I’m looking for Christmas presents for a person who loves Bill Bryson’s books and has read every one of them.
Ever since the Bryson oeuvre was exhausted last year, I have had a hard time finding similar stuff. Bryson’s travel writings are the favourites, but the stuff on language, history and science is also well liked. Bryson appeals in particular because of his charm and wit, and the way he seamlessly integrates his own cheerful, wry personality into the narrative; and not least because his prose is so accessible and readable without being simplistic.
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester was a success last year. As was Dava Sobel’s Longitude. These are not, I think, humorous books, but certainly covering colourful and interesting corners of history, and exactly the kind of writing that this person likes.
How about Henry Petroski? His To Engineer is Human is a fascinating look at engineering disasters. The Pencil is all about the history and development of that most ordinary of writing implements. He writes for a lay audience, by the way. You don’t have to be interested in engineering, per se, to enjoy his books.
Vince Staten also writes some fun books, like Did Monkeys invent the Monkey Wrench, about the history of hardware items. His stuff is very light, but interesting.
I think a person who likes Bryson and the other books you mention would really enjoy either of these guys.
(And did your giftee read The Perfect Storm? Fabulous book. The movie, not so much.)
I’m anxious to see what other people suggest, as I’m a Bryson fan, and always looking for interesting non-fiction that’s not too heavy.
Ah, yes – I was looking at his The Evolution of Useful Things. Thanks for the other titles, I shall hunt them down.
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
I suspect the subject matter is too violent and depressing.
So far I have also picked up Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick, about Charles Wilkes’ mid-1800s expedition in the Southern Pacific, which looks very good and well-written, and chock full of the sort of colourful naval history that my “giftee” loves; and also Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams (whom I consider one of the world’s finest comedic writers) and Mark Carwardine, about their travels “to the remote island of Komodo in search of dragons, equipped only with a zoologist, a BBC producer and a dead goat.” May be of interest to you, as well.
Good suggestion. The problem is, this person has seen Palin’s TV series – all of them; correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Palin’s travel books are all based on the series, and are not really adding anything new into the mix.
Road Fever by Tim Cahill is a great romp of a tale, with humor, adventure, and poignant moments, about two guys trying for a record time driving from the southernmost to the northernmost drivable road in the western hemisphere.
One of the best-known travel writers is Paul Theroux. He’s not really a humorist, but his observations are sharp and interesting. I liked The Great Railway Bazaar when I read it many years ago. The Old Patagonian Express is about his trip by train all the way through the Americas. (And speaking of Patagonia, I also like Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia very much – though also not humorous.)
If you want a fun travel book, how about At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig by Johm Gimlette? Definitely the funniest (and possibly only) travel writing about Paraguay.
If you’re after interesting historical/factual books, there’s Nathaniel’s Nutmeg - a look at a very small part of the British involvement in the 16[sup]th[/sup] century spice trade. It’s a lot more interesting than it sounds. Or, perhaps, there’s Cod by Mark Kurlansky. It’s the history of a fish. Actually, all of his books are a really good read.
If you want to get something totally different, how about a cook book? The Decadent Cookbook isn’t your average list of recipies.
I recommend Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks. Tony bets some pub friends £100 that he could hitchhike around Ireland with a mini-fridge. The book is about his travels and the people he meets.
I highly recommend Sean’s Condon’s hilarious, dark, bleary-eyed travel books Sean & David’s Long Drive (through his native Australia), My 'Dam Life: Three Years in Holland, and Drive Thru America, and not just because he’s a friend of mine (actually, he’s a friend of mine because I wrote him a fan letter after reading his marvelous books).
It’s fiction, but one of my favorite books of all time is Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor. I read it first in fourth grade, and it wasn’t until seventh grade that I realized it was fiction. If you grew up in a dinky Midwest town, it’s almost uncomfortably close to home, if only because you can see yourself and your family in these imaginary people.
They still might well be appreciated; speaking for myself, I’ve watched most of Palin’s travel series and I still thoroughly enjoy reading and re-reading the books - Palin does have a remarkable talent for writing to put the reader right there in the situation with him.
Pete McCarthy, who sadly died this year, wrote two superb travel books that would definitely appeal to Bryson fans: McCarthy’s Bar (about travelling around Ireland), and The Road to McCarthy (travelling around lots of other places).