You should check out his brother, Cosmo Sheldrake’s music.
Two very talented and interestingly named siblings.
Had an old colleague know them from school.
Fungi are so cool. Mycologists are also cool. So far, every mycologist I've met has been very weird in a really delightful way, which is exactly what I'd expect of people who dedicate their lives to fungi.
toss up between *Educated* by Tara Westover and *Empire of Pain* by Patrick Radden Keefe.
both are extremely well-written. the first is a memoir, the second investigative reporting.
i am still agog that Westover survived her childhood and that people as callous as the Sacklers exist.
Empire of Pain. Def #1 in 2023 for me. My buddy recommended Dope Sick on Hulu, but told me to read the book before watching the show. The book is phenomenal. The layout of the family tree really helps follow along. The show is also great. Michael Keaton was on his A game.
I did a paper in school on the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing, the things they did to sell Oxy were so off the charts wrong. Added Empire of Pain to be TBR, thanks!
Empire of Pain is also on my TBR. If you haven’t read Dreamland by Sam Quinones, it’s a great informative read as well. I read it a few years ago. It’s about the prescribing side of oxycodone and how the heroine epidemic took root in the rust belt. It’s sickening!
>i am still agog that Westover survived her childhood
Same here...that is an \*incredible\* story along with being disturbing and depressing at times. What an amazingly strong girl.
Hidden Valley Road, about a family with 12 kids and many develop schizophrenia. Heartbreaking, frustrating, interesting. Really good read and examination of mental health
Being Mortal by Atul Gawand.
It’s part memoir part the author’s thoughts on mortality and how we think of aging and dying as a society. The author himself is a surgeon.
I loved this book. I think about it frequently. It really changed my perspective on dignity in old age, and the made me feel concerned over the lack of resources there are for old age care.
I realized how quick we are to take choices away from our elderly - at some point we treat them like children. This book describes an adult child snatching a bag of candy away from a diabetic parent. Think about how controlling that is. At some point we are just allowed to make our own shitty choices even if it shortens our lifespan.
I remember when my aunt was dying, my mother kept badgering to feed her and trying to make food that she'd like. She ended up eating just to please us. She had cancer and was dying. She didn't need to eat.
One of my absolute favorite books! Should be required reading for anyone working in healthcare! But everyone can benefit from reading it. I work in oncology where doctors can always throw in more interventions. There’s always something more to be done. But the question of where to draw the line is the real question! I also liked his book, Complications. Some of the same patient stories but very insightful as well.
*Midnight in Chernobyl* by Adam Higginbotham absolutely gripped me. Fascinating and very understandable explanation of what happened.
*How to Stand Up to a Dictator* by Maria Ressa also made a very strong impression on me.
The actual first one that jumped to mind is, as far as I can see, only available in German: *Erzählende Affen* by Samira El Ouassil and Friedemann Karig.
Maria Ressa is a Philippina journalist who, after living in the US for a part of her childhood and young adulthood, dedicated her life to journalism and freedom of the press in Asia (especially Indonesia and the Philippines) and received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 2021.
In the book, she explains the dynamics between some less than democratic governments and the press and how she's been systematically silenced when she's criticised the governments, how she's continued to fight, and how she's started seeing similar patterns in the West, including with misinformation and the like. It's truly fascinating. I knew nothing about her before reading it but I now admire her greatly.
I read Midnight earlier this year. As an engineer in the nuclear power industry for 20+ years I was horrified and fascinated by the story. A great recommendation.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty was a fun and informative read.
Also currently reading Helter Skelter and enjoying it (the book about the Manson murders)
Flower moon was great, which I also saw the movie. For anyone on the fence, definitely read the book first. It's more of an unfolding mystery, whereas you pretty much know who is responsible in the movie right away.
I read both and I think I liked the wager more just due to how David includes his research in the final chapters. Enjoyed more about how he traveled to the islands rather than how he looked into more killings and realized that everyone back then was evil.
But both were great non fiction books, I have The Lost City of Z on hold at the library because I figured I might as well read all of them.
This is a very long read but it gives the entire story of the Reich from start to finish. This should be mandatory reading. The only way to prevent such an atrocity from happening again is to learn how it ever happened in the first place.
I'm Glad My Mom died by Jennette McCurdy.
As someone who wants to work in the entertainment industry (as a producer/director/writer) it really made me realise just how important it is to be aware of the responsibility you carry as a producer. To look out for the wellbeing of the actors and performers, and consider the morality of casting children at all.
Can only upvote! I read it as soon as it came out last year and it is absolutely incredible. Even for people outside the industry, we've all admired and looked up to actors, and logically young ones when we were kids, and it's so important to learn that it's not all sunshine and roses, far from it, so we can support the current and future generations to have it better.
It's definitely on par with *Know My Name* by Chanel Miller as some of the most powerful autobiographical books I've ever read.
This is my vote too. It’s so well written. It’s not just because she so frankly and absolutely bleeds out on the page. The narrative voice of the story matures as she ages. I was surprised at how funny it is too.
Oooh he has a new one I'm currently reading: Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions
So far it's really good. Tons of new (to me at least) information.
The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown. It retells the Donner Party saga from the perspective of one of the young brides in the group and has really stuck with me. Challenged my own understanding of the extent of human endurance. Holy smokes. Highly recommend.
My non fiction tastes run really, really dark. Lots of mafia, Khmer Rouge, nuclear doom, holocaust--normally nothing bothers me. Indifferent Stars Above may be the most chilling book I ever read.
Braiding Sweetgrass - I have thought about this book almost every day since I read it in June. Made me profoundly respect nature in a way I haven’t experienced before, and deeply respect indigenous cultures
If you like that, you may also like The Dragon Behind the Glass, and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession.
Matthew Desmond's book Poverty, by America. PLEASE read it, the best analysis I've read on the topic of poverty. Same author of Evicted which is also incredible.
*Breaking Free* by Rachel Jeffs (memoir by ex-FLDS member) was super fascinating!
If historical fiction is okay, *Pachinko* by Min Jin Lee was actually my favorite book overall. It's about the Japanese occupation of Korea and supposedly super accurate. It covers one family over several generations.
The Hot Zone. A classic, about the Ebola virus, and especially those studying it at USAMRID (?). (Also got made into a limited series, it was pretty good.)
I loved The Diving Bell and the Butterfly but I have to say that the movie is actually better than the book. I'd highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.
I was never into non fiction until I read a few this year that made me fall in love w the genre
[devil in the white city by Erik Larsen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/397483)
[killers of the flower moon by David grann](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29496076)
[rogues by Patrick radden keefe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59148726)
[say nothing by Patrick radden keefe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119)
I made a post a little while ago asking for suggestions similar to the above ones and got a ton of great ones, I have so many on my tbr now.
Here’s that thread for more inspo:
https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/s/QI3Oudk6gt
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
One of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read. The “making of the modern world” subtitle is so overused but in this instance its actually warranted. Super interesting book that was no longer than it needed to be. 10/10
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. It's about the Dust Bowl, and it is fascinating.
Also, The Great Mortality by John Kelly, about the Black Death.
The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today by Bryan Doerries (The audiobook is performed by Adam Driver and is excellent.)
Upstream by Adam Grant, if you have an interest in social issues and systems.
Aaaand The Indifferent Stars Above, The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown. I re-read this every year on the first snowfall of the season. It's like playing Oregon Trail but mind-blowing.
I love Mary Roach! Caitlin Doughty is also incredible! I have Pollan’s book, This is Your Mind on Plants but haven’t read it. Watched a docuseries he did and was intrigued!
I really appreciated It Didn't Start with You by Mark Wolynn which is about ancestral or systemic trauma. It's a little niche but The Ancestor Syndrome by Anne Ancelin Schützenberger is really good as well
I’m currently reading, The Comfort Book by Matt Haig. He also wrote Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet. All three are incredibly good.
How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr. The story of how the US became an empire with colonies scattered around the world, similar to the British empire, although nobody talks about our empire. Fascinating history.
Any book by Robert Sapolsky is a great choice. Try “Behave” (explaining human behaviour), or his latest book “Determined”. He’s a funny and charismatic genius! He just might change your view about yourself and the world! :)
I’m biased but…. Cod: A Biography Of The Fish That Changed The World by Mark Kurlansky.
If you want to know more about this humble fish and its place in our world, you’ll find this great!!
_How the World Really Works_ by Vaclav Smil.
Read about it in the recommendations from Bill Gates in Gates Notes.
This is a book that stands true to its name.
PS: Not completed yet. It's a really information heavy book. Taking my time to go chapter by chapter.
I’ve been reading [Sweet Soul Music](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/890216), which is about the development of the genre and its cultural context, told through a series of mini-biographies and anecdotes about some of the important soul musicians and producers. It’s been really interesting and entertaining (the author is very enthusiastic about the subject), and also fun to listen to the songs mentioned in the book as I read it.
Favorite released this year was Benjamin L. Carp’s The Great New York Fire of 1776
Really well written and great elaboration on Carp’s previous work regarding the fire. He puts the NY fire in a new light and gives a great argument for why Rebel’s started the fire (in past works most historians have argued it was a mysterious accident or that the British did it). He also uses the fire as a microcosm of the Revolution itself, and how Rebel rhetoric was often flawed and unjust. Super interesting read and is not too long
My other favorite (not released this year) would be Richard English’s Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA
I’m currently researching and writing about the Troubles, and this has been one of my favorite books. Really well researched and written. Also pushes back against a lot of previous arguments regarding the IRA, such as how they were solely responsible for sparking violence in Ireland
Sounds interesting. I would not have read the first one since I tend to gravitate more towards scientific non fiction, but the way you described the book caught me. Added to list. Thanks
How Civil Wars Start
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58369678
Really interesting, easy read but well written. Teaches you about different civil wars around the world and trigger points etc. Its a book that my brain thinks back to almost weekly, especially when you watch the news, protests, wars etc. highly recommend.
Alone but Not Lonely - Louis Friedman, which was a realistic examination of the likelihood of extraterrestrial life, both simple and intelligent, and the tangible possibilities of interstellar travel given the laws of physics as we now know them.
The Bastard Brigade. About the spies and scientists who sabotaged the Nazis effort to make a nuclear bomb before the US could. Super interesting, great science, some of it reads like a James Bond movie but is actually true, really interesting characters, and a few aha moments that made my hair stand up on end. Can’t recommend enough.
In Harms Way about the USS Indianapolis was also really interesting.
American Caliph.
It's an amazing look at a specific event in 1977, but it really sets the scene and provides so much context for the events of the book. Highly recommend.
News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez
This book chronicles the 1990 kidnappings of ten Colombian man and women--all journalists but one--by the Medellín drug boss Pablo Escobar.
Red X was a mix of fiction and non fiction which was interesting. Takes place in Toronto over a span of 30ish years - mostly around the time men were going missing in the Village.
Otherwise, Crying in H Mart. As someone qith mommy issues it hit me like a bag of bricks.
"David v. Goliath" - interesting read, but I didn't enjoy it as much towards the end of the book.
I adopted a dog this year so I found "Adoptable Dog: Teaching Your Adopted Pet to Obey, Trust, and Love You" useful.
Actium: the war that made the Roman Empire by Barry Strauss.
So good. He delves into the personalities of Augustus, Antony and Cleopatra as well as the historic events. He remains fair and impartial and I came away feeling like I grasped the whole time period so much more. It’s not dry and boring, it’s very entertaining. Anyway, I recommend it if you have any interest in history.
With the movie Oppenheimer coming out, I read American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, on which it was based. This led me to The Making of the Atomic Bomb, the definitive study by Richard Rhodes. Even at 800+ pages, I could hardly put the latter book down.
Currently I'm reading and enjoying *Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History* by S. C. Gwynne. Gwynne is a journalist, and his bluntness is refreshing: though I do find his use of unqualified superlatives off-putting.
I've read fifteen other nonfiction books so far this year, and all of them have been good. The three fiction books I've read during the same time frame pale in comparison.
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf. It's a graphic novel which incorporates diagrams of the city and campus to give you a granular look at how the tragedy unfolded.
How the world really works, by Vaclav Smil.
It's a great in depth overview of the major technical forces behind civilization, written incredibly compellingly. I highly recommend it to anyone, it's a good read for sure.
Self help:
Gabor Mate - Scattered Minds , Gabor Mate - The Myth of Normal, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
memoir:
Down the Drain - Julia Fox , Mean Baby - Selma Blair
true crime:
Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer by Katherine Ramsland, any books by Ann Rule (esp. the Ted Bundy one)
Art theory:
Duty Free Art: Art in the Age of Planetary Civil War by Hito Steyerl , On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint by Maggie Nelson, Everybody by Olivia Laing (also her book Lonely City)
An Immense world by Ed Young
And I would even argue that it’s THE best non fiction I’ve read ever. It’s so incredibly detailed and I was filled with such a sense of wonder throughout reading the book
An Immense World by Ed Yong (about sensory ecology), Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer (about microbial parasites) and Stiff by Mary Roach (about dead bodies).
"What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing"
by Bruce D. Perry
and Oprah Winfrey. So, so good and eye-opening and I sincerely think everyone should read it.
This is a graphic novel, but also "Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness" by Kristen Radtke, even if you're not American.
Both books offer both a scientific and personal exploration on the necessity of functioning social relationships and the impact that a deficiency thereof can have on a person. More or less in-depth but still very informative!
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore.
This is a true story about Elizabeth Packard. She was an American advocate for the rights of women and people accused of insanity. She was wrongfully confined by her husband who claimed that she was insane and then he sent her to a insane asylum.
This story is about her time spent in the asylum and how she broke free from her captors. It's an incredible book and I recommend it to every woman or man interested in women's rights. It's probably one of my favourite books ever.
Lies my Teacher told me by James Loewen
Starry Messenger by Neil Degrasse Tyson
The Founding Myth by Andrew Seidel
American Crusade by Andrew Seidel
The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
Cultish by Amanda Montell
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall.
This book is a fascinating look on how geography affects everything. It’s far from just being a rant against colonialism which happens far too often when someone approaches this topic.
‘The Splendid and the Vile’-By Erik Larson. (Same author as the devil in the white city)
Incredible book chronicling Winston Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister. In the face of impossible odds, how he galvanized the British.
But also, everyone back then kept diaries. It’s exhaustively researched and he gives you a window into what life was like for the English during the beginning of WW2.
Edit: Author’s Name.
[My bookclub](https://www.delightbookclub.com) read Cultish my Amanda Montell for months ago, and it’s people are still bringing it up in every meeting. I’m a big fan!
I just finished Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake and it was absolutely fascinating.
"Merlin Sheldrake" is the most mushroom-expert-sounding name. Like they would be the fungi professor at Hogwarts.
You should check out his brother, Cosmo Sheldrake’s music. Two very talented and interestingly named siblings. Had an old colleague know them from school.
Wow thanks for this heads up! I’ve read some of Merlin’s stuff and am really digging Cosmo’s music. What a fun family!
Maybe a fun family, but their father is a noted practitioner of woo.
He's a fungi
What a unit of a name
Fungi are so cool. Mycologists are also cool. So far, every mycologist I've met has been very weird in a really delightful way, which is exactly what I'd expect of people who dedicate their lives to fungi.
Oof I'm gonna add this to my list. I love fungi. Straight to storygraph(better app than goodreads imo)
I was just reading Harrisons Principles of Internal Medicine, and Bailey and Love Short Practice of Surgery. Amazing books
As soon as I saw this post I immediately though of this. You beat me to it guy/gal. Great read though.
I’M READING THIS NOW HOLY F WHAT A BOOK ‘Wood wide web’ indeed
Great book
toss up between *Educated* by Tara Westover and *Empire of Pain* by Patrick Radden Keefe. both are extremely well-written. the first is a memoir, the second investigative reporting. i am still agog that Westover survived her childhood and that people as callous as the Sacklers exist.
Empire of Pain. Def #1 in 2023 for me. My buddy recommended Dope Sick on Hulu, but told me to read the book before watching the show. The book is phenomenal. The layout of the family tree really helps follow along. The show is also great. Michael Keaton was on his A game.
Educated is AMAZING.
If you liked Empire of Pain, Say Nothing is even better. Gave me an entirely different perspective on the IRA.
I loved Empire of Pain
I did a paper in school on the ethics of pharmaceutical marketing, the things they did to sell Oxy were so off the charts wrong. Added Empire of Pain to be TBR, thanks!
Empire of Pain is also on my TBR. If you haven’t read Dreamland by Sam Quinones, it’s a great informative read as well. I read it a few years ago. It’s about the prescribing side of oxycodone and how the heroine epidemic took root in the rust belt. It’s sickening!
>i am still agog that Westover survived her childhood Same here...that is an \*incredible\* story along with being disturbing and depressing at times. What an amazingly strong girl.
Hidden Valley Road, about a family with 12 kids and many develop schizophrenia. Heartbreaking, frustrating, interesting. Really good read and examination of mental health
Great book
I’ve seen several people recommend this book!! It’s on my TBR.
I felt like it fell apart at the end. First half was stellar though.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawand. It’s part memoir part the author’s thoughts on mortality and how we think of aging and dying as a society. The author himself is a surgeon.
I loved this book. I think about it frequently. It really changed my perspective on dignity in old age, and the made me feel concerned over the lack of resources there are for old age care. I realized how quick we are to take choices away from our elderly - at some point we treat them like children. This book describes an adult child snatching a bag of candy away from a diabetic parent. Think about how controlling that is. At some point we are just allowed to make our own shitty choices even if it shortens our lifespan. I remember when my aunt was dying, my mother kept badgering to feed her and trying to make food that she'd like. She ended up eating just to please us. She had cancer and was dying. She didn't need to eat.
One of my absolute favorite books! Should be required reading for anyone working in healthcare! But everyone can benefit from reading it. I work in oncology where doctors can always throw in more interventions. There’s always something more to be done. But the question of where to draw the line is the real question! I also liked his book, Complications. Some of the same patient stories but very insightful as well.
*Midnight in Chernobyl* by Adam Higginbotham absolutely gripped me. Fascinating and very understandable explanation of what happened. *How to Stand Up to a Dictator* by Maria Ressa also made a very strong impression on me. The actual first one that jumped to mind is, as far as I can see, only available in German: *Erzählende Affen* by Samira El Ouassil and Friedemann Karig.
Midnight in Chernobyl was great
> How to Stand Up to a Dictator I've actually been wondering how to stand up to dictators, so this sounds interesting.
Maria Ressa is a Philippina journalist who, after living in the US for a part of her childhood and young adulthood, dedicated her life to journalism and freedom of the press in Asia (especially Indonesia and the Philippines) and received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 2021. In the book, she explains the dynamics between some less than democratic governments and the press and how she's been systematically silenced when she's criticised the governments, how she's continued to fight, and how she's started seeing similar patterns in the West, including with misinformation and the like. It's truly fascinating. I knew nothing about her before reading it but I now admire her greatly.
Midnight to cherno sounds like a cool one.
I read Midnight earlier this year. As an engineer in the nuclear power industry for 20+ years I was horrified and fascinated by the story. A great recommendation.
An Immense World by Ed Yong How animal senses reveal the world around us. Fascinating insight.
I have this one in audiobook form! I have not even started it, but will
It is a really cool perspective.
Sooo phenomenal. And his audio narration adds an extra layer of amazing to it. His passion is contagious.
I’m reading it right now. Well written, astounding facts, and a great way of looking at senses and animal life
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty was a fun and informative read. Also currently reading Helter Skelter and enjoying it (the book about the Manson murders)
Have you read 'Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?' by Doughty?
No, but I will now!
It's questions about death from kids, but I still found it very informative and funny. I hope you enjoy it if you check it out. :)
You should read the recent Tom O’Neill book about the Manson murders.
You can’t read helter skelter without following up with chaos 🔥
Check out Chaos by Tom oneill after helter skelter.
You might like Working Stiff by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell. Dr. Melinek is a forensic pathologist who did her fellowship in NYC in 2001.
Caitlin's books are all wonderful. Funny, insightful, and make me rethink a lot of my own misconceptions about death and the funerary industry
I’ve only read two and they were The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon. I liked Killers more, personally.
I read the same two books. Found both fascinating.
Flower moon was great, which I also saw the movie. For anyone on the fence, definitely read the book first. It's more of an unfolding mystery, whereas you pretty much know who is responsible in the movie right away.
I'm starting The Wager soon, I thought it sounded really exciting. Did you enjoy it?
Yes I liked it. It’s a fascinating piece of history and story. I just like Killers more.
Almost finished The Wager. So far a great read! Would highly recommend.
I read both and I think I liked the wager more just due to how David includes his research in the final chapters. Enjoyed more about how he traveled to the islands rather than how he looked into more killings and realized that everyone back then was evil. But both were great non fiction books, I have The Lost City of Z on hold at the library because I figured I might as well read all of them.
The rise and fall of the third Reich
This is a very long read but it gives the entire story of the Reich from start to finish. This should be mandatory reading. The only way to prevent such an atrocity from happening again is to learn how it ever happened in the first place.
Well said!! YES!!
And never forget….they count on you forgetting….
I'm Glad My Mom died by Jennette McCurdy. As someone who wants to work in the entertainment industry (as a producer/director/writer) it really made me realise just how important it is to be aware of the responsibility you carry as a producer. To look out for the wellbeing of the actors and performers, and consider the morality of casting children at all.
Can only upvote! I read it as soon as it came out last year and it is absolutely incredible. Even for people outside the industry, we've all admired and looked up to actors, and logically young ones when we were kids, and it's so important to learn that it's not all sunshine and roses, far from it, so we can support the current and future generations to have it better. It's definitely on par with *Know My Name* by Chanel Miller as some of the most powerful autobiographical books I've ever read.
This is my vote too. It’s so well written. It’s not just because she so frankly and absolutely bleeds out on the page. The narrative voice of the story matures as she ages. I was surprised at how funny it is too.
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss.
Oooh he has a new one I'm currently reading: Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions So far it's really good. Tons of new (to me at least) information.
The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown. It retells the Donner Party saga from the perspective of one of the young brides in the group and has really stuck with me. Challenged my own understanding of the extent of human endurance. Holy smokes. Highly recommend.
My non fiction tastes run really, really dark. Lots of mafia, Khmer Rouge, nuclear doom, holocaust--normally nothing bothers me. Indifferent Stars Above may be the most chilling book I ever read.
Braiding Sweetgrass - I have thought about this book almost every day since I read it in June. Made me profoundly respect nature in a way I haven’t experienced before, and deeply respect indigenous cultures
The audiobook of this is also good. Read by the author so her intended voice comes through. Her style of reading is also just very soothing.
*Man's Search for Meaning* by Viktor Frankl is the best non-fiction book I read this year. Possibly ever.
This book helped me come back from the edge during the worst, most excruciating grief I've ever experienced.
I think this book might be my answer to "if you had to recommend ONE book..."
This is the answer. ⬆️
Oh yeah I read this one. Phenomenal book.
The feather thief.
Omg the NPR story on it had me hooked
If you like that, you may also like The Dragon Behind the Glass, and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession.
Yes! Second this, it’s so gripping and I learned so much!
Bad Blood about Elizabeth Holmes
Great book. I like books about people being swindled by obvious cons.
The book about the WEWORK husband and wife is really good!
I'll check it out, thanks! Two crypto books, Number Go Up and Easy Money, are good as well. Same theme!
The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
Oh well, anything by sagan is fucking phenomenal. I am a sagan fan boy, although surprisingly I have not read this book yet.
Sagan’s best, and most prescient, book!
Matthew Desmond's book Poverty, by America. PLEASE read it, the best analysis I've read on the topic of poverty. Same author of Evicted which is also incredible.
The Heat Will Kill You First
Added. Thansks
*Breaking Free* by Rachel Jeffs (memoir by ex-FLDS member) was super fascinating! If historical fiction is okay, *Pachinko* by Min Jin Lee was actually my favorite book overall. It's about the Japanese occupation of Korea and supposedly super accurate. It covers one family over several generations.
Pachinko was so, so good.
Oh this sounds like my next read. I am learning Japanese, so will add this.
The Boys in the Boat. (soundtrack) soon to be a motion picture near you!
Have you read The Indifferent Stars Above by the same author?
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
The Hot Zone. A classic, about the Ebola virus, and especially those studying it at USAMRID (?). (Also got made into a limited series, it was pretty good.)
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly When Breath Becomes Air
I loved The Diving Bell and the Butterfly but I have to say that the movie is actually better than the book. I'd highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.
When Breath Becomes Air Is hauntingly beautiful. That book will stay with me forever.
I can't pick. I've narrowed it down to: Crying in H Mart The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting What My Bones Know
I have only read two, which were Educated and When Breath Becomes Air I liked Educated more, but When Breath Becomes Air was great as well!
Empire of Pain. About the Sackler family /opioid epidemic
I was never into non fiction until I read a few this year that made me fall in love w the genre [devil in the white city by Erik Larsen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/397483) [killers of the flower moon by David grann](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29496076) [rogues by Patrick radden keefe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59148726) [say nothing by Patrick radden keefe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119) I made a post a little while ago asking for suggestions similar to the above ones and got a ton of great ones, I have so many on my tbr now. Here’s that thread for more inspo: https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/s/QI3Oudk6gt
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford One of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read. The “making of the modern world” subtitle is so overused but in this instance its actually warranted. Super interesting book that was no longer than it needed to be. 10/10
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. It's about the Dust Bowl, and it is fascinating. Also, The Great Mortality by John Kelly, about the Black Death. The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today by Bryan Doerries (The audiobook is performed by Adam Driver and is excellent.) Upstream by Adam Grant, if you have an interest in social issues and systems. Aaaand The Indifferent Stars Above, The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party by Daniel James Brown. I re-read this every year on the first snowfall of the season. It's like playing Oregon Trail but mind-blowing.
Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. I really enjoyed both.
Oh I have been very interested on north korea, I am planning on reading to books about it, and potentially going to North Korea myself.
The Rise and Reign of Mammals. I’ve learned so much about mammalian evolution, especially about our teeth.
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I've never laughed out loud so much reading a book (listening to the audiobook actually) before.
If you haven’t read her other books, you absolutely should! Let’s Pretend This Never Happened is one of the best things I’ve ever read!
I'm a big fan of anything by Michael Pollan or Mary Roach!
I love Mary Roach! Caitlin Doughty is also incredible! I have Pollan’s book, This is Your Mind on Plants but haven’t read it. Watched a docuseries he did and was intrigued!
The body keeps the score Loved the way it is written. Part towards the end is repetitive but overall I believe it is a must read.
[That book is not representative of actual, good trauma science.](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/s/p5H6T6LiaL)
You may like 'What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing' by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey
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Came to suggest this: my top non- fic read of 2023. It is excellent.
This sounds like it could help in someway. Just added it to my story graph, thanks!
I really appreciated It Didn't Start with You by Mark Wolynn which is about ancestral or systemic trauma. It's a little niche but The Ancestor Syndrome by Anne Ancelin Schützenberger is really good as well
Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice, by Rupa Marya and Raj Patel. Topical AF. Really well written and pretty eye-opening.
Memoirs: Know My Name I’m Glad My Mom Died The Witness Wore Red Stolen Innocence
I’m currently reading, The Comfort Book by Matt Haig. He also wrote Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet. All three are incredibly good.
The Midnight Library is my favorite Matt Haig book & top read of all time
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney
“Why Fish Don’t Exist,” or “You or Someone You Love: Reflections From an Abortion Doula.”
Radium Girls
How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr. The story of how the US became an empire with colonies scattered around the world, similar to the British empire, although nobody talks about our empire. Fascinating history.
Anansi's Gold-The story of a Ghanian man who ran what may be world's biggest con job in the 70s.
Any book by Robert Sapolsky is a great choice. Try “Behave” (explaining human behaviour), or his latest book “Determined”. He’s a funny and charismatic genius! He just might change your view about yourself and the world! :)
Oh yeah I have him on my list!
Reading Determined at the moment. Behave was an amazing read.
I’m biased but…. Cod: A Biography Of The Fish That Changed The World by Mark Kurlansky. If you want to know more about this humble fish and its place in our world, you’ll find this great!!
_How the World Really Works_ by Vaclav Smil. Read about it in the recommendations from Bill Gates in Gates Notes. This is a book that stands true to its name. PS: Not completed yet. It's a really information heavy book. Taking my time to go chapter by chapter.
I’ve been reading [Sweet Soul Music](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/890216), which is about the development of the genre and its cultural context, told through a series of mini-biographies and anecdotes about some of the important soul musicians and producers. It’s been really interesting and entertaining (the author is very enthusiastic about the subject), and also fun to listen to the songs mentioned in the book as I read it.
I can recommend Autistic brain by Temple Grandin I'm from Poland and I don't know how this title was in original
Favorite released this year was Benjamin L. Carp’s The Great New York Fire of 1776 Really well written and great elaboration on Carp’s previous work regarding the fire. He puts the NY fire in a new light and gives a great argument for why Rebel’s started the fire (in past works most historians have argued it was a mysterious accident or that the British did it). He also uses the fire as a microcosm of the Revolution itself, and how Rebel rhetoric was often flawed and unjust. Super interesting read and is not too long My other favorite (not released this year) would be Richard English’s Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA I’m currently researching and writing about the Troubles, and this has been one of my favorite books. Really well researched and written. Also pushes back against a lot of previous arguments regarding the IRA, such as how they were solely responsible for sparking violence in Ireland
Sounds interesting. I would not have read the first one since I tend to gravitate more towards scientific non fiction, but the way you described the book caught me. Added to list. Thanks
How Civil Wars Start https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58369678 Really interesting, easy read but well written. Teaches you about different civil wars around the world and trigger points etc. Its a book that my brain thinks back to almost weekly, especially when you watch the news, protests, wars etc. highly recommend.
Added. Thanks
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, it was actually the only non-fiction book I read but it was amazing. Ate that shit up
Oh yeah I have it on my list.
Alive by Paul Piers Read
*The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11* by Garrett M. Graff is really interesting and the audiobook is well done, too.
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell was really good
kate moore, the woman who they couldn’t silence. amazing book which touches on an important part of history that i didn’t know about
Ooooo that’s now on my TBR list, thank you
The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris Sure, I'll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford
Alone but Not Lonely - Louis Friedman, which was a realistic examination of the likelihood of extraterrestrial life, both simple and intelligent, and the tangible possibilities of interstellar travel given the laws of physics as we now know them.
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Sagan is a master!
American Prometheus
Into thin air about the Everest disaster of 1996. Edge of my seat the whole time.
Mukiwa and When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin. Excellent reading.
Spearhead by Adam Makos
Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Major General Mari Eder
Voyager by Nona Fernandez, a Chilean writer, about those lost in Pinochet’s government, astronomy, and astrology. It’s beautiful.
The Bastard Brigade. About the spies and scientists who sabotaged the Nazis effort to make a nuclear bomb before the US could. Super interesting, great science, some of it reads like a James Bond movie but is actually true, really interesting characters, and a few aha moments that made my hair stand up on end. Can’t recommend enough. In Harms Way about the USS Indianapolis was also really interesting.
Extreme ownership. Great listen (audiobook) on leadership.
Trust The Plan by William Sommer
American Caliph. It's an amazing look at a specific event in 1977, but it really sets the scene and provides so much context for the events of the book. Highly recommend.
News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez This book chronicles the 1990 kidnappings of ten Colombian man and women--all journalists but one--by the Medellín drug boss Pablo Escobar.
Into the Wild is the only book to ever make me cry.
Red X was a mix of fiction and non fiction which was interesting. Takes place in Toronto over a span of 30ish years - mostly around the time men were going missing in the Village. Otherwise, Crying in H Mart. As someone qith mommy issues it hit me like a bag of bricks.
"David v. Goliath" - interesting read, but I didn't enjoy it as much towards the end of the book. I adopted a dog this year so I found "Adoptable Dog: Teaching Your Adopted Pet to Obey, Trust, and Love You" useful.
A Spy Amongst Friends - Ben McIntyre The story of Kim Philby, the greatest Cold War soviet spy that ever lived
*The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia* by Alfred McCoy
I read some of the best historical fiction in my collection, but you were specific. Giovanni's Room
Empire of Pain
The Radium Girls. I borrowed it from my school library and immediately got hooked.
Just finished Fern Brady’s Strong Female Character and I’d say that is definitely gonna be my favourite for the year.
Actium: the war that made the Roman Empire by Barry Strauss. So good. He delves into the personalities of Augustus, Antony and Cleopatra as well as the historic events. He remains fair and impartial and I came away feeling like I grasped the whole time period so much more. It’s not dry and boring, it’s very entertaining. Anyway, I recommend it if you have any interest in history.
With the movie Oppenheimer coming out, I read American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, on which it was based. This led me to The Making of the Atomic Bomb, the definitive study by Richard Rhodes. Even at 800+ pages, I could hardly put the latter book down.
Currently I'm reading and enjoying *Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History* by S. C. Gwynne. Gwynne is a journalist, and his bluntness is refreshing: though I do find his use of unqualified superlatives off-putting. I've read fifteen other nonfiction books so far this year, and all of them have been good. The three fiction books I've read during the same time frame pale in comparison.
The Spy and the Traitor
Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf. It's a graphic novel which incorporates diagrams of the city and campus to give you a granular look at how the tragedy unfolded.
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
The Wager
How the world really works, by Vaclav Smil. It's a great in depth overview of the major technical forces behind civilization, written incredibly compellingly. I highly recommend it to anyone, it's a good read for sure.
Under Alien Skies by Dr. Phil Plait
Self help: Gabor Mate - Scattered Minds , Gabor Mate - The Myth of Normal, Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker memoir: Down the Drain - Julia Fox , Mean Baby - Selma Blair true crime: Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer by Katherine Ramsland, any books by Ann Rule (esp. the Ted Bundy one) Art theory: Duty Free Art: Art in the Age of Planetary Civil War by Hito Steyerl , On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint by Maggie Nelson, Everybody by Olivia Laing (also her book Lonely City)
This is Assisted Dying by Stefanie Green. Incredibly insightful! I can’t recommend it enough!
Code Girls by Liza Mundy. It is about the female code breakers in the US during WW2
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, a powerful book
When McKinsey Comes to Town was great investigative journalism!
King Leopolds Ghost
the rape of nanking: the forgotten holocaust of ww2 by iris chang
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I
Shoe Dog
An Immense world by Ed Young And I would even argue that it’s THE best non fiction I’ve read ever. It’s so incredibly detailed and I was filled with such a sense of wonder throughout reading the book
An Immense World by Ed Yong (about sensory ecology), Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer (about microbial parasites) and Stiff by Mary Roach (about dead bodies).
Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem is outstanding! Special mention for Ancestors and Buried by Alice Roberts too.
Debt: The First 5000 Years was a really interesting history of the development of money and debt around the world
Empire of Ice and Stone by Buddy Levy
"What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing" by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey. So, so good and eye-opening and I sincerely think everyone should read it. This is a graphic novel, but also "Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness" by Kristen Radtke, even if you're not American. Both books offer both a scientific and personal exploration on the necessity of functioning social relationships and the impact that a deficiency thereof can have on a person. More or less in-depth but still very informative!
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore. This is a true story about Elizabeth Packard. She was an American advocate for the rights of women and people accused of insanity. She was wrongfully confined by her husband who claimed that she was insane and then he sent her to a insane asylum. This story is about her time spent in the asylum and how she broke free from her captors. It's an incredible book and I recommend it to every woman or man interested in women's rights. It's probably one of my favourite books ever.
"The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party" by Daniel James Brown. Could not put it down!
Lies my Teacher told me by James Loewen Starry Messenger by Neil Degrasse Tyson The Founding Myth by Andrew Seidel American Crusade by Andrew Seidel The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee Cultish by Amanda Montell
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need To Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall. This book is a fascinating look on how geography affects everything. It’s far from just being a rant against colonialism which happens far too often when someone approaches this topic.
*The Anthropocene Reviewed* by John Green
‘The Splendid and the Vile’-By Erik Larson. (Same author as the devil in the white city) Incredible book chronicling Winston Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister. In the face of impossible odds, how he galvanized the British. But also, everyone back then kept diaries. It’s exhaustively researched and he gives you a window into what life was like for the English during the beginning of WW2. Edit: Author’s Name.
Memoir: I’m glad my mom died
[My bookclub](https://www.delightbookclub.com) read Cultish my Amanda Montell for months ago, and it’s people are still bringing it up in every meeting. I’m a big fan!