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Good Non-Fiction Books
It seems like I'm running out of good non-fiction books to read so I'm going to reload.
In the past year or so I have read Blink The Tipping Point Freakonomics Baseball Between the Numbers Moneyball I'm about to start Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. Help me expand my library. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...ndsteeljq9.jpg Basically explains why some societies excelled and developed technology, while some stayed in a primative state. Extermely interesting, and will make you look at history in a different way. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
Pudge,
Super book thread One of the included links is specifically nonfiction, but all of the threads include a lot of nonfiction recs. |
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I have also heard great things about guns germs and steel.
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the world is flat...
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Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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Pudge, Super book thread One of the included links is specifically nonfiction, but all of the threads include a lot of nonfiction recs. [/ QUOTE ] El D, Thanks. Just out of curiousity why don't you become a mod. You seem to be doing all the work, without the bonuses of banning people/ mod forum. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
[ QUOTE ]
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...ndsteeljq9.jpg Basically explains why some societies excelled and developed technology, while some stayed in a primative state. Extermely interesting, and will make you look at history in a different way. [/ QUOTE ] He attempts to. He notes some interesting facts. But he overstates his case and ignores far more fundamental and important factors than things like geography and diseases. |
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BM: I found GG&S to be pretty boring.
P: I've taken the mod exam 7 times so far, but always seem to crack under the pressure. |
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BM: I found GG&S to be pretty boring. [/ QUOTE ] Confession: I made it to page 107 a few months ago. The writing is insipid and after all the build up on this book it lacks the punch I expected and I became distracted with other books that I had ordered. I moved on. I'll backtrack someday, perhaps. -Zeno |
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Have you read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder? It's the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, out to save the world in Haiti. It's inspiring, maddening, thought-provoking and completely riveting.
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I enjoyed Guns, Germs & Steel, but I tend to enjoy that type of book, so don't mind me. I also enjoyed several of his other books, but just couldn't get into Collapse. Seemed like he'd made his name, now I'm going to throw my politics at you.
Best non-fiction I've read in a long time - http://mc.clintock.com/second_floor/...nfidential.jpg I LOVED this book. Not only is it entertaining and funny, it's extremely well written. If I were to write a book, I'd want to write like this. Currently reading http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/mas_ass...1400032806.jpg If you're Mormon, you'll hate it. If you're not, you'll wonder what it is those Mormons are smoking. |
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this wouldnt be my first Krakauer rec. Into Thin Air and Into the Wild I would read first.
Also Band of Brothers by Ambrose is fantastic. |
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Blink to me seemed to get worse with each new page I turned. It wasn't bad though.
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I thoroughly enjoyed 1776 by James McCollough. It provides a great snapshot of the life, events, and battles of the revolutionary year in an engaging style.
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i really enjoyed
band of brothers - if you've seen the series, this basically goes into more detail. ghost rider - RUSH's Neil Pert, experiences 2 major trajedies, and writes about using his motorcycle as an escape. pretty interesting. |
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Manhunt
Don't remember the author. Gripping account of John Wilkes Booth and his conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln and others and the ensuing manhunt for him. |
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In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
I read it after I saw the movie, Capote. Perhaps that biased my opinion of the book, but I really liked it. I also read a book a couple years ago called "Monster" that was about life in a gang. It was written by a Crip who became educated while in jail. It was eye-opening. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
Few books I've enjoyed recently:
David Bodanis - E = mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation Simon Singh - Big Bang: The Origin Of The Universe Simon Singh - Fermat's Last Theorem John E. Douglas - Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit Nolan Dalla - One of a Kind : The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player Michael Craig - Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King, The : Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time |
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"The Best and the Brightest" by David Halberstam
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John E. Douglas - Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit [/ QUOTE ] This book really caught my eye... but the Amazon reviews say he doesn't do a very good job explaining his cases in sufficient detail, gets half way through a story and forgets to finish it, etc. Comments? Also, does anyone know of any other books that they'd recommend that would be similiar to this? |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
El Diablo,
I wonder if you might comment on the Grail myth. Is the Da Vinci code your first exposure to it? |
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David Sedaris has a number of terrific books -- collections of various essays he's written about his friends and family throughout the years -- very entertaining reads.
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Mr Now,
I generally read a lot on all manner of conspiracy theories and legends/myths, but rarely have much of an opinion on them, I just find them very interesting/entertaining. |
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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...ndsteeljq9.jpg Basically explains why some societies excelled and developed technology, while some stayed in a primative state. Extermely interesting, and will make you look at history in a different way. [/ QUOTE ] this has really interesting material, but I've read like 3 books while reading this one. and I don't read a lot. I feel like it would be a great curriculum book...as a pleasure read it kind of sits next to my copy of The Iliad. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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[ QUOTE ] Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...ndsteeljq9.jpg Basically explains why some societies excelled and developed technology, while some stayed in a primative state. Extermely interesting, and will make you look at history in a different way. [/ QUOTE ] He attempts to. He notes some interesting facts. But he overstates his case and ignores far more fundamental and important factors than things like geography and diseases. [/ QUOTE ] Borodog - you should begin a correspondence with the author. I'm sure he'd be interested in debating your POV on these subjects, and learning why he overstated his case. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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[ QUOTE ] John E. Douglas - Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit [/ QUOTE ] This book really caught my eye... but the Amazon reviews say he doesn't do a very good job explaining his cases in sufficient detail, gets half way through a story and forgets to finish it, etc. Comments? Also, does anyone know of any other books that they'd recommend that would be similiar to this? [/ QUOTE ] I liked the book (probably because I'm extremely interested in the subject), but it's been a while since I finished it so I don't remember much details. It's a biography of a man with huge ego, but I can enjoy the story even if I don't like the person. I also have this: Whoever Fights Monsters, but haven't read it yet. Seems to have better Amazon reviews. |
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http://www.westminsterbookshop.co.uk...0141020806.jpg
I think Ghost Wars by Steve Coll is easily the most comprehensive history of US involvement (particularly the CIA) in Afghanistan/Pakistan and even the Middle East at large. It also does a remarkable job tracing the impact of the Iranian revolution on the development of Islamo-fascism and terrorism in general. Exceptionally researched and filled with anecdotes from CIA case workers, former diplomats, and Afghanis on the ground, the book reads quickly and is simply a stunning indictment of US policy in many ways. The New York Review of Books wrote, "The CIA itself would be hard put to beat his grasp of global events." Really good stuff. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/3...ndsteeljq9.jpg Basically explains why some societies excelled and developed technology, while some stayed in a primative state. Extermely interesting, and will make you look at history in a different way. [/ QUOTE ] He attempts to. He notes some interesting facts. But he overstates his case and ignores far more fundamental and important factors than things like geography and diseases. [/ QUOTE ] Borodog - you should begin a correspondence with the author. I'm sure he'd be interested in debating your POV on these subjects, and learning why he overstated his case. [/ QUOTE ] I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I'm sure there is nothing that I could tell him that other critics have not. I didn't mean to imply that he doesn't note important trends, either, only that he ignores far more important factors that are purely cultural. He also suffers from a terribly flawed and long disproved methodology (i.e. he attempts to empirically identify "laws of history", which do not and cannot exist). This is a good general critique of GG&S, and adequately reflects my own opinion (for the most part). For a far, far, FAR, FAR superior reinterpretation of all of human history, you should listen to a series of lectures given by Professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an economist and philosopher from UNLV. This is without a doubt the finest series of lectures I have ever heard, and I've heard a lot of lectures. 1. The Nature of Man and the Human Condition: Language, Property, and Production 2. The Spread of Humans Around the World: The Extension and Intensification of the Division of Labor 3. Money and Monetary Integration: The Growth of Cities and the Globalization of Trade 4. Time Preference, Capital, Technology, and Economic Growth 5. The Wealth of Nations: Ideology, Religion, Biology, and Environment 6. The Production of Law and Order: Natural Order, Feudalism, and Federalism 7. Parasitism and the Origin of the State 8. From Monarchy to Democracy 9. State, War, and Imperialism 10. Strategy: Secession, Privatization, and the Prospects of Liberty Lecture number 5, The Wealth of Nations: Ideology, Religion, Biology, and Environment, is particularly relevent to understanding where Diamond is lacking, but I would really advise against listening to it before hearing the first 4. PS. Unfortunately I have been unable to locate transcripts of these lectures. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
Douglas Hofstadter writes hard books on Intelligence and Thought. He got famous for <u>Godel Escher Bach</u>, but his column from Games magazine, <u>Metamagical Themas</u>, is good, too.
-Sam http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpghttp://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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For a far, far, FAR, FAR superior reinterpretation of all of human history, you should listen to a series of lectures given by Professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an economist and philosopher from UNLV. This is without a doubt the finest series of lectures I have ever heard, and I've heard a lot of lectures. [/ QUOTE ] I will definately check these out, awesome link. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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I also have this: Whoever Fights Monsters, but haven't read it yet. Seems to have better Amazon reviews. [/ QUOTE ] Looks like the reviews say that if you have read one book, that you've pretty much read the other too... but that the latter book is less sensational. I will probably roll with Ressler's book and see how I like it. Thanks for the recommendations. Edit: I have also added Ghost Wars to my list. |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
If your somewhat interested in finance then Market Wizards, by Jack Schwager is the way to go. The book is a collection of interviews he's done with big hedge fund guys like Paul Tudor Jones, Bruce Konver, Jim Rodgers, and etc. There's also an interview with William O'Neil founder of Investors Business Daily.
It really inspired me to study finance, and it instilled in me that you can have your money work for you. |
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The Poker Face of Wall Street by Aaron Brown
Fortune's Formula by William Poundstone Hedgehogging by Barton Biggs |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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i really enjoyed band of brothers - if you've seen the series, this basically goes into more detail. [/ QUOTE ] I'm glad it was mentioned, just wish it was higher on some people's lists. I'm primarily a fantasy book enthusiast, but this was an incredible read. |
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Best non-fiction I've read in a long time - http://mc.clintock.com/second_floor/...nfidential.jpg I LOVED this book. Not only is it entertaining and funny, it's extremely well written. If I were to write a book, I'd want to write like this. Currently reading http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/mas_ass...1400032806.jpg If you're Mormon, you'll hate it. If you're not, you'll wonder what it is those Mormons are smoking. [/ QUOTE ] My best friend is a Morman, but not a practicing one. Now I have to read this. Read the author's other work "Into Thin Air" on the Everest tragedies several years back. Good writer. ~ Rick |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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Help me expand my library. [/ QUOTE ] Lots of good books in this thread. I'll add my opinion of the best of the Civil War books: - If you want to read one book on the American Civil War read The Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. - If you want a great trilogy that goes into the war in great detail with wonderful narrative writing that makes you feel like you are right there, get and read Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy. - If you like historical fiction, get the Civil War trilogy by the Shaara father and son team ~ Rick |
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My best friend is a Morman, but not a practicing one. [/ QUOTE ] Rick, you are the master of understatement. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Say hello to your Mormon friend for me. John |
Re: Good Non-Fiction Books
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[ QUOTE ] My best friend is a Morman, but not a practicing one. [/ QUOTE ] Rick, you are the master of understatement. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Say hello to your Mormon friend for me. John [/ QUOTE ] I'm just about done, and I'm going to insult a lot of Mormons here, but I have never read of a bigger scam in my life, and I know all about Scientology. The story behind Joesph Smith's "revelation" on polygamy is so warped that it would be funny if it didn't wind up being justification for widespread child abuse. |
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