Any suggestions for a non-fiction fan?

[fannyprice]

I just graduated with my Masters in Literature and I need to let my brain have a break. I have been reading and analyzing literature for two years and I want to read something fun. I need a break from literature, and even fiction for a while.

Anyway, I really like reading non-fiction, and I haven't had a chance to read any in about three years. I love Oliver Sacks, but I have read all of his stuff that is available on Kindle. I have also read a lot of Mary Roach's stuff, but not her newest book. I like science-based non-fiction, but I would be happy to read any non-fiction that is engaging and fairly easy to read. Any suggestions?

[fannyprice]

I made some time for Bossypants right after it came out. It was awesome. I love Tina Fey.

[smock]

For history of science stuff, here's what's on my reading list:

The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution - David Quammen

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World - Steven Johnson

The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching, and the Birth of Modern Surgery - Wendy Moore

The Lie Detectors: The History of an American Obsession - Ken Alder

The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World - Laura J. Snyder

Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution - Holly Tucker

Isaac Newton - James Gleick

[fannyprice]

All those suggestions look awesome! Thanks so much!

[humpty]

This is one of my favorite books.

www.amazon.com/The-Sisters-Mitford-Family-ebook/dp/B00563M2BQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1336934517&sr=1-1

[smock]

Yeah, my plan this summer is to read awesome history of science books for fun. I'm guessing you've read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? If not, it's awesome.

[EllieArroway]

I really liked Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris.

www.amazon.com/Coming-Age-Milky-Timothy-Ferris/dp/0060535954/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336934912&sr=8-1

[fannyprice]

I did read the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which was very good. I don't know why I find science books to be so interesting when I disliked science classes, but they are my go-to relaxation books.

[smock]

Ha, I know what you mean! I found actual science classes boring and difficult, but the history of science is an entirely different bag. That's probably why I ended up becoming a history professor!

[Dusky]

I just finished A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard and it did a pretty good job of sucking me in.

[aurora]

I just finished A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson and enjoyed a lot of the science history.

[angnshaun]

Four Days In November
Helter Skelter

Sent from my SGH-T989 using ProBoards

[charlatti]

Have you read Columbine or Zeitoun? Both depressing, but excellent books. The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean was really interesting, and Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is fun.

[PinkSquirrel]

I'll second Columbine

[dorothyinAus]

I really enjoyed:

The Northern Lights by Lucy Jago
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
What Einstein Told His Cook (1 and 2) by Robert L. Wolke

Coming up on my tbr list are:

Newton and the Counterfieter by Thomas Levenson
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

[sparrowsong]

The Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan
www.amazon.com/The-Botany-Desire-Plants-Eye-World/dp/0375760393/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336958501&sr=1-1

Krakatoa - Simon Winchester
www.amazon.com/Krakatoa-World-Exploded-August-1883/dp/0060838590/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336958275&sr=8-1

Wesley the Owl - Stacey O'Brien
www.amazon.com/Wesley-Owl-Remarkable-Love-Story/dp/1416551778/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336958322&sr=1-1

The Age of Wonder - Richard Holmes
www.amazon.com/The-Age-Wonder-Generation-Discovered/dp/0007441355/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336958469&sr=1-1

Read and really enjoyed all of these.

[curmudgeon]

Ditto The Botany of Desire. Also I really enjoyed Stumbling on Happiness (it is not self-help, it is how humans experience and perceive happiness, very interesting "how the brain works.")

[doxies]

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson was good.

I have also heard good things about his other book - In The Garden of Beasts.

[angnshaun]

J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles and Altered the Course of the Civil War

[textbookcase]

I also loved The Devil in the White City. I like John Krakauer's books, Under the Banner of Heaven was really good. I enjoyed Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and I like his travel books as well.

[bluelikejazz]

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking is really good. All I can say is I felt both smarter and dumber at the same time after reading this book.

[amyb2332]

I might have missed this but did anyone mention Unbroken? It is the same author as Seabiscuit. It was one of my favorite books from last year.

For light nonfiction reading, I thought Chelsea Handler's books were pretty hiliarious if you like her.

[secretlyevil]

This is my favorite to date:

www.goodreads.com/book/show/144977.The_Tender_Bar

[pugz]

The Psychopath Test

[aurora]

May 15, 2012 21:54:15 GMT -5 pugz said:

The Psychopath Test

I just heard a NPR discussion on this book a few days ago. Sounds interesting!

[curmudgeon]

May 15, 2012 21:59:37 GMT -5 aurora said:

May 15, 2012 21:54:15 GMT -5 pugz said:

The Psychopath Test

I just heard a NPR discussion on this book a few days ago. Sounds interesting!

Wow, that definitely looks like one to check out.

[bluelikejazz]

Also... Moonwalking with Einstein by Josh Foer is really good!

[marytini]

I read a book called Factory Girls, about girls that work in factories in China. More of a sociology non-fiction, but I enjoyed it.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/2635587-factory-girls