Best Non-Fiction (non biography) (2082 books)

Best Non-Fiction (non biography)

Share your picks for the best non-fiction books you've read - not including biographies.

1	The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 avg rating — 162,053 ratings score: 49,193, and 497 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 270,055 ratings score: 41,728, and 425 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 231,671 ratings score: 37,299, and 380 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 avg rating — 81,242 ratings score: 29,470, and 300 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 93,404 ratings score: 28,383, and 290 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 84,721 ratings score: 24,812, and 252 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 avg rating — 309,570 ratings score: 22,372, and 230 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 222,150 ratings score: 21,717, and 225 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 141,838 ratings score: 21,185, and 220 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser 3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 avg rating — 145,545 ratings score: 21,036, and 216 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (Goodreads Author) 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 56,510 ratings score: 20,343, and 208 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 182,647 ratings score: 20,285, and 212 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Green Illusions by Ozzie Zehner (Goodreads Author) 4.58 of 5 stars 4.58 avg rating — 311 ratings score: 20,205, and 214 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 107,716 ratings score: 19,596, and 204 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 88,677 ratings score: 19,382, and 200 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 143,204 ratings score: 18,365, and 192 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 68,441 ratings score: 15,814, and 163 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich 3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 avg rating — 124,060 ratings score: 15,061, and 157 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author) 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 72,161 ratings score: 14,607, and 150 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 321,449 ratings score: 13,281, and 136 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	On Writing by Stephen King 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 65,401 ratings score: 13,029, and 133 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.45 of 5 stars 4.45 avg rating — 131,984 ratings score: 12,975, and 134 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 306,090 ratings score: 12,594, and 131 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Goodreads Author) 4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 avg rating — 140,103 ratings score: 12,292, and 126 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 65,257 ratings score: 11,918, and 125 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present by Howard Zinn 4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 avg rating — 51,334 ratings score: 11,819, and 123 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 47,914 ratings score: 11,689, and 123 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 48,276 ratings score: 11,601, and 121 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 57,917 ratings score: 11,453, and 118 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 34,891 ratings score: 11,354, and 120 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 59,112 ratings score: 11,258, and 116 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 48,531 ratings score: 11,250, and 117 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson (Goodreads Author) 3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 159,483 ratings score: 11,208, and 115 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman 4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 avg rating — 33,071 ratings score: 11,152, and 115 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 43,050 ratings score: 11,109, and 116 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain 3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 avg rating — 77,769 ratings score: 10,986, and 112 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 43,842 ratings score: 10,815, and 114 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 19,272 ratings score: 10,731, and 111 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 26,883 ratings score: 10,660, and 113 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Columbine by Dave Cullen (Goodreads Author) 4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 avg rating — 20,451 ratings score: 10,542, and 112 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson 3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 avg rating — 26,480 ratings score: 10,370, and 108 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen 3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 avg rating — 24,536 ratings score: 10,272, and 107 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Silent Spring by Rachel Carson 3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 avg rating — 13,036 ratings score: 10,076, and 106 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond 3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 avg rating — 27,117 ratings score: 9,934, and 105 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Cosmos by Carl Sagan 4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 avg rating — 25,631 ratings score: 9,778, and 103 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Walden by Henry David Thoreau 3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 avg rating — 54,951 ratings score: 9,662, and 102 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 18,488 ratings score: 9,115, and 96 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 15,037 ratings score: 8,740, and 91 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky 3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 avg rating — 16,757 ratings score: 8,736, and 91 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 22,940 ratings score: 8,552, and 90 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 12,604 ratings score: 8,449, and 87 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 169,887 ratings score: 8,379, and 87 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The World Without Us by Alan Weisman 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 15,560 ratings score: 8,328, and 86 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 21,818 ratings score: 8,045, and 84 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	1776 by David McCullough 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 51,279 ratings score: 8,005, and 85 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts 4.38 of 5 stars 4.38 avg rating — 8,632 ratings score: 7,815, and 84 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch 4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 avg rating — 10,078 ratings score: 7,525, and 79 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis 4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 avg rating — 84,664 ratings score: 7,505, and 79 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author) 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 30,738 ratings score: 7,433, and 79 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall 4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 avg rating — 41,953 ratings score: 7,255, and 75 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger (Goodreads Author) 3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 avg rating — 39,084 ratings score: 7,218, and 78 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 avg rating — 32,933 ratings score: 6,903, and 73 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 avg rating — 22,222 ratings score: 6,300, and 66 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs 3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 avg rating — 30,546 ratings score: 6,094, and 64 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 73,779 ratings score: 5,774, and 60 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 13,042 ratings score: 5,647, and 60 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Sliding On The Snow Stone by Andy Szpuk (Goodreads Author) 4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 avg rating — 120 ratings score: 5,506, and 56 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 11,212 ratings score: 4,878, and 53 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz 4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 avg rating — 9,727 ratings score: 4,824, and 52 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 16,285 ratings score: 4,790, and 52 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx 3.42 of 5 stars 3.42 avg rating — 30,237 ratings score: 4,787, and 51 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Goodreads Author) 4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 avg rating — 29,079 ratings score: 4,636, and 49 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 9,606 ratings score: 4,535, and 50 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs 3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 avg rating — 15,664 ratings score: 4,528, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 14,258 ratings score: 4,461, and 48 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick 4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 avg rating — 13,566 ratings score: 4,438, and 46 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein 4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 avg rating — 15,425 ratings score: 4,091, and 45 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli 3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 avg rating — 75,072 ratings score: 4,089, and 45 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama 3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 avg rating — 53,584 ratings score: 4,055, and 43 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon 4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 avg rating — 5,689 ratings score: 3,998, and 42 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz 4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 avg rating — 5,804 ratings score: 3,923, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 5,648 ratings score: 3,890, and 42 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach (Goodreads Author) 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 19,867 ratings score: 3,857, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer 4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 avg rating — 23,525 ratings score: 3,740, and 41 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 22,705 ratings score: 3,632, and 40 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 9,386 ratings score: 3,623, and 39 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava Sobel 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 17,901 ratings score: 3,456, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Goodreads Author) 3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 avg rating — 64,024 ratings score: 3,367, and 38 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker 4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 avg rating — 6,621 ratings score: 3,281, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt 3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 avg rating — 29,548 ratings score: 3,271, and 34 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman 3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 avg rating — 43,716 ratings score: 3,222, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 avg rating — 11,536 ratings score: 3,222, and 36 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 7,323 ratings score: 3,154, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach (Goodreads Author) 3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 avg rating — 13,371 ratings score: 3,099, and 33 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson 4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 avg rating — 33,136 ratings score: 3,023, and 35 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace 4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 avg rating — 13,058 ratings score: 2,990, and 31 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman 4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 avg rating — 4,880 ratings score: 2,857, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 7,784 ratings score: 2,783, and 29 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 12,667 ratings score: 2,754, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston 3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 avg rating — 12,403 ratings score: 2,737, and 30 people voted	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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2,082 books · 3,720 voters · list created June 27th, 2008 by Susan (votes) .

Tags: best, non-fiction

241 likes · like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 500 seconds.

People Who Voted On This List (3720)

Susan
1117 books
51 friends

Jessica
1804 books
91 friends

Jennifer
1189 books
42 friends

Cindi
2288 books
49 friends

Lisa (OhThatLisa)
501 books
31 friends

Ben
571 books
57 friends

Brooke
721 books
25 friends

Rebecca
234 books
46 friends

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Comments (showing 1-50 of 61) (61 new)

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newest »

message 1: by jeff (new)

17 août 07:57

Anyone else feel a little troubled by this list?

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message 2: by jeff (new)

17 août 08:03

From about #63 on maybe?

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message 3: by Chanel (new)

21 août 16:29

What happened to no biography?

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message 4: by Angel (new)

26 août 20:10

I am not sure why some folks seem to find this list troubling. Maybe I missed something? For me at least, there are a few titles I would not mind reading, like Salt. But I did wonder, I thought no biographies. What gives? Bourdain's book is (arguably at least) biographical as are a few others. Anyhow, this list this give me an idea or two to pursue later.

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message 5: by Rachel (new)

14 déc. 23:37

Schindler's List is a novel. Pet peeve.

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message 6: by brian (new)

14 avr. 17:54

Im very concerned by this list too.
George Lincoln Rockwell?
I'm all for freedom of expression, but it seems odd to find him on a list with a Jewish Cookbook.

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message 7: by Susanna (new)

10 oct. 09:08

Caddie Woodlawn? Novel.

The Joy Luck Club? Novel.

I have my doubts about the appropriateness of 84, Charing Cross Road for this list, as well.

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message 8: by Michelle (new)

27 oct. 02:03

Me too. I have read dozens of great non-fiction that do not appear on this list!

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message 9: by Susanna (new)

28 oct. 12:25

It's easy to add books at the right of the screen.

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message 10: by Jo (new)

20 nov. 11:38

There is some real drivel here...and some good stuff, too. I think we need to pay more attention in putting Marley and Me on the same list as Shockwave. Yes?

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message 11: by e. (new)

01 juin 15:08

Seems like this list is ALL over the place!

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message 12: by Susanna (last edited 02 juin 10:19) (new)

02 juin 10:18

I question the presence of The Odyssey and The Iliad on a non-fiction list.

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message 13: by Foxontherun (new)

04 juin 08:52

God I loved CandyFreak (I've met the author several times)...and Mary Roach is a GENIUS.

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message 14: by [deleted user] (new)

04 juin 11:40

Foxontherun wrote: "God I loved CandyFreak (I've met the author several times)...and Mary Roach is a GENIUS."

It was so entertaining. My friend Mary was able to read her book Stiff but I don't think I am up to that one. Have you read it?

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message 15: by Book (new)

20 juin 07:00

American History Revised: 200 Startling Facts That Never Made It into the Textbooks
I can not find the listing of this book...

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message 16: by A. Steven (new)

20 juin 07:47

jeff wrote: "From about #63 on maybe?"

Yeah your right ... #92 really doesn't fit at all.

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message 17: by Xenophon (last edited 21 juin 17:58) (new)

21 juin 17:54

I've deleted The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley because the list clearly calls for non-biography, and I've deleted The Jungle because it is a novel.

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message 18: by Susanna (last edited 22 juin 10:56) (new)

22 juin 10:53

What about The Diary of Anne Frank? Or, for that matter, The Iliad and The Odyssey?

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message 19: by Xenophon (new)

23 juin 03:19

I've not read The Diary of Anne Frank, so I have no idea how much is biography and how much is observations of the current scene, etc. The librarians here are enjoined from removing items from lists unless the items are clearly wrong, so I'm not willing to stick my neck out.

Similarly, The Iliad and The Odyssey might be considered religious texts. The classical Greeks tended to think of them that way. I'm not about to open the can of worms of calling someone's religious text "fiction."

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message 20: by Susanna (new)

23 juin 11:29

The two categories that I could slot Anne Frank into are auto-biography and novelized diary.

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message 21: by Marla (new)

17 juil. 13:40

Alice wrote: "Foxontherun wrote: "God I loved CandyFreak (I've met the author several times)...and Mary Roach is a GENIUS."

It was so entertaining. My friend Mary was able to read her book Stiff but I don't ..."

my dad gave me stiff for christmas one year--freakin' amazing. but gruesome. be warned. the one book i will not loan out.

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message 22: by Shad (new)

27 nov. 18:30

Marla wrote: "Alice wrote: "Foxontherun wrote: "God I loved CandyFreak (I've met the author several times)...and Mary Roach is a GENIUS."

It was so entertaining. My friend Mary was able to read her book Stiff ..."

Sorry to butt in...I loved Stiff. I'm not usually one for such topics but I found it fascinating. Gruesome is a good word. At times I thought I'd have to put it down forever. It's not all that way, though. Now I want to read CandyFreak!

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message 23: by Hannah (new)

26 déc. 13:40

Vote "The Old Way: story of the first people" by elizabeth marshall thomas

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message 24: by ~☆ Alice☆~ (new)

04 août 17:09

Please remove Water for Elephants on the first page near the bottom.

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message 25: by ~☆ Alice☆~ (new)

04 août 17:13

Angel wrote: "I am not sure why some folks seem to find this list troubling. Maybe I missed something? For me at least, there are a few titles I would not mind reading, like Salt. But I did wonder, I thought no ..."

Salt is very good. I enjoyed it far more than I expected. Hope to vote for it when I find it.

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message 26: by Rc (new)

11 août 07:52

deleted user wrote: "Foxontherun wrote: "God I loved CandyFreak (I've met the author several times)...and Mary Roach is a GENIUS."

It was so entertaining. My friend Mary was able to read her book Stiff but I don't ..."

I'm reading Stiff right now. She treats cadavers with as much grace and respect and humor as any of her other subjects, so while there are gruesome moments, those moments aren't uncalled for. If you liked her other books, you'll like this one. I heartily recommend it - except during breakfast.

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message 27: by Amy (new)

21 août 15:09

The Kite Runner is fiction.

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message 28: by Susanna (new)

21 août 15:41

Amy wrote: "The Kite Runner is fiction."

Could you remember where it was when you saw it? Make it a lot easier for me to remove it.

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message 29: by Amy (new)

21 août 16:32

Susanna wrote: "Amy wrote: "The Kite Runner is fiction."

Could you remember where it was when you saw it? Make it a lot easier for me to remove it."

It's on the second page, #156. Also, The Help, number 266 on page 3 is fiction as well. Both are great books.

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message 30: by Susanna (new)

21 août 16:45

Thanks! I shall go remove them.

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message 31: by Susanna (new)

21 août 17:00

Removed for being fiction:

The Kite Runner
Anne of Green Gables
The Help
Cutting for Stone

Should I remove Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson? And Walter Isaacson's bio of Benjamin Franklin doesn't look kosher, either. King of the World is apparently a bio of Mohammed Ali.

Frankly, I don't know what to make of Mein Kampf being here.

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message 32: by Susanna (new)

21 août 17:06

Also removed Water for Elephants (fiction).

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message 33: by Angelica (new)

17 oct. 08:53

I would consider "A child called It" as a biography. At least the author claims that it is biographical.

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message 34: by Denae (new)

12 nov. 09:56

277: The Little Prince
268: The Name of the Rose

both of the above are fiction

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message 35: by Susanna (new)

12 nov. 09:57

Thanks, Dena - I'll remove them.

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message 36: by Eileen (new)

17 déc. 09:19

330 Of mice and men
340 Catcher in the Rye
346 The Lincoln Lawyer
395 The Handmaidens Tale

All are fiction

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message 37: by Susanna (new)

17 déc. 10:43

Will remove them - thanks for listing the location!

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message 38: by Hayes (last edited 17 déc. 11:30) (new)

17 déc. 11:24

137 A Room of One's Own ... listed as non-fiction?
178 The Innocents Abroad

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message 39: by Susanna (new)

17 déc. 11:36

I believe Innocents Abroad is non-fiction (I'm reading it currently, and in the author's note, I believe he explains how most of it was his account for the American papers at the time); haven't read the Woolf.

The note on the Woolf looks complicated; it seems to be half-and-half?

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message 40: by Hayes (last edited 17 déc. 12:50) (new)

17 déc. 12:51

I couldn't remember about The Innocents (I read it long ago), if it was a fictionalized thing, or not. The Woolf looked complicated to me too. So I guess it's best to leave them, but there are a lot of biographies that should go.

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message 41: by Susanna (new)

17 déc. 13:03

Well, starting with biographies: what about The Diary of Anne Frank?

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message 42: by Hayes (new)

17 déc. 13:20

And Seabiscuit? And Feynman?

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message 43: by Susanna (last edited 17 déc. 13:43) (new)

17 déc. 13:42

For that matter, A Child Called It?

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message 44: by Amara (last edited 21 fév. 19:03) (new)

21 fév. 13:05

Fiction Removed:

Jack & Jill by James Patterson
Misery by Stephen King
Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson
The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

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message 45: by Taryn (new)

02 mar. 13:38

Some of the books I would question because they simply are not the best non-fiction - on the contrary, they are horrible. But to each her own I guess.

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message 46: by Susanna (new)

02 mar. 14:04

I need at least 200 votes for this list. LOL

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message 47: by Cricket (new)

14 mai 23:07