
(crazy autobiography by one of the most important comedians of all time)

Hells Angels - Hunter S. Thompson
(Hunter hangs with the Hells Angels, hilarity and terrifying events ensue)

Other solid non-fiction stuff:

Hiroshima - John Hersey
(stories told by survivors, haunting and incredible)

The Blind Watchmaker or The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
(He makes science compelling and interesting)

Heavier Than Heaven - Charles Cross
(the best rock and roll biography I have read, even if you hate Nirvana it is a compelling read)

And any book about Nikola Tesla. Tesla is the most interesting person you will ever read about, I don't think it is possible to write a boring book about his insane and awesome exploits. The guy made a death ray and an earthquake machine, not to mention inventing the radio and alternating current. Just read about him, trust me it will blow your mind.

CustomCreator

05/30/2008, 09:39

I just finished a biography of Nikola Tesla, the inventor of the alternating current polyphase system that makes so many of our modern conveniences possible (as well as countless other discoveries and innovations), and I realized what a parallel there is to his life and that of a famous comic-book scientist, Dr. Sivana!

In his origin story in Whiz Comics #15, Dr. Sivana was shown to have started out as a benevolent scientist who wanted to use his discoveries to help mankind; but he was thwarted by the business tycoons who saw his innovations as a threat ("Revolutionize industry? But that's just what we don't want to do!"). Years of this caused him to turn his back on humanity.

Dr. Tesla underwent the same treatment from the robber barons of the turn of the last century, particularly J.P. Morgan. Tesla had a plan, a most likely workable plan, to broadcast power without the need for wires. Morgan saw this as a threat to his holdings; power without wires would severely limit the market for his copper mines. So not only did Morgan refuse to provide Tesla with the funds he needed to make his dream work, he blocked Tesla from receiving the funds elsewhere.

Frontman

05/30/2008, 23:45

In a word; yes.

I read various books, mostly fiction. However, I do read on things that I'm interested in, namely the paranormal. I just read "The Ghosts of Yellowstone" as I was recently there for vacation and wanted to do a bit of amatuer ghosthunting.

No, I didn't find much.

I also will be reading "Death in Yellowstone" which I like to call "How to get yourself killed by being stupid."

Darth Sabre

06/28/2008, 03:32

I read a lot of books on politics, bios, and have a special interest in WWII.

I started Arto of War by Sun tzu then loaned it to my boss. This was last fall. I just got it back. I'll be reading it soon. Right after I read The Federalist Papers.

Gargantua

07/04/2008, 09:48

I've been reading non-fiction more and more. Primarily history and historical biography, but I'm not set in that. For example, I just finished a new biography of James Polk by Borneman, but I also recently read part of a new book called Predictably Irrational on why people make the decisions that they do. Fascinating stuff and I do want to go back and finish it.

wintremute

07/09/2008, 15:43

I really like "Blink" and Tipping Point" and really any article by Gladwell (they can be found here: http://www.gladwell.com/archive.html )

Also, one of the most interesting books I've ever read is "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. It is a book I often recommend and try to give out as gifts. For those of you who have never heard it (or have not seen the TV series that doesn't live up to it), it tries to answer the question of why European and Asian society/cultures have dominated the world. In other words (for example), why did the Europeans colonize the Americas rather than the Incas colonize China?

wintremute

07/09/2008, 15:58

wintremute

07/09/2008, 16:02

Sheeplover

08/09/2010, 23:03

I have a really strange way of reading about history. I bought "A History of the United States of America" by Phillip Jenkins. It it a comprehensive quick glance of out entire history. When I would get to something I considered interesting, I would stop reading that book, and buy a book about that subject. I have still never finished the Jenkins book, too many topics in my interest now. I have started it over many times. I literally spent two years reading 16 books on Lewis and Clark. 16 books about the worlds longest camping trip, WTF. Right now I am reading the world's most boring Benjamin Franklin biography. When I get done with that one, I am going to start American Lion, a biography of Andrew Jackson.

Gargantua

08/09/2010, 23:11

Right now I am reading the world's most boring Benjamin Franklin biography.

And which one is that? In case I ever feel like reading one I'll be forewarned. I tried his autobiography once, and was quite disappointed that it ended shortly before getting to the most interesting part of his life - his role in the Revolution, his diplomatic missions and his participation in the Constitutional Convention. Nope. He gets to about 1768 and drops the whole project.

Sheeplover

08/09/2010, 23:26

The Franklin biography was wrote by Ronald Clark. Yeah, I got a little peaved with the autobiography also. Kind of like when you record something on the DVR and it cuts off the last 15 minutes.

Maniac_nmt

08/10/2010, 12:15

This year so far I've read or am reading:

Horses Don't Fly - autobiography of a cowboy turned WW1 flying ace, one of the best books ever written

The Lost City of Z - If you ever doubted that the British are crazy nutters, this will cure you of it. Fawcett is fascinating, and it's gives you a whole new insite into the 'jungle' story crazy that doesn't revolve around a 'Tarzan' character.

English Monastaries (not the proper title) - got about 3/4 of the way through before it got packed up, it's a book by English Heritage on monastic sites

Ghosts of Everest - another book about that insane British and their nutty desire to commit suicide. Interesting in that it chronicles the successful search for the body of one of the dead climbers as well. Also, learned that we get the phrase "Because it's there" from Mallory thanks to this book

In Search of the Knights Templar: A guide to the sites in Britain - been reading this one on and off, it talks about the various Templar sites in Britain, and the influence they had on things long after the buildings were gone.

RayonX

08/19/2010, 01:20

Also, one of the most interesting books I've ever read is "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. It is a book I often recommend and try to give out as gifts. For those of you who have never heard it (or have not seen the TV series that doesn't live up to it), it tries to answer the question of why European and Asian society/cultures have dominated the world. In other words (for example), why did the Europeans colonize the Americas rather than the Incas colonize China?

I've never read it, but heard amazing things. I have also bought it as a gift for someone.

RayonX

08/19/2010, 01:23

For the atheists out there : me of little faith by lewis black, was quite funny. i never thought someone could be so angry in print. it was almost like seeing him live.
in a more serious style, the god delusion by richard dawkings was interesting.

coyotejack

09/02/2010, 22:27

Oddly enough, most of what I read is non-fiction. I can sit down and read a volume of an encyclopedia before I can a novel.

DocDoom187

09/02/2010, 22:55

Woah...what happened to our books section? :(

AlienFlanders

09/03/2010, 00:26

Woah...what happened to our books section? :(

I guess no new threads, smoosh.

DocDoom187

09/03/2010, 00:37

Noooooo. Not the smoosh of death and inactivity :(

readyeddy?

09/03/2010, 06:48

Actually I think the PopRealms forum was more stagnant but this way they can keep a broader perspective.

MaxFortune

09/03/2010, 07:54

I already complained about the merge. And got yelled at for "flaming". And had my thread deleted. :laugh:

Aside from comics (and the occasional Robert E. Howard story or western), I'm almost exclusively a non-fiction reader, primarily history.

readyeddy?

09/03/2010, 08:08

lensnart

09/13/2010, 14:15

I am almost finished Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and it is an incredible read.

It is a very balanced look at the meat industry. I think it is important for me to understand both sides of the argument for and against eating meat so that I can make an informed decision. The fact that so many people avoid discussions of where their food comes from in order to stay purposefully uninformed is equally strange and irresponsible. I do still eat many kinds of meat, but I think it is important for me to know what the cost of that is.

W.I.T

09/14/2010, 23:10

Sometimes, but I prefer fiction. If I want 'real' life, I can watch the news :p

I've read 'Mein Kampf' (I was a History major in College). Interesting read to say the least.

Most of my non-fiction reading though, has been confined to text books, biographies (mostly from course I've taken), and magazines about particular subjects that interest me.

I've recently started reading some of Dr. David Suzukis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._David_Suzuki) works. All about the environment, green energy that sort of thing. I've also recently developed a keen interest in Astronomy, Astro Physics and the like. I'm looking for some good (IE not dull) books on the subject(s).

HeroFactor

09/15/2010, 16:07

I used to be a fantasy junkie. It was all I ever read. Then I met a guy who rotates books: He reads a book of choice, a history/biography, and then a current events book. I have been trying to mix it up for the past few years. Some notable non-fictiion from my reading...

1. Freakonomics - where else can you compare Sumo and public education, or McDonalds and drug dealers?
2. A biography about Bloody Mary - what a time period!
3. A biography about JRR Tolkien - what fantasy lover wouldn't want to know about him?
4. Wild at Heart - a religious look at what makes a man a man
5. The Unlikely Disciple (by Michael Roose) - a Brown Univ. student goes to Liberty Univ. for a semester.
6. Rich Dad, Poor Dad - an interesting look at personal finance
7. Bringing Up Girls (by James Dobson) - I'm still reading this one, but I'm going to need all the help I can get with my VERY strong-willed 7 year old.

Arsenalroy2k

09/15/2010, 21:03

Most of the non-fiction I tend to read is either autobiographies or books by stand-ups. Only books outside of those genres that I ever read of my own accord was "Everything Bad is Good for You" by Steven Johnson and "The Physics of Superheroes" by James Kakalios.

Gentlegamer

09/15/2010, 21:24

Over the summer, I reread the following:

Ordinary Courage: the Revolutionary War Adventures of Joseph Plumb Martin - edited by James Kirby Martin
Washington: The Indispensable Man - James Flexner
The Everlasting Man - G. K. Chesteron
Surprised by Joy - C. S. Lewis
Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Dialogues of Plato - edited by Erich Segal

Read for the first time:
Jefferson the Virginian (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 1) - Dumas Malone
Jefferson and the Rights of Man (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 2) - Dumas Malone
Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 3) - Dumas Malone
Jefferson the President, First Term (Jefferson and His Time, Vol 4) - Dumas Malone

I need to find copies of the last two volumes: Jefferson the President, Second Term; and Jefferson the Sage of Monticello.

I will soon tackle Will Durant's The Story of Civilization (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization) series. I need to find Vol 1-3 (out of 11) to complete my set.

readyeddy?

09/18/2010, 14:40

I just finished reading Nothing's Sacred by Lewis Black.

Funny stuff, though apparently he enjoys gallow's humor as evidenced by an excerpt from the Realist that he included. I've never found that to be that funny. Though what was said about LBJ was kind of believable.

CustomCreator

09/18/2010, 15:10

It's a natural human tendency to deal with death through humor, because deep down, we know the last laugh will be on us.

readyeddy?

09/18/2010, 15:14

It's a natural human tendency to deal with death through humor, because deep down, we know the last laugh will be on us.

It depends on the humor. Some of it comes off as Dolcett level disgusting to me.

HeroFactor

09/20/2010, 00:08

Has anyone ever read Becoming Batman by Dr. E. Paul Zehr? I haven't read the whole thing, but it is really interesting. He takes panels from Batman comics and analyzes what training/knowledge/experience it would take to do what he does.

readyeddy?

11/27/2010, 14:47

I just finished a biography of Charles Bukowski. The only thing I knew about him before I read it was that two movies that I remember were closely associated with him; Tales of Ordinary Madness which starred Ben Gazzara and Barfly which starred Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway.
I also remember reading a short story by him in Oui magazine many years ago.
It was interesting. I'd have to reads more of his stuff to see if he deserved the acclaim. Although I liked Tales as a movie, Barfly seems to be the movie that did a better job of capturing what he was about.

FFFAN

11/27/2010, 14:58

I'm a big reader of history, especially military history and ancient history.

RED SKULLZ

11/29/2010, 01:26

I read almost all non-fiction books.
Military manuals
Edible Plants
Homesteading
Wilderness Survival
Fishing and Hunting
Archery
Gun Books
Bowyer and Fletching related
First aid
Anything by Paladin Press

Fiction wise i only read:
D+D handbooks and modules
Palladium RPG
Comics

Smudge

11/29/2010, 16:49

I like some non-fiction every now and then. Most of it has to do with pop culture. The most recent things I've read are biographies about Kurt Cobain & Marilyn Manson, an online diary kept by Kevin Smith and a history of the punk band The Ramones.

Wade Wilson

11/29/2010, 23:40

I read the autobiography of Batman once. Very intersting.

pepper

01/21/2011, 22:45

more than i can tolerate

invisibo

01/23/2011, 00:59

If anyone here likes Baseball, A Well-Paid Slave (http://www.amazon.com/Well-Paid-Slave-Floods-Agency-Professional/dp/067003794X) was tremendous.

neutralmarkhot

01/23/2011, 20:53

If anyone here likes Baseball, A Well-Paid Slave (http://www.amazon.com/Well-Paid-Slave-Floods-Agency-Professional/dp/067003794X) was tremendous.

I'll look into it. I was just coming in here to post that I mostly read non-fiction, and mostly about baseball. And music.

Pfligman

01/26/2011, 07:18

I read almost every wrestling biography or autobiography that comes out. That's about the extent of my non-fiction reading.

Sheeplover

01/26/2011, 11:45

Let me know if the new Chris Jericho is any good.

Lignum

01/31/2011, 22:28

The only nonfiction that seems worth reading (for me) is the real old stuff (centuries ago) and/or other cultures. Then again, that makes it seem like it is fiction due to it being so alien to the way things are now.

readyeddy?

06/04/2011, 15:10

I just finished reading Barbarians, Marauders and Infidels by Antonio Santasuosso.

It enlightened me on the final days of the Roman Empire, Charlemagne, the rise of the Muslims and Joan of Arc.

A little dry at times and seemed to assume the reader had prior knowledge of some things but interesting.

Gargantua

06/04/2011, 22:06

I've gone back to reread some portions of Winston Churchill's History of the English-Speaking People. Spurred by a re-reading of "Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey, which given that it takes the form of a mystery novel, technically doesn't fit here, but she uses the device of a modern day detective using historical research to vindicate the record and reputation of Richard III, making it something of a non-fiction argument couched in the novel format, and somewhat more readable for those who don't consider themselves non-fiction readers.

torontcollectr

06/07/2011, 11:38

4 of last 5 books have been non-fiction-
George - (biography of Steinbrenner)
The Fight of the Century (Ali vs Frasier)
Bad Seeds (true story of street gang)
No Substitute for Sundays (biography Favre with Jets)
Fiction : True Evil - Greg Iles

currently reading
Twisted Triangle (Non-F)

readyeddy?

07/01/2011, 16:55

I just finished a book by the comedian Jim Norton called I Hate Your Guts. You might know him from the Opie And Anthony radio show. I know him from the old Tough Crowd talk show that was on Comedy Central.

It's a fairly funny rant about many celebs and semi celebs that annoy him.

Arsenalroy2k

07/02/2011, 00:10

invisibo

07/02/2011, 00:26

I've been hitting up the travelogues lately.

Lost on Planet China (http://www.worldcat.org/title/lost-on-planet-china-the-strange-and-true-story-of-one-mans-attempt-to-understand-the-worlds-most-mystifying-nation-or-how-he-became-comfortable-eating-live-squid/oclc/176951048&referer=brief_results)

To Hellholes and Back (http://www.worldcat.org/title/to-hellholes-and-back-bribes-lies-and-the-art-of-extreme-tourism/oclc/317928958&referer=brief_results)

Both are great, fun reads. Lost on Planet China looks closely at modern life in China (they're basically the USA of Asia, which is probably a bad thing), and to Hellholes and Back has a pretty fantastic chapter on Disney World that's worth looking at.

Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? (http://www.worldcat.org/title/do-travel-writers-go-to-hell/oclc/227002897&referer=brief_results), one of the most popular 'Gonzo Travelogues' that has come out in the past few years (alongside the aforementioned Chuck Thompson book).

If anyone's a fan of some of the shows on Travel Channel (particularly No Reservations), you'll definitely enjoy these books.

I'm also in the middle of The Red Market (http://www.worldcat.org/title/red-market-on-the-trail-of-the-worlds-organ-brokers-bone-thieves-blood-farmers-and-child-traffickers/oclc/670476234&referer=brief_results), which has been interesting, though it's actual journalism. It's a bit of a downer, but has been informative. If I wanted something fun on the same subject I'd probably read Stiff (http://www.worldcat.org/title/stiff-the-curious-lives-of-human-cadavers/oclc/50912705&referer=brief_results), though.

Wade Wilson

07/03/2011, 15:04

Do school books count?

DirkHobbes

07/05/2011, 21:43

I'll read non-fiction if my dad has something sitting out that looks interesting. There was one about how it was the arms race in the '30s that caused World War 2 (i'm not sure his premise holds up). Before that there was a book about the Dust Bowl (The Worst Hard Time, I think), one about Issac Newton's time as Warden of the Royal Mint, and another about Hemingway's patrolling for U-Boats during WW2. I thought the Newton one especially was excellent

ThorKnigh83

07/13/2011, 17:58

I read a bit of non-fiction. Its normally biographies however generally about sports. One of my favorite is Money Ball which is about Billy Bean and the Oakland A's and how Billy Bean revolutionized baseball's mentality of evaluating talent.

readyeddy?

07/25/2011, 06:31

Just finished In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

Very well told true story of the 1959 murders of the Clutter family of Kansas.

Despite the way Capote gives you insight into the minds of the two murderers, I do not feel bad that they were executed for their crimes.

speedy92286

07/26/2011, 03:47

Do school books count?

I wish it were so, but I doubt it.

I have yet to find a non-fiction book I like. My brother and one of my friends loves them, but I was always more partial to fantasy/sci-fi or Superhero novels (It's Superman! is amazing and FEELS like you are in the Great Depression).

Any recommendations?

readyeddy?

07/26/2011, 03:53

Any recommendations?

Perhaps something mentioned in this thread?

speedy92286

07/26/2011, 04:00

Perhaps something mentioned in this thread?

Just seeing if anyone had any recommendations based on my likes. Oddly enough, the second post has plenty of interesting novels. As a lover of ancient history and combat, the Viking novels mentioned look interesting.

robedestroyer

07/30/2011, 18:57

I don't really care for fiction. I'm currently reading three books...

The DO's
Healthcare Half-Truths
How Doctors Think

AlienFlanders

07/30/2011, 20:06

At the moment I am reading Under Your Feet by Blanche King, a history of the Mound builders in the US.

readyeddy?

08/02/2011, 16:10

At the moment I am reading Under Your Feet by Blanche King, a history of the Mound builders in the US.

Does it discuss Cahokia Mounds? I'm only 15 minutes away from them.

AlienFlanders

08/02/2011, 18:40

Does it discuss Cahokia Mounds? I'm only 15 minutes away from them.

I haven't finished it yet, seems to be mainly looking at Kentucky.

DirkHobbes

08/08/2011, 16:01

Last week I read Breaking Point by Stephen Koch. It's primarily about the death of a man known as Jose Robles, who was a friend of the author John Dos Passos. Koch looks at how that helped wreck a friendship between Dos Passos and Ernest Hemingway, with a little help from people working for the Soviets, as well as Hemingway's own serious mental issues. It's interesting at times (it made me want to read more about the Spanish Civil War), but I think Koch has an axe to grind with writers, actors, and other prominent Americans of the '30s who supported Stalin's rule in the USSR.

readyeddy?

08/08/2011, 16:17

DirkHobbes

08/08/2011, 19:21

That's true, but Koch already wrote a book about that topic, and I don't think it added to this book. It distracted from the central topic.

BigSoph

08/09/2011, 14:51

but I think Koch has an axe to grind with writers, actors, and other prominent Americans of the '30s who supported Stalin's rule in the USSR.

Much like modern actors stand by Fidel Castro and Chavez (and, back in the day, Saddam Hussein)

Stalin had a term for people in the West who supported communism: useful idiots

When Russia opened a lot of documentation back in 1996 it was found that most of the people who betrayed their country did not even have to be bribed

Of course, a great number of the folks in the early Russian Revolution met their ends through the machinations of the Georgian ex-priest

BigSoph

08/09/2011, 14:53

Also, if you liked reading about the Spanish Civil War, read Orwell's memoirs about his experiences, Homage to Catalonia

It was the purges on the left, dictated by the communist bosses in Moscow that disillusioned him and strongly inspired 1984

KiddGonzo

09/02/2011, 00:48

Hunter S. Thompson

DirkHobbes

09/07/2011, 16:43

I read The Spanish Labyrinth by Gerald Brenan and The Spanish Cockpit by Franz Borkenau. The first one looks at the shifts in political climate over the 130 years prior to the Spanish Civil War, and the second is Borkenau's stories about his time in Spain during 1936 and 1937. Borkenau's book reads easier (probably because he's a journalist rather than a historian), but Brenan's was highly informative. It didn't discuss the conflict itself, but it helps explain how things reached that point, and I learned a lot about some of the histories of the political parties. They work pretty well together.

SLVRSR4

09/07/2011, 17:56

I enjoy reading the occasional biography. I also enjoy the "Psychology of (BLANK)" books. Wife and I recently picked up the Psychology of the X-men. It's a look at the psychological motivations and analyzations of the characters and the plotlines of the comic books. It's good non-fiction about a fictional topic.

esigns

09/07/2011, 21:11

I read non-fiction almost exclusively. Currently working my way through Last Call which is on Prohibition, including the 70 year lead up to it, as well as Uncommon Grounds - a really good history on coffee (which I don't even drink).

Last bit of fiction...Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.

Drunky

09/07/2011, 22:05

Half way through the "Le livre noir du colonialisme" ( = the black book of colonialism) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_livre_noir_du_colonialisme).

Next on the line is "Les Confessions d'un négrier" subtitled "Les Aventures du capitaine Poudre-à-canon, trafiquant en or et en esclaves 1820-1840" ( = The Confessions of a slave trader - the adventures of Captain Blackpowder, gold and slave trader 1820-1840), by Théodore Canot.

Hopefully, these will get me into reading more non-fiction, because it's time I got into reading serious books.