I read a lot, but for the most part it is SF&F stories. I want to change the balance a bit by reading some educational stuff. I have decided to start with Dawkins’ ‘The Selfish Gene’ which I have on my kindle now.
What factual books would you recommend I add to my list?
I recently read The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker. I thought it was fascinating.
King Leopold’s Ghost about the Belgian Congo, a fascinating read about an area of the world most people know nothing about.
In the Heart of the Sea a true story that inspired Moby Dick, I could have done without the scenes depicting animal cruelty but for the most part it was a harrowing tale of castaways, cannibals and 19th century seafaring.
Anything by Barbara Tuchman is eminently readable. She usually frames her history books around a central theme or character, uses well-flowing, non-stilted language, and is just opinionated enough to be fun rather than over-the-top non-objective. Her most famous one is The Guns of August, which does not form around a central character or theme (and in fact relegates the climax of the action, the turning back of the initial German offensive in World War 1, to the post-script,) but is still well written and a good read.
One and Only, I take it you’ve already read the Science of Discworld books?
I also thought it was very interesting, but I’ve heard that it presents one side of an academic debate.
Some others I’d recommend:
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, about a victorian murder case which helped inspire the first detective novels.
1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare.
The Age of Wonder, about the development of 18th century science.
For light reading, I highly recommend “The Barmaids Brain And Other Strange Tales From Science” by Jay Ingram. It’s a collection of balanced essays on various unusual topics in science (e.g. Were the Salem witch trials caused by ergotism? Did Joan of Arc have temporal lobe epilepsy?)
I really enjoyed The River of Doubt. It’s about how Theodore Roosevelt, having lost his bid for reelection, decided to escape his depression and frustration by mounting an expedition to explore an uncharted river in the Amazon and how the trip darn near killed him.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond. Humanity from a zoologist’s perspective.
River Out of Eden by Dawkins. Postulating the genetic drive of evolution via organisms as vessels for genes, rather than the primacy of organisms.
Why the West Rules (For Now) by Ian Morris. Am reading this at the moment. Really fascinating macro-history view of mankind, using indices of civilization - with a quite shitty title.
My favourite non-fiction book of all though: Krakatoa by Simon Winchester. It goes into every imaginable aspect of the Krakatau explosion of 1883 - geological, historical, biological, societal etc. Absolutely fascinating book, brilliantly researched, well written yet succinct. Highly recommended.
I was also going to recommend The Guns of August. Given that you like F&SF, I’d suggest any book of essays by Stephen Jay Gould, or his book Wonderful Life, which deals with the Burgess Shale fossils. I’ve also enjoyed a lot of Asimov’s nonfiction.
I started reading The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth last summer and it was a complete delight. However, I picked it up in the home where I was staying, and left before I could get very far into it. I’d like to finish it; maybe I’ll check the library soon.
Description from Amazon:
“This beautifully written book has the verve of an adventure story.”—Wall Street Journal
From the mid-eighteenth century to the early twentieth, a colorful band of amateur naturalists explored the most perilous corners of the planet to discover new life-forms. Amid globe-spanning tales of adventure, Richard Conniff recounts a dramatic historical shift, as humans finally discovered the pantheon of life on Earth-and our place within it. 36 black-and-white illustrations
If you’re at all interested in math and music, you can’t go wrong with Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, quite possibly the most interesting book I’ve ever read.
For straight history, I recommend The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Truly fascinating.
The non-fiction I read falls into several distinct categories. I had no idea this was so until I started compiling this list for you. It turns out I read popular science, books about dogs, travelogues, history and quirky books about general stuff. I’ve read, enjoyed, and recommended a lot of books this year, but here’s a short list:
[ol]
[li]The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. I picked this book because you have already picked up one of Dawkins’ books. If you hadn’t, I probably would have recommended my favorite of his books, An Ancestor’s Tale.[/li][li]Marley and Me by John Grogan. If you like dogs, you could also check out Merle’s Door by Ted Kerasote. The dog always dies at the end of books about dogs, but if the books is really good, it’s about more than just the dog.[/li][li]A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson or anything else by him, really. His travelogues are uniformly excellent and his Short History of Nearly Everything is a great introduction to science.[/li][li]The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. This is the first of a three-volume biography. I’ve only read the first two but will be starting the third soon. [/li][li]Bonk by Mary Roach. Mary Roach’s books are funny and informative. This may be the best book about sex ever. If you enjoy it, you should also check out her book about death, Stiff.[/li][/ol]
Hope this helps.
I’m reading The Disappearing Spoon right now and really enjoying it.
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Michael Pollen’s books yet, so I’ll get in a plug for those, especially The Botany of Desire.
I’m also a big fan of Richard Preston. I particularly liked The Wild Trees.
I’m definitely checking out everyone’s recs in this thread!
I might nick a couple of these recommendations for Christmas presents.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Prisoner’s Dilemma by William Poundstone
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley
I can see it’s going to take me a while to get through these!
Ones I’ve already read
Guns, Germs & Steel
Mother tongue
Brief History of almost everything
freakonomics
Bad Science
“Factual”, huh?
The books I was going to recommend are already here, like Freakonomics (1 & 2).
Since theories aren’t considered factual, guess I can’t mention Malcolm Gladwell.
The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester. The best book you will ever read about insane people making dictionaries.
I am about half way thru The Devil in the White City. So far, so good. So very good.
If autobiographies count, read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, but do so with a grain of salt. And Frederick Douglass, but without the salt.
Regards,
Shodan
Not exactly hot off the presses, but I was astounded by Walter Lord’s Incredible Victory, an account of the Battle of Midway. Reads like a fast-paced thriller, but displays tremendous scholarship as well as showing the conflict from both sides. I can’t recommend it enough.
This should be mandatory reading for everyone in North America - Where Underpants Come From: From Checkout to Cotton Field; Travels Through the New China. It’s a truly fascinating look at how we can have such cheap goods in North America that are made in China and shipped here (like three for a dollar underpants).