Non-fiction recommendations for Sword and Laser fans (showing 1-20 of 20)

[Arroyo0 comment history]

I've heard Tom mention James Gleick a few times on the podcast and I highly recommend his latest book The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood.
Tom, if you haven't read it yet, try it you will love it! It's like a Non-fiction thriller, I couldn't put it down.

[Jenny comment history]

I tried getting this from the library but never got to it before it was due again. Still on my list! I think I read about it in Wired.

[Paul 'Pezski' comment history]

I loved both The Information and Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything. Gleick is one of my favourite non-fiction writers, along with Malcolm Gladwell.

[Jenny comment history]

Another one I have on my list to read is Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, and of course Steve Jobs.

[Paul 'Pezski' comment history]

Jenny wrote: "Another one I have on my list to read is Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, and of course Steve Jobs."

That sounds interesting. Of course, Neal Stephenson and Bruce Sterling write a fair bit of non-fiction, usually only really readable in the shorter form unless you are a serious wirehead...

[Kate comment history]

Paul 'Pezter' wrote:Of course, Neal Stephenson and Bruce Sterling write a fair bit of non-fiction, usually only really readable in the shorter form unless you are a serious wirehead... ."

Cory Doctorow reading Sterling's The Hacker Crackdown is pretty awesome. http://boingboing.net/2008/01/13/podc...

[Bill comment history]

Gleick's biography Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman is another one worth reading.

[Paul 'Pezski' comment history]

Outstanding, thanks Kate!

[Brew comment history]

Here are a few non fictions that I finished recently (or fairly recently) that I really enjoyed:


Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy
Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World

I am also about halfway through Steve Jobs and am really really enjoying it. I highly recommend it.

[Paul 'Pezski' comment history]

Brew wrote: "Here are a few non fictions that I finished recently (or fairly recently) that I really enjoyed:



The books on Genghis and Mithradates look fascinating, Brew. I've just finished Rubicon and found the little on the clash with Mithradates intriguing and worthy of deeper reading. I'm also looking for something on Parthia, the large Empire that stretched from what is now the Middle East to Pakistan and which the Roman war machine tangled with disastrously.

[Brew comment history]

Paul 'Pezter' wrote: "Brew wrote: "Here are a few non fictions that I finished recently (or fairly recently) that I really enjoyed:



The books on Genghis and Mithradates look fascinating, Brew. I've just finished [boo..."


[book:Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic|91017] is definitely on my reading list. Dan Carlin just finished a 5 part epic series on the Hardcore History podcast that I thought was great. The cast was based heavily on Rubicon. If you are at all interested in that period of Roman History, the Poison King borders on a must read. It really does read like fiction, including more than a little dose of the supernatural.

Though technically not non-fiction, Robert Harris' fictionalized account of the life of Cicero in Imperium and Lustrum (I actually read it as Conspirata) is very good and something you may enjoy that is set in that same time frame.

I have not seen any books spotlighting Partha and all I know about them is that they were pretty bad ass, something old Crassus found out the hard way. Is that a history spoiler?

[Nathan comment history]

I recently finished The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. It was excellent. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in science. It is a collection of true stories underlying the discovery of the elements and the creation of the periodic table, taking the reader on an entertaining romp through scientific history.

[Paul 'Pezski' comment history]

Brew wrote: "Though technically not non-fiction, Robert Harris' fictionalized account of the life of Cicero in Imperium and Lustrum (I actually read it as Conspirata) is very good and something you may enjoy that is set in that same time frame.."

I actually picked up Imperium the same week as Rubicon, just after listening to some BBC Radio plays based on Suetonius' histories, which I think is what started off my current historical kick. I will definitely look into The Poison King, thanks.

I've also been having a bit of trouble finding books on Parthia, although i did find a website http://www.parthia.com/

[Arroyo0 comment history]

Paul 'Pezter' and Bill, thanks for the recommendations on Gleick's other books, he's a terrific author.

Brew, I join Paul 'Pezter' in thanking you for the recommendations on Genghis and Mithradates (and thanks again to Paul for the Rubicon recommendation), I really got into a ancient history binge after reading Colleen McCullough Masters of Rome series.
Mithradates is a fascinating corner of history I know little about.
Finally I'm joining other here with a request for good books on Parthia, lets call this my Parthian shot :-)

[Everitt comment history]

Some books I love and you might as well:

The Discoverers is a great intellectual history by former Librarian of Congress Daniel J. Boorstin. This book is a summary of the history of science and exploration. It is very readable and engaging. Read it when I was 17 or so and it blew my mind. It was the kind of history I wish we had learned in school.

If you like The Discoverers check out Boorstin's other books; the American Experience trilogy, The Seekers: The Story of Man's Continuing Quest to Understand His World, and The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination an artistic and creative history. They are all wonderful and Boorstin won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in history for The Americans 3: The Democratic Experience.

I would also recommend Norman Davies work, especially his histories of Poland God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 1 God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2: 1795 to the Present and his history of World War II No Simple Victory: World War II in Europe 1939-1945.

Thanks to Ridley Scott's film you've probably heard of Mark Bowden. His best known books being Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War and Guests of the Ayatollah: The Iran Hostage Crisis, The First Battle in America's War With Militant Islam. They are excellent and interesting explorations of different facets of modern war. Black Hawk Down is a little different from the film. I personally think the book is superior better because it tells a more complete story of the soldiers and their families in a way the film couldn't have, if for no other reason than running time.

And for Arroyoo and the others asking for good books on Parthia, you might want to check out The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World: Volume III: The Sixth Monarchy: Parthia. It is from the nineteenth century and is available for free at Project Gutenberg.

You might also be interested in Mounted Archers: The Beginnings of Central Asian History by Laszlo Torday. It is an academic book and not exclusively about the Parthian Empire, but might be of some interest. Hope that helps.

[Marcus comment history]

A Short History of Nearly Everything is pretty much a safe bet for those interested in science and history.

[David comment history]

A Short History of Nearly Everything audiobook read by the author is great. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava Sobel is a must read for anyone interested in science and technology.

[AJ comment history]

I am surprised to have not seen any mention of David McCullough . I loved 1776 and I am in the middle of John Adams. He does a great job pulling the reader in and keeping them interested until the end.

There are a lot of really interesting books in here I am going to need to add these to my to read list. Thanks again Sword and Laser.

[Everitt comment history]

Now that you mention it AJ those are both good books. I loved John Adams, 1776 didn't quite hold up to his other work. If you like reading about the American Revolution I would recommend Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. It's a short fun read but still illuminates sides to the Revolutionary Generation we seldom hear about.

I'm not seeing any mention of another great writer, Barbara W. Tuchman. I love her writing especially The Guns of August and The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War 1890-1914. Her work is so varied but she maintains a depth of understanding of each subject she addresses.

Since some of us seem to be history buffs as well, I would recommend Edumud Morris' work on Teddy Roosevelt: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex, and Colonel Roosevelt.

Oh man, so many great books. I'll stop now.

[Stephen comment history]

Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun Is Changing Reality I'm only halfway through this book (pub. 2007), and some parts are definitely more interesting than others, but if you love games, especially online virtual world environments, you might enjoy reading this study of what makes some games more effective (i.e., creating more joy) than others. The analysis gets a little technical at times (the production of endorphin and dopamine as responses to certain kinds of brain stimulation, etc.). An economic model of game world productivity. Lots of examples of synthetic modeling of real world behavior. That sort of thing. Ok, reading about game design aesthetics is not as much fun as playing them. On the upside, it's only about 200 pages.