I searched this board but I can't seem to find this thread...although I kind of have the feeling that I started it already? Anyway, I've hardly read any non-fiction and I would like to.
Here are two that I would recommend to the highest degree:
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond. Jess, this is one for you, and anyone interested in race, history, anthropology, and the like. He covers all of human history from a scientific point of view and manages to keep it as entertaining as it is insightful.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down:A Hmong Child, her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, Anne Fadiman. It's a medical anthropological book, which sounds dry, but I actually cried at the end of it, it was so moving. I know people deplore the state of journalism these days, but this book is a model of what a good journalist can accomplish, if he or she has an equal degree of empathy and objectivity.
Any recommendations?
Non-fiction Recommendations
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Mockingbird - A Walking Blade
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
An African In Greenland by Kpomassie Tete-Michel. I read it when it was recommend to me by Pullman and thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Ian - The Frog Prince
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
For a competing perspective consider The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes. In my opinion neither Landes nor Diamond convincingly dispels the argument of the other, so I think it's important for students to read both and form their own views.Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond. Jess, this is one for you, and anyone interested in race, history, anthropology, and the like. He covers all of human history from a scientific point of view and manages to keep it as entertaining as it is insightful.
**EDIT: My suggestion that Landes be read as a companion to Diamond was not intended as an endorsement of his argument. I'm happy to send a critical review of either book to anyone who contacts me by PM. (02/07/08)
**EDIT: Changed link to The Wealth and Poverty of Nations. (02/08/08)
Last edited by Bellerophon on Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Bellerophon - Witch
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
For a competing perspective consider The Wealth and Poverty of Nations by David S. Landes. In my opinion neither Landes nor Diamond convincingly dispels the argument of the other, so I think it's important for students to read both and form their own views.Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond. Jess, this is one for you, and anyone interested in race, history, anthropology, and the like. He covers all of human history from a scientific point of view and manages to keep it as entertaining as it is insightful.
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I suspect we come from two different schools of thought, but I would think that you wouldn't need Diamond's argument to dispel the argument of the other. I agree, people should read them both, but if they can't see through Landes' prejudices, then they should carefully examine their own. (And don't say Diamond is prejudiced too.
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Mockingbird - A Walking Blade
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
The 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century
That's a good place to start.
Several publications produced rival lists, and I've linked contributions from the über-liberal CounterPunch and the über-conservative National Review so we can celebrate diversity to the greatest extent possible. There are many excellent non-propaganda books on each, but others are, well, see number 100 on the National Review list:
CounterPunch: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction (English Only).
CounterPunch: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction in Translation (Translated).
National Review: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction
That's a good place to start.
Several publications produced rival lists, and I've linked contributions from the über-liberal CounterPunch and the über-conservative National Review so we can celebrate diversity to the greatest extent possible. There are many excellent non-propaganda books on each, but others are, well, see number 100 on the National Review list:
CounterPunch: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction (English Only).
CounterPunch: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction in Translation (Translated).
National Review: Best 20th Century Non-Fiction
A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
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Bellerophon - Witch
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
Not a book, but I have just found this online collection of socio-political essays, which I am loving. It is entirely possible that this is one of those cultural phenomena which is new to me but everyone else already knows about. (That happens to me a lot.) It is very entertaining at any rate, and I wanted to share.
Oh, and a disclaimer I suppose... It contains material relating to and expressing opinions about issues regarding (but not limited to) sexuality, feminism, religion, racism, popular culture, patriotism and political correctness. Basically it is essays on a whole bunch of issues about which people tend to get their knickers in a knot. And most of it is not PG. Just so you know.
Oh, and a disclaimer I suppose... It contains material relating to and expressing opinions about issues regarding (but not limited to) sexuality, feminism, religion, racism, popular culture, patriotism and political correctness. Basically it is essays on a whole bunch of issues about which people tend to get their knickers in a knot. And most of it is not PG. Just so you know.
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
I very rarely read non-fictin stuff either, and when I do I have a tendancy to lean towards biologist-type autobiographys like:
Dian Fossey - Gorillas In The Mist
and Joy Adamson - Born Free
Dian Fossey - Gorillas In The Mist
and Joy Adamson - Born Free
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aklebury - Angel
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Re: Non-fiction Recommendations
I would recommend any history book by Norman Davies. My two favourites are Europe: A History, which looks at European history from non-'Great Power' perspectives, and The Isles which is about Britain and Ireland but focuses a lot on Ireland, Wales and Scotland, rather than the usual focus on England.
I also love A Peace to End All Peace.
I like history books that read more like a story and could add many more to this list.
I also love A Peace to End All Peace.
I like history books that read more like a story and could add many more to this list.
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