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  • Showing only topics in ~books with the tag "nonfiction". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. What books helped you deal with the anxiety of life's uncertainties?

      Be it fiction or non-fiction, what books did you find helpful for accepting the uncertainties of life? I used the word anxiety in the title, because that's the angle I'm mainly interested in right...

      Be it fiction or non-fiction, what books did you find helpful for accepting the uncertainties of life? I used the word anxiety in the title, because that's the angle I'm mainly interested in right now, but in no way I'm just asking about psychology books. All kinds of books are welcome.

      4 votes
    2. Recommend a nonfiction book accessible to outsiders that makes your interest seem awesome

      Inspired by this thread about the "bible" of your activity or hobby - What's a book that you would recommend to someone who has a vague interest in an activity or subject of your interest that you...

      Inspired by this thread about the "bible" of your activity or hobby - What's a book that you would recommend to someone who has a vague interest in an activity or subject of your interest that you think will make them find it super interesting and/or impart a good surface-level understanding of your field?

      44 votes
    3. Non-fictional books about getting to know emotions?

      Hello, I'm looking for books written by professionals that would further my language and understanding of emotions, in order to connect with my emotions on a deeper level. An example would be...

      Hello, I'm looking for books written by professionals that would further my language and understanding of emotions, in order to connect with my emotions on a deeper level. An example would be "Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect", but it doesn't have to be about neglect. I just want to understand and experience the emotional spectrum better, so any book (written by a mental health professional) that would help with that is good. If possible, I prefer shorter books, around 100-250 pages, but it's not a hard requirement.

      21 votes
    4. Book recommendation request: An introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict for non-academics

      Hello, If this topic came up and such a recommendation has been made, please just point me to that post. I would like to read an introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict. I would like the book:...

      Hello,

      If this topic came up and such a recommendation has been made, please just point me to that post.

      I would like to read an introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict.

      I would like the book:

      1. to be written by an author with relevant credentials
      2. to not be written for academics
      3. to not be written by an Arab, Israeli, or European author
      4. something that was published before the October 7th invasion of Israel

      Thanks much

      15 votes
    5. Book recommendations: Psychology topics

      Hi everyone :) I am pretty obsessed with consuming information as someone with ASD, and one of my preferred topics to really dive into is Psychology, Philosophy, and Business ethics that can...

      Hi everyone :) I am pretty obsessed with consuming information as someone with ASD, and one of my preferred topics to really dive into is Psychology, Philosophy, and Business ethics that can relate to the other 2 topics. I generally read a lot of articles, journals, and studies, but I have found myself really wanting to dive back into the course topics that I was learning about in college before I dropped out, as I don't do well in structured school settings.

      I have been re-visiting a lot of Freud's work and other basic course stuff, but I do love more advanced topics that make me connect the dots between my personal studies and my schooling, so honestly just drop some titles for anything nonfiction and not as self help directed and I will check it out.

      Thanks guys :)

      18 votes
    6. Suggest nonfiction that can be understood/enjoyed by nonspecialists

      Some of my favorite books are nonfiction, so I'm looking for more. These could be from your field of expertise, but could also just be books you have enjoyed. They just need to be comprehensible...

      Some of my favorite books are nonfiction, so I'm looking for more. These could be from your field of expertise, but could also just be books you have enjoyed. They just need to be comprehensible to a moderately intelligent reader with little to no background in the subject matter.

      Here a few I have enjoyed.
      A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr,
      Being Wrong Adventures on the Margin of Error,
      Cadillac Desert,
      Facing the Mountain by Daniel Brown,
      The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,
      Born a Crime by Trevor Noah,
      The Day the World Came to Town,
      Travels With Charley by Steinbeck

      Edit, a couple more,
      Flow the Psychology of Optimal Experience,
      Bowling Alone by Putnam,
      Because Internet by McCulloch

      29 votes
    7. Any good math textbook/book recommendations

      I would like to get slightly more educated in mathematics again - I took some basic calculus and linear algebra classes while doing my degree, but most likely forgot what I learned for the most...

      I would like to get slightly more educated in mathematics again - I took some basic calculus and linear algebra classes while doing my degree, but most likely forgot what I learned for the most part. Are there any good books that you guys would recommend for someone who wants to learn math again?

      13 votes
    8. Any recommendations for reading classic non-fiction in modern times?

      I've been on a long and steady roll reading classic literature, both fiction and non-fiction. I think it's important to get a perspective from earlier times that influenced our current culture and...

      I've been on a long and steady roll reading classic literature, both fiction and non-fiction. I think it's important to get a perspective from earlier times that influenced our current culture and also because many of these works have withstood the test of time.

      However, I'm having real trouble reading some of the non-fiction e.g. Plato's Republic and Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals. With both fiction and non-fiction I accompany my readings with Sparknotes to make sure I'm not missing anything important. In the case of non-fiction I often can barely get a cohesive thought out of the original text. In some cases the text is too old to be understood on it's own and in others the author has great ideas but poor writing (e.g. Nietzsche, famously). But Sparknote's is much too brief—I'd like a more involved experience.

      My request is this: I'm looking for books (or resources to find such books) about classic non-fiction that

      1. distill the concepts without watering them down
      2. provide context with either modern culture and/or other works that are related
      3. are written for an intelligent layman; prose meant to communicate to a non-expert audience but with scholarly rigor

      Basically, I read at a high level but I am not a professional scholar of literature, philosophy or history, yet I would like to have a bridge to such an understanding.

      EDIT: I found this site to be exactly what I was looking for: https://plato.stanford.edu/index.html

      10 votes
    9. What are your favorite non-fiction audiobooks?

      I'm about to finish my semester and, since I've been taking a lot of walks lately, I figured I should listen to some audiobooks. In particular, I'd love some suggestions for nonfiction audiobooks....

      I'm about to finish my semester and, since I've been taking a lot of walks lately, I figured I should listen to some audiobooks. In particular, I'd love some suggestions for nonfiction audiobooks. I recently read Boom Town by Sam Anderson, a sort of pop history about Oklahoma City and its basketball team, and I listened to Silver Screen Fiend, by Patton Oswalt, about his addiction to movies.

      Are there any audiobooks you recommend? Preferably they would be good books that also have particularly good audio versions (well-produced).

      Thanks!

      10 votes
    10. How do you all do "deep readings"?

      I'm reading a book right now that I am finding fascinating, but I don't want to forget the thoughts and ideas presented in each chapter by the end. I was wondering what you all do when reading...

      I'm reading a book right now that I am finding fascinating, but I don't want to forget the thoughts and ideas presented in each chapter by the end. I was wondering what you all do when reading books like this. In college, I would usually jot down a few notes on the chapter I was reading, but I always found the act of interrupting my reading to write to be very disruptive.

      • Do you take notes and highlight directly in the book, or use another notebook or software?
      • Do you take notes as you go, or wait until the end of a chapter or section?

      I want to arrive at a system that works well for me, so I'm looking for suggestions here.

      15 votes
    11. What authors do you recommend on the basis of writing style?

      I'm in the middle of writing my thesis and I've been (re)reading some excellent, unconventional style guides (The Sense of Style by Stephen Pinker and Stylish Academic Writing by Helen Sword). I'm...

      I'm in the middle of writing my thesis and I've been (re)reading some excellent, unconventional style guides (The Sense of Style by Stephen Pinker and Stylish Academic Writing by Helen Sword). I'm also rereading Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs, which is less about style but is essentially a guide for effective communication.

      In reading these books and applying their teachings to my writing, I've been reinvigorated with a passion for writing, namely for the craftsmanship of prose. All three books analyze excerpts from examples of great (and sometimes poor) writing. But, I'm now looking for a more immersive experience in good (i.e. stylish, evocative, concise etc.) writing in the hopes that, with my newly refined perspective and sensitivity, I can improve my own writing even more. Good writers read good writing.

      Now, starting new books now won't help my current cause (my thesis) but my academic career will call for much more writing in the future. And I'm hoping that maybe the suggestions I get here will help me prioritize my current queue of books and articles—I know they're all great books but I'd like to read the ones with better writing, first.

      So, I would love some recommendations on authors who you would consider as masters of writing. It can be either books or articles. Preferably non-fiction and modern (20 years?), only because fiction and older books have different standards (FWIW I love old-school sci-fi, but that's definitely not the style I'm after). My current shortcut is to read basically any "longread" on WIRED, as most of the time they are high quality and often explain complex topics.

      Any other resources are also welcome! Though maybe no more style guides...

      12 votes
    12. What non-fiction books have had lasting explanatory power?

      I was telling someone about a psychology book I'm reading at the moment. Intending to read it themselves they messaged me later to ask for the title. And I felt a bit unsettled at sharing it!...

      I was telling someone about a psychology book I'm reading at the moment. Intending to read it themselves they messaged me later to ask for the title. And I felt a bit unsettled at sharing it!

      Whilst it's interesting and I'm enjoying it, I doubt I'll remember its lessons or claims in a year or two. Which got me thinking about books that I read years ago which still help me understand the world.

      So I thought I'd make a post asking which books other users still found helpful year(s) later.

      tldr; share books that are:

      • Non-fiction (or at least serious fiction).
      • First read over a year ago.
      • Have been helpful to you multiple times since.
      18 votes
    13. Favourite non-fiction books of the last couple of years?

      The main focus of the book community seems to be fiction (easier to enjoy with friends I guess), so I would love to hear your top non-fic picks of the last years and the reason for your decision....

      The main focus of the book community seems to be fiction (easier to enjoy with friends I guess), so I would love to hear your top non-fic picks of the last years and the reason for your decision. Any books that changed the way you look at certain things?

      4 votes
    14. Favorite non-fiction subjects and recommendations

      Non-fictions lovers, what are your favorite subjects to read about, and what are your recommended readings for them? My personal areas of interest are: American Civil War Battle Cry of Freedom by...

      Non-fictions lovers, what are your favorite subjects to read about, and what are your recommended readings for them? My personal areas of interest are:

      American Civil War

      • Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson - Perhaps the definitive overview of the Civil War
      • The Confederate War by Gary Gallagher - A look at the war from the perspective of the Confederacy
      • A Short History of Reconstruction by Eric Foner - A relatively brief but complete analysis of the years following the war

      Custer

      • Cavalier in Buckskin by Robert Utley - A very balanced, comprehensive study of Custer’s life (there is a large hardcover version available that also contains a lot of interesting pictures)
      • A Terrible Glory by James Donovan - Well researched and covers more of the aftermath of Custer’s Last Stand than the typical Custer book
      • Custer Victorious by Gregory J.W. Urwin - An extensive examination of Custer’s distinguished Civil War career

      OJ Simpson

      • Without a Doubt by Marcia Clark - A fascinating, detailed read written by the lead prosecutor herself
      • The Run of His Life by Jeffrey Toobin - The best book written about the case by someone not directly involved in it
      • Murder in Brentwood by Mark Fuhrman - Despite what reservations people may have about Mark Fuhrman, his account of the trial is thorough and eye-opening

      The Atomic Bomb

      • The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes - A long-winded history of the creation of the bomb, including the physics behind it
      • Hiroshima in History and Memory by Michael J. Hogan - A collection of essays detailing the decision to drop the bomb, and the effects it had on Japan and American afterward
      • In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Richard Polenberg - Contains the transcripts of the J. Robert Oppenheimer trial, “father of the atomic bomb,” who was put on trial several years after the end of World War II for being a suspected Soviet spy
      5 votes