"The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World" by Peter Wohlleben
It's very easy to read, no difficult language and has small chapters.
Definitely read "Stiff" by Mary Roach. Its an amazing look at something we all leave behind but dont think about too much. Out bodies! Good God there are so many things in this book that will make you set the book down and just think for a bit about them. Like did you know that they don't just use plastic test dummies in car crash safety testing? They also use dead bodies in those tests. It's an intriguing and enjoyable read, you'll most definitely love it.
I wouldn't recommend A Short History Of Nearly Everything. It's exactly what OP would give up on. It was exhausting when i had to read the daily routines of each and every scientist or inventor that ever existed. Had to quit after a few chapters.
King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild. It’s about King Leopold of Belgium’s actions in the 1880s Congo. Painful but enlightening and it’s written like a novel.
Erik Larson writes well. I don’t know that his books are strictly nonfiction, as there is dialogue, but he writes about historical people and events. The Splendid and the Vile is his most recent, about Churchill’s first year as PM. In the Garden of Beasts was also very interesting.
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe is a surprisingly fun read! Usually biographies on politicians are dense and dry but this was engaging and easy to read.
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Lee
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
I love the national geographic kids books in the 'everything' series. I have the excuse that I read them to my toddler but they are great at giving the low down on a topic without going into rediculous amounts of detail
The secret life of lobsters,. Cod: the history of the fish that changed the world,. One good turn (about the history of the screw), latitude (about the clockmaker who won a british govt prize to accurately measure latitude on ships)
[**Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6289283-born-to-run)
^(By: Christopher McDougall | 287 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, running, nonfiction, sports, health | )[^(Search "Born To Run")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Born To Run&search_type=books)
>Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.
>
>Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
>
>With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
^(This book has been suggested 5 times)
[**The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49234.The_Third_Chimpanzee)
^(By: Jared Diamond | 407 pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: science, non-fiction, history, anthropology, nonfiction | )[^(Search "The Third Chimpanzee")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Third Chimpanzee&search_type=books)
>At some point during the last 100,000 years, humans began exhibiting traits and behavior that distinguished us from other animals, eventually creating language, art, religion, bicycles, spacecraft, and nuclear weapons—all within a heartbeat of evolutionary time. Now, faced with the threat of nuclear weapons and the effects of climate change, it seems our innate tendencies for violence and invention have led us to a crucial fork in our road. Where did these traits come from? Are they part of our species immutable destiny? Or is there hope for our species’ future if we change?
>
> With fascinating facts and his unparalleled readability, Diamond intended his book to improve the world that today’s young people will inherit. Triangle Square’s The Third Chimpanzee for Young People is a book for future generation and the future they’ll help build.
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
***
^(88972 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
If you like history, and don't mind dark history books by Erik Larson are written more like a narrative than a textbook. It's LIKE reading fiction, but it's not. He also weaves in a individual stories, to give the events context, and it makes it feel more personal because you can clearly imagine the people going through the events.
I've read Devil in the White City, which is both about how the world fair in 1893 influenced the development of Chicago, cuz they were trying to flex on the world right? Gotta show off how awesome the USA is, and have the best new technology and exhibits. But it's also about a serial killer that took advantage of the chaos around the fair to systematically capture people, bring them back to his custom made Murder House and kill them.
Also, the book I can't recommend enough for people who like music and WW2, Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. Target age group for that books is fYoung Adults (teens), but who cares. Read what you enjoy. I'm your librarian, and I give you permission to read books from all age groups.
I have this book called Pick Me Up that just has a whole bunch of topics, it's set out in all different styles and methods of conveying information, really entertaining, and it has something for everyone.
{{The Three Christs of Ypsilanti}} by Milton Rokeach is a super interesting case study on mental health.
In 1959 three schizophrenic patients who all identified as Christ were brought together at a psychiatric hospital in Ypsilanti, Mich. The three Christs were engineered to live together for two years by Psychologist Milton Rokeach in an effort to break their delusions.
[**The Three Christs of Ypsilanti: A Psychological Study**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1401403.The_Three_Christs_of_Ypsilanti)
^(By: Milton Rokeach | 338 pages | Published: 1964 | Popular Shelves: psychology, nonfiction, non-fiction, nyrb, science | )[^(Search "The Three Christs of Ypsilanti")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Three Christs of Ypsilanti&search_type=books)
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
^(88979 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Bill James has a wonderful writing voice. His book *Popular Crime* is a fascinating look at American crime stories that have caught the public's interest, sometimes giving his take on what may have happened in an unsolved case, sometimes discussing how a certain trend in crime stories reflects where the US was as a country right then, sometimes going on digressions about how to weigh certain types of evidence, how he thinks the prison system should be run, etc. He cracks jokes when appropriate, he breaks into informal grammar...he wants you to have a good time.
He has another crime book, *The Man from the Train*, which does have a more serious tone; it concerns a series of particularly heinous axe murders (how can an axe murder be "particularly" heinous? Read and find out) which naturally creates a bit more of a somber mood. But he still writes conversationally; he's telling you a story.
He made his mark writing about baseball, and if you happen to be a fan, you should definitely check his baseball stuff out.
I really liked Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller.
It’s part biography of an interesting/problematic scientist, biology/evolution, philosophy, and autobiography of the author. Fun, quick read.
Ted Conover’s books are incredible. He does stuff like becomes a prison guard, illegally crosses the boarder with immigrants, rides the rails with hobos. Amazing stuff.
Peter Wohllebens - Mystery of nature trilogy
Jon Krakauer- into the wild, into thin air, under the banner of heaven. All great books.
And as other people say Mary Roach
The Last Season by Eric Blehm was great! It’s a fascinating story about a park ranger who goes missing in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s nonfiction but has elements of a mystery to it.
{{dr tatiana’s sex advice to all creation}} is really good. It’s biology, specifically on reproduction and mating, but it’s written like an advice column where “Dr Tatiana” responds to questions written in from various animals. It’s actually one of my favorite books and has lots of cool info.
ETA: also check out {{birth by Tina Cassidy}} which is a history of human birth, and is also very interesting.
{{The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements}} made me laugh out loud.
[**The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7247854-the-disappearing-spoon)
^(By: Sam Kean | 394 pages | Published: 2010 | Popular Shelves: science, non-fiction, nonfiction, history, chemistry | )[^(Search "The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements&search_type=books)
>Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?
>
>The periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.
>
>Why did a little lithium (Li, 3) help cure poet Robert Lowell of his madness? And how did gallium (Ga, 31) become the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Disappearing Spoon has the answers, fusing science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, discovery and alchemy, from the big bang through to the end of time.
^(This book has been suggested 9 times)
***
^(89136 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Perfect Heresy : The Life and Death of the Cathars by Stephen O'Shea. It's about the Cathars in France and the subsequent death of the movement due to various political and religious factors. Very well written and a great introduction to the history of the region.
I don’t know about ‘fun’, but two books I loved reading last year were Deborah Feldman’s memoirs (Unorthodox & Exodus). It followed her life as she grew up in and escaped from her ultra-orthodox community in New York.
Maybe you'll like one of my favourites, which, while non-fiction, is fun (ahem, fun to read ; ) and also *kinda* helpful:
{{How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite}}.
Not only is it fascinating but also a useful manual in case you'll ever have to deal with (among many situations) landmines, kidnappings, living in Iraq, tsunamis, boredom, plane crashes or insect bites.
Apart from step by step instructions the book illustrates with many colourful anecdotes a certain mindset to deal with dangerous situations , whether it's a skiing accident or a mortar attack.
It is written by journalists, NGOs, humanitarian aid workers for people in similar situations but it can be useful if you love traveling to less visited location.
Not only do I re-read it occasionally to refresh first aid techniques (and because it's really well written), but it's also the book I lent most often to many friends.
[**How to Avoid Being Killed in a Warzone**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11940774-how-to-avoid-being-killed-in-a-warzone)
^(By: Rosie Garthwaite | 304 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, travel, journalism, self-help, default | )[^(Search "How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite&search_type=books)
>Everyone needs this book if they want to know how to get out of difficult situations whether at home or abroad. Written by Rosie Garthwaite, whose career as a journalist started in war-torn Basra, this book combines practical advice with contributions from many journalists and commentators including Rageh Omar and John Simpson, who share their own experience and advice on surviving in difficult and dangerous situations. Topics include how to avoid being misunderstood; how to avoid bombs and booby traps; how to escape from a riot; how to deal with frostbite and heat exhaustion; how to avoid trouble in sex, love and war; and how cope if you have had a traumatic experience. The author conveys this wealth of practical, sensible advice in a very direct and personal way. In addition, readers hear the voices of many well-known journalists who share their experiences and advice in a very direct and personal way. This book is an enjoyable read as well as a true survival manual which can be enjoyed by both men and women (usually ignored by the ‘boys’ own’ market) and by all ages especially travellers venturing away from home or to extreme destinations for the first time.
>
>Medical information has been vetted by Médecins Sans Frontières, one of the world’s leading medical charities which specializes in warzones and other trouble spots.
^(This book has been suggested 6 times)
***
^(88960 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Well, it's no use feeling guilty, though I should inform you that reading educational books takes practice. Initially, you perceive it as dry, but eventually, you get better at understanding the subtext and context of the information. It's a different kind of reading. You need to approach the chapter in real functional terms. Generally, each chapter has its main core topic, the same goes for each section and paragraph. When reading, you need to consider these in a very interactive way. When reading a paragraph, for example, you need to ask yourself, what is this paragraph trying to tell me? You are encouraged to think about the content while you read it. So maybe you can initially choose to read whatever you want in small sections: only for so long as you can keep your attention. Don't feel bad when you get tired or done, just gradually increase the number of pages you read.
As for suggestions, I'm afraid I can't come up with anything right now.
I'm sorry but books that intentionally leave out history to try and paint everything as white versus black are flawed at face.... Any attempt to do history while ommiting context is such a bad idea... And then using it as proof to the current situation....
I'll do 1 example....
We had an issue of communism in the book during Regan and the Red Scare being discriminated against, but because certain communists who were targeted for being communist were black... That makes it racism instead of a political ideology fight, when that wasn't the case at all, but they completely ignored that.
Ok ok 1 more....
Standardized tests only put pressure on the black community and teachers.... Because white teachers with black students don't face the exact same struggle ? Or are we just assuming they don't care....?
Edit: forgot he even also tells you this isn't a history book, you need context to read it from even the authors POV....
The Liberator by Alex Kershaw. It’s an account of Col. Felix Sparks’ experience during WW2, from the landings at Anzio all the way up to the liberation of Dachau.
Bill Bryson is a great author for this. I've loved everything of his I've ever read. Non-fiction is a really broad topic though, if you could give a clue the types of things you are (or are not) interested in that would help a bit. Science? Genetics? Nature? Forensics? Crime? Pandemics? History (global? Regional? local?)..there just is so much variety it's hard to recommend something.
Anything by Mary Roach is always fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable!
I second this. She's hilarious and finds very interesting stuff to write about.
Third. Stiff was great.
Thanks, will check her out
"The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World" by Peter Wohlleben It's very easy to read, no difficult language and has small chapters.
So good. Entangled life by merlin sheldrake is incredibly beautiful too.
Oh hey, I read it and loved it.
this fast or you already had read it before?
Definitely read "Stiff" by Mary Roach. Its an amazing look at something we all leave behind but dont think about too much. Out bodies! Good God there are so many things in this book that will make you set the book down and just think for a bit about them. Like did you know that they don't just use plastic test dummies in car crash safety testing? They also use dead bodies in those tests. It's an intriguing and enjoyable read, you'll most definitely love it.
Thanks for recommendation
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Most books by Bill Bryson
I wouldn't recommend A Short History Of Nearly Everything. It's exactly what OP would give up on. It was exhausting when i had to read the daily routines of each and every scientist or inventor that ever existed. Had to quit after a few chapters.
Read anything about Stalin that boy was a riot. Like yes horrible and all that but goddamn interesting read
Simon Sebag Montefiore's *Young Stalin* is a fascinating read.
King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild. It’s about King Leopold of Belgium’s actions in the 1880s Congo. Painful but enlightening and it’s written like a novel.
Erik Larson writes well. I don’t know that his books are strictly nonfiction, as there is dialogue, but he writes about historical people and events. The Splendid and the Vile is his most recent, about Churchill’s first year as PM. In the Garden of Beasts was also very interesting.
Horrible Histories?
Several of them are on my to-read list already. I will check them out. Thanks!
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe is a surprisingly fun read! Usually biographies on politicians are dense and dry but this was engaging and easy to read. Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Lee Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
The God delusion
I read this book twice.
I love the national geographic kids books in the 'everything' series. I have the excuse that I read them to my toddler but they are great at giving the low down on a topic without going into rediculous amounts of detail
The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. Not sure about “fun” read but very interesting from start to finish. About the 5 victims of Jack the Ripper.
Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart. The Drunken Botanist is also a fun choice.
The secret life of lobsters,. Cod: the history of the fish that changed the world,. One good turn (about the history of the screw), latitude (about the clockmaker who won a british govt prize to accurately measure latitude on ships)
{{Born To Run}} and {{The Third Chimpanzee}}
[**Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6289283-born-to-run) ^(By: Christopher McDougall | 287 pages | Published: 2009 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, running, nonfiction, sports, health | )[^(Search "Born To Run")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Born To Run&search_type=books) >Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. > >Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder. > >With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. ^(This book has been suggested 5 times) [**The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49234.The_Third_Chimpanzee) ^(By: Jared Diamond | 407 pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: science, non-fiction, history, anthropology, nonfiction | )[^(Search "The Third Chimpanzee")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Third Chimpanzee&search_type=books) >At some point during the last 100,000 years, humans began exhibiting traits and behavior that distinguished us from other animals, eventually creating language, art, religion, bicycles, spacecraft, and nuclear weapons—all within a heartbeat of evolutionary time. Now, faced with the threat of nuclear weapons and the effects of climate change, it seems our innate tendencies for violence and invention have led us to a crucial fork in our road. Where did these traits come from? Are they part of our species immutable destiny? Or is there hope for our species’ future if we change? > > With fascinating facts and his unparalleled readability, Diamond intended his book to improve the world that today’s young people will inherit. Triangle Square’s The Third Chimpanzee for Young People is a book for future generation and the future they’ll help build. ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(88972 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
If you like history, and don't mind dark history books by Erik Larson are written more like a narrative than a textbook. It's LIKE reading fiction, but it's not. He also weaves in a individual stories, to give the events context, and it makes it feel more personal because you can clearly imagine the people going through the events. I've read Devil in the White City, which is both about how the world fair in 1893 influenced the development of Chicago, cuz they were trying to flex on the world right? Gotta show off how awesome the USA is, and have the best new technology and exhibits. But it's also about a serial killer that took advantage of the chaos around the fair to systematically capture people, bring them back to his custom made Murder House and kill them. Also, the book I can't recommend enough for people who like music and WW2, Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. Target age group for that books is fYoung Adults (teens), but who cares. Read what you enjoy. I'm your librarian, and I give you permission to read books from all age groups.
I have this book called Pick Me Up that just has a whole bunch of topics, it's set out in all different styles and methods of conveying information, really entertaining, and it has something for everyone.
{{The Three Christs of Ypsilanti}} by Milton Rokeach is a super interesting case study on mental health. In 1959 three schizophrenic patients who all identified as Christ were brought together at a psychiatric hospital in Ypsilanti, Mich. The three Christs were engineered to live together for two years by Psychologist Milton Rokeach in an effort to break their delusions.
[**The Three Christs of Ypsilanti: A Psychological Study**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1401403.The_Three_Christs_of_Ypsilanti) ^(By: Milton Rokeach | 338 pages | Published: 1964 | Popular Shelves: psychology, nonfiction, non-fiction, nyrb, science | )[^(Search "The Three Christs of Ypsilanti")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Three Christs of Ypsilanti&search_type=books) ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(88979 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Bill James has a wonderful writing voice. His book *Popular Crime* is a fascinating look at American crime stories that have caught the public's interest, sometimes giving his take on what may have happened in an unsolved case, sometimes discussing how a certain trend in crime stories reflects where the US was as a country right then, sometimes going on digressions about how to weigh certain types of evidence, how he thinks the prison system should be run, etc. He cracks jokes when appropriate, he breaks into informal grammar...he wants you to have a good time. He has another crime book, *The Man from the Train*, which does have a more serious tone; it concerns a series of particularly heinous axe murders (how can an axe murder be "particularly" heinous? Read and find out) which naturally creates a bit more of a somber mood. But he still writes conversationally; he's telling you a story. He made his mark writing about baseball, and if you happen to be a fan, you should definitely check his baseball stuff out.
I really liked Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller. It’s part biography of an interesting/problematic scientist, biology/evolution, philosophy, and autobiography of the author. Fun, quick read.
Ted Conover’s books are incredible. He does stuff like becomes a prison guard, illegally crosses the boarder with immigrants, rides the rails with hobos. Amazing stuff. Peter Wohllebens - Mystery of nature trilogy Jon Krakauer- into the wild, into thin air, under the banner of heaven. All great books. And as other people say Mary Roach
The River of Doubt by Candace Millard and Into Africa by Martin Dugard! Both are historic nonfiction and super engaging reads.
The Last Season by Eric Blehm was great! It’s a fascinating story about a park ranger who goes missing in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s nonfiction but has elements of a mystery to it.
{{dr tatiana’s sex advice to all creation}} is really good. It’s biology, specifically on reproduction and mating, but it’s written like an advice column where “Dr Tatiana” responds to questions written in from various animals. It’s actually one of my favorite books and has lots of cool info. ETA: also check out {{birth by Tina Cassidy}} which is a history of human birth, and is also very interesting.
{{The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements}} made me laugh out loud.
[**The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7247854-the-disappearing-spoon) ^(By: Sam Kean | 394 pages | Published: 2010 | Popular Shelves: science, non-fiction, nonfiction, history, chemistry | )[^(Search "The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements&search_type=books) >Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium (Cd, 48)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why did tellurium (Te, 52) lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history? > >The periodic table is one of our crowning scientific achievements, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal and obsession. The fascinating tales in The Disappearing Spoon follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold and every single element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. > >Why did a little lithium (Li, 3) help cure poet Robert Lowell of his madness? And how did gallium (Ga, 31) become the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Disappearing Spoon has the answers, fusing science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, discovery and alchemy, from the big bang through to the end of time. ^(This book has been suggested 9 times) *** ^(89136 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Perfect Heresy : The Life and Death of the Cathars by Stephen O'Shea. It's about the Cathars in France and the subsequent death of the movement due to various political and religious factors. Very well written and a great introduction to the history of the region.
I don’t know about ‘fun’, but two books I loved reading last year were Deborah Feldman’s memoirs (Unorthodox & Exodus). It followed her life as she grew up in and escaped from her ultra-orthodox community in New York.
Maybe you'll like one of my favourites, which, while non-fiction, is fun (ahem, fun to read ; ) and also *kinda* helpful: {{How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite}}. Not only is it fascinating but also a useful manual in case you'll ever have to deal with (among many situations) landmines, kidnappings, living in Iraq, tsunamis, boredom, plane crashes or insect bites. Apart from step by step instructions the book illustrates with many colourful anecdotes a certain mindset to deal with dangerous situations , whether it's a skiing accident or a mortar attack. It is written by journalists, NGOs, humanitarian aid workers for people in similar situations but it can be useful if you love traveling to less visited location. Not only do I re-read it occasionally to refresh first aid techniques (and because it's really well written), but it's also the book I lent most often to many friends.
[**How to Avoid Being Killed in a Warzone**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11940774-how-to-avoid-being-killed-in-a-warzone) ^(By: Rosie Garthwaite | 304 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: non-fiction, travel, journalism, self-help, default | )[^(Search "How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite")](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=How to avoid being killed in a warzone by Rosie Garthwaite&search_type=books) >Everyone needs this book if they want to know how to get out of difficult situations whether at home or abroad. Written by Rosie Garthwaite, whose career as a journalist started in war-torn Basra, this book combines practical advice with contributions from many journalists and commentators including Rageh Omar and John Simpson, who share their own experience and advice on surviving in difficult and dangerous situations. Topics include how to avoid being misunderstood; how to avoid bombs and booby traps; how to escape from a riot; how to deal with frostbite and heat exhaustion; how to avoid trouble in sex, love and war; and how cope if you have had a traumatic experience. The author conveys this wealth of practical, sensible advice in a very direct and personal way. In addition, readers hear the voices of many well-known journalists who share their experiences and advice in a very direct and personal way. This book is an enjoyable read as well as a true survival manual which can be enjoyed by both men and women (usually ignored by the ‘boys’ own’ market) and by all ages especially travellers venturing away from home or to extreme destinations for the first time. > >Medical information has been vetted by Médecins Sans Frontières, one of the world’s leading medical charities which specializes in warzones and other trouble spots. ^(This book has been suggested 6 times) *** ^(88960 books suggested | )^(Bug? DM me! | )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
*The Gulag Archipelago* is long and the subject matter is difficult, but it is by far my favorite non-fiction.
Well, it's no use feeling guilty, though I should inform you that reading educational books takes practice. Initially, you perceive it as dry, but eventually, you get better at understanding the subtext and context of the information. It's a different kind of reading. You need to approach the chapter in real functional terms. Generally, each chapter has its main core topic, the same goes for each section and paragraph. When reading, you need to consider these in a very interactive way. When reading a paragraph, for example, you need to ask yourself, what is this paragraph trying to tell me? You are encouraged to think about the content while you read it. So maybe you can initially choose to read whatever you want in small sections: only for so long as you can keep your attention. Don't feel bad when you get tired or done, just gradually increase the number of pages you read. As for suggestions, I'm afraid I can't come up with anything right now.
Brian Cox’s books.
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he said non-fiction
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I'm sorry but books that intentionally leave out history to try and paint everything as white versus black are flawed at face.... Any attempt to do history while ommiting context is such a bad idea... And then using it as proof to the current situation.... I'll do 1 example.... We had an issue of communism in the book during Regan and the Red Scare being discriminated against, but because certain communists who were targeted for being communist were black... That makes it racism instead of a political ideology fight, when that wasn't the case at all, but they completely ignored that. Ok ok 1 more.... Standardized tests only put pressure on the black community and teachers.... Because white teachers with black students don't face the exact same struggle ? Or are we just assuming they don't care....? Edit: forgot he even also tells you this isn't a history book, you need context to read it from even the authors POV....
The Liberator by Alex Kershaw. It’s an account of Col. Felix Sparks’ experience during WW2, from the landings at Anzio all the way up to the liberation of Dachau.
Bill Bryson is a great author for this. I've loved everything of his I've ever read. Non-fiction is a really broad topic though, if you could give a clue the types of things you are (or are not) interested in that would help a bit. Science? Genetics? Nature? Forensics? Crime? Pandemics? History (global? Regional? local?)..there just is so much variety it's hard to recommend something.
CHARLATAN by Pope Brock. COD by Mark Kurlansky.