# Do you know of any non-fiction page-turners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761 "2005-02-12T18:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/41 "2005-02-13T01:07:43Z")
One top recommendation would have to be **In Cold Blood** by Truman Capote. When this came out (1966) many said Capote had more or less invented a new genre - the non-fiction novel. This wasn’t really true, but it’s a fair enough description of the brilliant way Capote decided to tell this particular crime story. If you think you know good non-fiction writing, read this and realise why Capote is held in such high esteem. He really raised the bar. He repeated the trick a while later with Hand-carved Coffins, a shorter effort in similar vein. **Final Cut** by Steven Bach. Complete account of the making of Heaven’s Gate, the movie that sank a studio, written by the only man who was involved from start to finish. **Last Chance To See** by Douglas Adams. Best thing he ever wrote, IMHO. Series of travelogues with an ecological theme. Funny, provocative, superbly well-written, and with that gripping quality you’re looking for. **The Great Shark Hunt** by Hunter S. Thompson. Readable, entertaining page-turners don’t come much grippier than this. Unique style, unique views. **C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too** by John Diamond. British journalist and broadcaster John Diamond’s account of his battle with cancer, which he eventually lost (he died on 2001). Honestly, it’s not the maudlin, macabre read you might thnk it is. It’s just wonderful beyond words. **The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment** by Isabel Losada. Impartial and independent writer decides to try out every ‘self-help’ and ‘self-improvement’ therapy in the world (more or less) and describes her journey through this voyage of enlightenment. Great writing, very funny, insightful, charming. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/42 "2005-02-13T01:08:45Z")
Completely agree about **The Devil in the White City** as well as **The Perfect Storm.** I’ve been enjoying **All I Did Was Ask** , which is a collection of interviews by Terry Gross of NPR. (Dennis Hopper, Mario Puzo, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Cash, Jodie Foster, John Updike etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/43 "2005-02-13T01:18:39Z")
Couple of winners by me… **Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, '72** Hunter S Thompson covering Nixon’s re-election. Some terrifying and funny stuff. Refreshingly, it doesn’t present Nixon as a one dimensional ogre out to kill or maim or whatever everyone he saw. He comes across as human for a change. **The Transparent Society** by David Brin. A look at how privacy is going the way of the Dodo and some thoughts on how to cope with it. **The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract** by Bill James. A niche item, I admit. But James effectively defines the entire history of baseball from the beginning in the 1800s to the present day with more information than you were aware existed. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/44 "2005-02-13T01:23:24Z")
Mmmmm, I’m late. A good non-fiction (auto-biographical, but damn entertaining) writer is Augusten Burroughs. His book [Running with scissors](http://augusten.com/books_running.php) is a bit shocking, > [@augusten.com](#): > > "The #1 bestseller, Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. [Dry](http://augusten.com/books_dry.php) will make you laugh and cry. (Dammit, that rhymes) > [@](#): > > You may not know it, but you’ve met Augusten Burroughs. You’ve seen him on the street, in bars, on the subway, at restaurants: a twenty-something guy, nice suit, works in advertising. Regular. Ordinary. But when the ordinary person had two drinks, Augusten was circling the drain by having twelve; when the ordinary person went home at midnight, Augusten never went home at all. And [URL=]Magical Thinking. > [@](#): > > A contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady. The execution of a rodent carried out with military precision and utter horror. Telemarketing revenge. A different kind of “roof work.” Dating an undertaker who shows up in a minivan. This is the fabric of Augusten Burroughs’ life: a collection of true stories that are universal in their appeal yet unabashedly intimate; stories that shine a flashlight into both dark and hilarious places. With Magical Thinking Augusten Burroughs goes where other memoirists fear to tread. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/45 "2005-02-13T01:29:36Z")
It’s ancient history by now, but there are a couple of very good non-fictions about the 1992 presidential election out there. [Mad As Hell: Revolt at the Ballot Box, 1992](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446516503/ref%3Dnosim/sealarksgoodbook/002-4825016-1224068) by Jack Germond and Jules Witcover is well-written and pretty thorough. [All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684801337/qid=1108258854/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/002-4825016-1224068) recounts the race from the viewpoint of BOTH candidates, through the eyes of Mary Matalin and James Carville, the Beatrice and Benedick of modern politics. VERY amusing, if you’re a political geek like me. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/46 "2005-02-13T01:49:24Z")
**The Fatal Shore** by Robert Hughes – a fascinating work about the founding of Australia. **The Civil War: A Narrative** by Shelby Foote – long (three volumes originally, now seven or eight), but never slow. **The Price of Glory** by Alaistair Horne – story of the battle of Verdun, stark and fascinating. **Lusatania** by Diana Preston – the story of the most important shipwreck of the 20th century. **A Night to Remember** by Walter Lord – Changed the Titanic from an obscure, forgotten event into the best-known shipwreck of the 20th century. **An Underground Education** by Richard Zack – fascinating stories about the weird and odd customs throughout the ages. **The Empire State Building** by John Tauranac – the epic tale of an epic building. Starting from the first sentence, it never lets up. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/47 "2005-02-13T02:43:44Z")
Virtually anything by Bill Bryson. Most of his books are travelogues, and they’re always a pleasure to read and re-read. I especially recommend **In a Sunburned Country** , which is about his travels through Australia, and **A Walk in the Woods** , which is about his attempt to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail. **A Short History of Nearly Everything** isn’t a travelogue, but it was another book of Bryson’s that I just couldn’t put down. **Krakatoa** by Simon Winchester. **Why People Believe Weird Things** by Michael Shermer. **The Beak of the Finch** by Jonathan Weiner. (You were pretty close on the author’s name, **Kyla**.) **The Code Book** by Simon Singh. **The Cuckoo’s Egg** by Clifford Stoll **Last Chance to See** by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine. (Yes, _that_ Douglas Adams.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/48 "2005-02-13T02:49:20Z")
Gahhh! How could we forget?! **The Straight Dope, Return of the Straight Dope, Triumph of the Straight Dope, More of the Straight Dope,** and **The Straight Dope Tells All** , all by Cecil Adams (and occasionally, Ed Zotti). _performs propitionary obeisance to the Perfect Master for our oversight_ ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/49 "2005-02-13T02:54:13Z")
Ya wanna read nonfiction that’s **fun?** I gotcher fun right here! 🙂 _Adventures in Unhistory: Conjectures on the Factual Foundations of Several Ancient Legends,_ by Avram Davidson (Owlswick Press 1993). You might have a hard time finding this one – Owlswick is a very small imprint – but it’s worth the effort. It has been said of the late Davidson (see [http://www.avramdavidson.org/;](http://www.avramdavidson.org/;) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avram\_Davidson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avram_Davidson)) that his prose “begs to be read aloud.” Most of his ouvre is in fantasy, SF and mysteries (he was one of several authors who wrote as “Ellery Queen”). But this book is a collection of fascinating essays about the life of Aleister Crowley, the origins of the legends of Prester John, mermaids, the phoenix, and many others. Novelist James Howard Kunstler has written several books of criticism about suburban sprawl, automobile dependency, city planning and modern architecture: _The Geography of Nowhere, Home from Nowhere,_ and _The City in Mind._ These are much, much better reads than you might expect of writing on such dry topics. Look for his forthcoming _The Long Emergency_ – should be out in a couple of months. You can check out his website at [www.kunstler.com](http://www.kunstler.com). The same is true of _The Next American Nation,_ a political tract by Michael Lind. You might want to skip straight to the last chapter and read his descriptions of four imaginary “museums” of the American myth(s). Compelling stuff! Especially the mural with the “American Christ” riding as a gunslinger, about to wreak vengeance on Babylon with the help of his fleet of flying saucers full of football quarterbacks. I know, I know, but Lind actually makes it **work!** Brings tears to your eyes! ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/50 "2005-02-13T03:10:24Z")
I’m going to second _Stiff_ by Mary Roach. Hilarious and informative, assuming you can stand all the gore. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/51 "2005-02-13T03:25:04Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I once read the first part of a (very long) book on the life of Peter the Great the title and author of which I can’t remember now (it was over 10 years ago). I never got to the second part because it was being used as a required-reading book for a roommate’s Russian history class and he had to take it back from me before I was anywhere near done. I certainly remember it as a very interesting, almost novel-like view of the Czar’s life. I’m sure someone on the boards will know what it’s called and who wrote it, which is why I’m throwing it out here in the first place, despite a lack of identifying characteristics… 😃 Robert Massie? The book won the Pulitzer and he’s also known for writing _Nicholas and Alexandra_. If you read _A Night To Remember_, be sure and read the follow-up, _The Night Lives On_, written after Ballard rediscovered the wreckage. \*Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese \* and _Mind Over Matters_ by Michael J. Nelson of _MST3K_ fame are hysterical. _Queen Victoria’s Gene: Hemophilia and the Royal Family_ by D. M. Potts & W.T.W Potts. But take their opinion on old Victoria being a bastard with a grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/52 "2005-02-13T03:38:09Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Robert Massie? The book won the Pulitzer and he’s also known for writing _Nicholas and Alexandra_. [That’s it!](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345298063/ref=sib_rdr_dp/002-4825016-1224068) Damn…it’s still compelling just reading the couple pages they let you preview on Amazon. Definitely going on my list for the next trip to the library… ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/53 "2005-02-13T04:55:29Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > And I can’t believe it hasn’t been mentioned yet, since I found out about it through the numerous recommendations here on this very Board: _Guns, Germs and Steel_ by Jared Diamond. Fascinating book about society, geography, and ecology, and of course, guns and germs and how it all came together. I came in this thread just because I knew someone would post this and I just had to say that I couldn’t disagree more. I was shocked into speechlessness by how dry and boring this book was, especially since - like you - I had heard time and time again how great it was here on the boards. After suffering through the first 100 pages or so I finally abandoned it and passed it along to all my friends and family members that are interested in the types of things the book discusses and they unanimously hated it. BIG thumbs down for Guns, Germs, and Steel. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/54 "2005-02-13T04:55:55Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > **Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil** by John Berendt. The book is much more interesting and entertaining than the movie. Seconded. This book was wonderful, and the author really brought the people involved to life. OTOH, **The Perfect Storm** was the most difficult book I’ve ever had to read in college and I was an English major, so all I ever did was read. - 75 to 100 pages of drama and 300 pages of mind-numbing description. If you feel the burning need to know how you clinically drown, and all there is to know about storing fish catches, it’s the book for you. Otherwise… It pains me when people say they don’t like fiction, but I can somewhat relate since I rarely read non-fiction unless it’s how-to, but I doubt you’d want to read a book about Paint Shop Pro 8. I _do_, however, like biographies, and some really good ones are **And I Don’t Want to Live This Life** by Deborah Spungen and **A Child Called It/Lost Boy/A Man Named Dave** by David Pelzer. **Angela’s Ashes** by Frank McCourt was good (not very stylishly written, but a good story nonetheless) and ' **Tis** was okay. I also really liked **Roots** and **Queen** by Alex Haley and \*\*A Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius \*\* by Dave Eggers, but all three are only arguably non-fiction. I think we’re all prone to reimagining and embellishment to some degree, so I forgive them if those books aren’t 100% truthful. YMMV If you develop a taste for life stories, there are many fictional books that don’t really feel that “made up” because the people feel real and have realistic problems. **Ximena at the Crossroads** by Laura Riesco, **Jewel** by Bret Lott, **Icy Sparks** by Gwyn Hyman Rubio and **Witch Child** & \*\*Sorceress \*\* by Celia Rees are some examples of books that lull you into thinking that there’s been a mistake made, and they were accidentally labelled as fiction 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/55 "2005-02-13T05:14:30Z")
[The Professor and the Madman](http://simonwinchester.com/books/pm_description.asp) I can’t recommend this book enough. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/56 "2005-02-13T05:40:56Z")
Non-fiction is _all_ I read (well, except Lemony Snicket, of course). I second **In Cold Blood**. This really turned me on to the true-crime genre. Also, **Helter Skelter** by Vincent Bugliosi. If you haven’t read it yet, do it. One of the most interesting books I’ve ever read is [Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312421702/qid=1108273475/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-8679234-9011809?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). Talk about a page-turner! Just recently read [The Tipping Point](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316346624/qid=1108273659/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-8679234-9011809) by Malcolm Gladwell. He just released a new book **Blink** , which I’m gonna pick up as soon as it’s in paperback! Right now I’m in the middle of **The Art of Travel** , by Alain de Botton, and I’m really into it (maybe because I love to travel). Another one I’ve heard is really great, but haven’t read yet myself, is [We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312243359/qid=1108273958/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/103-8679234-9011809) ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/57 "2005-02-13T05:45:14Z")
Well, off the top of my head I can recommend _And The Band Played On_ and _Conduct Unbecoming_, both by Randy Shilts. I found _ATBPO_ after seeing the telemovie made for (IIRC) HBO. Fascinating stuff - but they are both on homosexuality, so you’d have to be reasonably open-minded on the topic. From an autobiography standpoint, I enjoyed both _Me : Stories of My Life_ by Katherine Hepburn and _Ingrid Bergman: My Story_ by Ingrid Bergman. Of course, as autobiographies they are somewhat biased toward their subject. 🙂 A little farther back in history brings us to \*Eleanor of Aquitaine : A Life \* by Alison Weir. This one is a little more dry, but still enjoyable. A lot of good stuff already listed; if you’re willing to give a “different” type of fiction a try, I’d recommend the place-oriented books by James Michener - particularly _The Source_, _Texas_, and _Chesapeake_. I’ve been told _Hawaii_ is excellent, but for some reason I’ve never been able to get through it, although I can read just about anything else the man has written. And if somehow you’ve made it through school without reading _The Diary of Anne Frank_, I’d recommend that paired with _Anne Frank Remembered_ by Miep Gies. (There are some other good ones on this topic, I’m told, but I haven’t caught all of them yet myself. A very similar & very good book is _The Hiding Place_ by Corrie Ten Boom. I’m going to stop now before this turns into the marathon post from hell - in 3D. Too late, already has. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/58 "2005-02-13T05:46:57Z")
This thread is like a dream come true!! It’s so hard to find good non-fiction, it’s great to hear some Doper recommendations. I’m thinking about printing out this thread before my next trip to the library. I just finished **Salt: A World History** by Mark Kurlansky. Lots of “wow, I didn’t realize that’s how they did that” moments in this one. I’ve heard good things about **The Philosopher’s Dog** (can’t remember author) I can’t say enough good things about **Seabiscuit**. I’ve read it 3 times and will probly read it again soon. It’s like being with old friends again to go back to the story. No matter what you think of his politics, Charlton Heston’s autobiography **In the Arena** is an engaging read. He has been involved in so many classic productions, it’s a great overview of “old hollywood”. (He doesn’t talk about the NRA at all) Would George Carlin’s **Brain Droppings** be considered non-fiction? I can’t wait to get his new one **When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?** ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/59 "2005-02-13T07:28:45Z")
_Jumping Fire; A Smokejumper’s Memoir of Fighting Wildfire_ by Murry A. Taylor I second _Icebound_ and _The Coming Plague_ _Alive!_ is an older one that you’ll be able to find in a used book store. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761/60 "2005-02-13T09:22:04Z")
> [@Tracy Lord](#): > > “The Da Vinci Code.” > > _d & r_ Instead try _Holy Blood, Holy Grail_ by historians Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. It is their theory that Brown stole for his book. They are sueing him. Among autobiographies try: _Travels_ by Michael Crichton. I don’t like his fiction but this is very good. He skips huge chunks of his life to concentrate on meaningful events. _A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius_ by Dave Eggers. Part autobiography, part God knows what. Races along. Read everything even the endpapers. _Point Last Seen_ by Hannah Nyala. A woman tracker deals with lost tourists and her nutball husband. _The Last Victim_ by Jason Moss. Jason decides a good school assignment will be to become the penpal of serial killers. His visit with John Wayne Gacy is an eye-opener. _X-Ray_ by Ray Davies. The head Kink makes himself a character in a book about him, as a young employee of a faceless corporation interviewing grumpy old Ray Davies “the musician”. _The Diary of a Young Girl_ Anne Frank. _Private Parts_ by Howard Stern. Damn funny and lots happening. _Breaking Blue_ by Timothy Egan. While doing a college assignment a cop in Washington state uncovers a 50 year old murder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-of-any-non-fiction-page-turners/289761.md?page=4)