# Recommend me some factual reads **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616 "2011-12-09T13:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/1 "2011-12-09T13:44:22Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Rala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@Rala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rala)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/2 "2011-12-09T13:47:41Z")
I recently read _The Language Instinct_ by Steven Pinker. I thought it was fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/3 "2011-12-09T13:52:46Z")
[King Leopold’s Ghost](http://www.amazon.com/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Heroism-Colonial/dp/0618001905) about the Belgian Congo, a fascinating read about an area of the world most people know nothing about. [In the Heart of the Sea](http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship-Essex/dp/0141001828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323438521&sr=1-1) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/4 "2011-12-09T14:03:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/5 "2011-12-09T14:23:39Z")
**One and Only** , I take it you’ve already read the Science of Discworld books? > [@Rala](#): > > I recently read _The Language Instinct_ by Steven Pinker. I thought it was fascinating. I also thought it was [very interesting](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Language-Instinct-Science-Mind-Penguin/dp/0140175296/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323440259&sr=8-1), but I’ve heard that it presents one side of an academic debate. Some others I’d recommend: [The Suspicions of Mr Whicher](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Suspicions-Mr-Whicher-Murder-House/dp/0747596484/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323440351&sr=1-1), about a victorian murder case which helped inspire the first detective novels. [1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare](http://www.amazon.co.uk/1599-Year-Life-William-Shakespeare/dp/0571214819/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323440429&sr=1-1). [The Age of Wonder](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Wonder-Romantic-Generation-Discovered/dp/0007149530/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323440469&sr=1-1), about the development of 18th century science. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/6 "2011-12-09T15:00:36Z")
For light reading, I highly recommend [“The Barmaids Brain And Other Strange Tales From Science”](http://www.amazon.ca/Barmaids-Brain-Other-Strange-Science/dp/0140260676) 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?) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/7 "2011-12-09T15:05:06Z")
I really enjoyed [The River of Doubt](http://www.amazon.com/River-Doubt-Theodore-Roosevelts-Darkest/dp/0385507968). 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. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/8 "2011-12-09T15:38:51Z")
_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. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/9 "2011-12-09T15:53:19Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/10 "2011-12-09T15:55:17Z")
I started reading [The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth](http://www.amazon.com/Species-Seekers-Heroes-Fools-Pursuit/dp/0393341321/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323444717&sr=1-1) 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_ ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/11 "2011-12-09T16:08:47Z")
If you’re at all interested in math and music, you can’t go wrong with [Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid](http://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323446831&sr=1-1), quite possibly the most interesting book I’ve ever read. For straight history, I recommend [The Great Bridge](http://www.amazon.com/Great-Bridge-Story-Building-Brooklyn/dp/0743217373/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323446886&sr=1-1), the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Truly fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![charmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@charmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charmstr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/12 "2011-12-09T16:37:16Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/13 "2011-12-09T16:47:53Z")
I’m reading T[he Disappearing Spoon](http://www.amazon.com/Disappearing-Spoon-Madness-Periodic-Elements/dp/0316051640) 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! ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/14 "2011-12-09T17:25:49Z")
I might nick a couple of these recommendations for Christmas presents. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/15 "2011-12-09T20:04:44Z")
_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 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/16 "2011-12-09T20:30:58Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Cubicle\_Rebel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cubicle\_Rebel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubicle_Rebel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/17 "2011-12-09T21:19:53Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/18 "2011-12-09T22:44:08Z")
_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 ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/19 "2011-12-09T22:56:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616/20 "2011-12-09T23:06:57Z")
This should be mandatory reading for everyone in North America - [Where Underpants Come From: From Checkout to Cotton Field; Travels Through the New China.](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Underpants-Come-Checkout-Travels/dp/1847370012) 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). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-factual-reads/605616.md?page=2)