A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill BrysonSapiens by Yuval Noah HarariQuiet by Susan CainThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca SklootFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt
Best 21st Century Non-Fiction
1,961 books — 1,230 voters
The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsThe Book Thief by Markus ZusakThe Kite Runner by Khaled HosseiniHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. RowlingWater for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Books That Exceeded Your Expectations
14,543 books — 16,120 voters

The Prince by Niccolò MachiavelliThe Communist Manifesto by Karl MarxSocialism Is Dead! Long Live Socialism! by Todor BombovThe Republic by PlatoHonor and Polygamy by Omar Farhad
Politics
487 books — 468 voters
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill BrysonA Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingCosmos by Carl SaganThe Selfish Gene by Richard DawkinsGuns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Best Science Books - Non-Fiction Only
1,832 books — 3,590 voters

The Devil in the White City by Erik LarsonFreakonomics by Steven D. LevittA Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill BrysonGuns, Germs, and Steel by Jared DiamondOutliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Best Non-Fiction (no biographies)
6,221 books — 8,061 voters