# Who is your favorite nonfiction writer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685 "2009-09-26T22:49:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/1 "2009-09-26T22:49:18Z")
Who is your favorite nonfiction writer/s? I think I would go with Roach for humor and Koestler/Lakoff for content and depth. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/2 "2009-09-26T23:29:22Z")
Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux for tales about travel. David Sedaris for, well, tales. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/3 "2009-09-26T23:43:38Z")
Barbara Tuchman if the subject is history. Jorge Luis Borges for his wit and infinite knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/4 "2009-09-27T00:02:30Z")
Both Hunter S Thompson and Tom Wolfe are MUCH better non-fiction writers than they are when they attempt to take on writing novels… ---
**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:** [September 27, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/5 "2009-09-27T00:07:32Z")
Bill Bryson (on just about anything), [Alastair Horne](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_Horne) and Shelby Foote (for history), ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/6 "2009-09-27T00:12:59Z")
William Poundstone. My favorite books of his are as follows: The Recursive Universe - It has an excellent exposition of Conway’s game of life. It also discusses information theory, computing, and the idea of self-replicating machines. It’s one of the books I read as a teenager that really got me interested in mathematics. Prisoner’s Dilemma - Contains a fascinating introduction to game theory along with its history and connection with the cold war. It’s also a very interesting biography of John von Neumann. All wrapped neatly together in an excellent book. Labyrinths of Reason - This one talks about logic, computational complexity, and paradoxes. Plus, it has a neat chapter written as if it’s a Sherlock Holmes short story. Gaming the Vote - This book talks about Arrow’s paradox, voting systems, and the limits of democracy. It also delves into historical accounts of oddities that occurred in elections. It’s a captivating book that weaves mathematics, history, and current events together. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/7 "2009-09-27T00:26:06Z")
People who have written more than one book that I have read: Bill Bryson George Orwell Richard Feynman Tom Wolfe Colin Wilson Jon Krakauer ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/8 "2009-09-27T00:47:50Z")
If I had to pick just one, it would easily be Alison Weir. Others I really like are John McPhee, Bill Bryson, and Tracy Kidder. My all-time favorite non-fiction book is _Ship Of Gold In The Deep Blue Sea_, by Gary Kinder, but he never (yet) wrote anything else anywhere near as good. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/9 "2009-09-27T00:48:47Z")
> [@breezman](#): > > William Poundstone. Seconded ---
**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:** [September 27, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/10 "2009-09-27T00:51:00Z")
I am a big fan of [Richard Preston](http://www.richardpreston.net/). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/11 "2009-09-27T00:53:47Z")
Toss-up between David Quammen (_The Song of the Dodo_) and Michael Pollan (_The Botany of Desire_). ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/12 "2009-09-27T01:10:00Z")
I second Michael Pollan. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/13 "2009-09-27T01:19:20Z")
Stephen King, “On Writing.” ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/14 "2009-09-27T01:22:49Z")
Tom Wolfe R. Buckminster Fuller E. H. Gombrich Douglas Hofstadter Thomas Carlyle Willy Ley ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/15 "2009-09-27T01:29:49Z")
I agree with Bryson, Krakauer, and Weir. Others not already mentioned, with a couple of my favorite books for each: P.J. O’Rourke (Republican Party Reptiles, Give War a Chance) James Reston, Jr. (Warriors of God, The Last Apocolypse) Simon Winchester (The Professor and the Madman, Krakatoa) Simon Schama (A History of Britain) ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/16 "2009-09-27T01:40:08Z")
**David Quammen** , again \*\*Tim Cahill \*\*(Pecked to Death by Ducks, Jaguars Are Eating My Leg, and others) **PJ O’Rourke** (I prefer his earlier books, like Holidays in Hell and Eat the Rich.) And of course, **Cecil Adams** ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/17 "2009-09-27T01:40:20Z")
I agree on Simon Winchester Simon Schama I’ll add John McFee Annie Dillard ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/18 "2009-09-27T05:09:36Z")
I really like Peter Cave’s stuff about philosophy. Very interesting stuff ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/19 "2009-09-27T15:02:06Z")
Yes, Tim Cahill! I thought of him, couldn’t remember his name, he’s excellent. Jon Krakauer - I read the first chapter of Into Thin Air and ran and told Mr. S he must - he MUST - read this book right after I did. Ruth Riehl and Laurie Cowrie, food writers. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685/20 "2009-09-27T15:37:26Z")
Garry Wills [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-your-favorite-nonfiction-writer/511685.md?page=2)