20 best non-fiction books for people who think they hate to read non-fiction

 

A book fiend's appetite for the written word can take a number of forms. Some readers are carnivores, preferring to stick to the hefty meat of non-fiction tomes; others are herbivores and exclusively graze about the sunny meadows of  fiction. And some of us are gluttonous, greedy omnivores, devouring every book within view and  washing it all down with a liberal dose of Cabernet Sauvignon.

I've always felt a bit sorry for the devout herbivore readers --  well-written non-fiction can be every bit as emotional, unexpected, and absorbing as the best novels. If you're a literary vegetarian, perhaps you've just not found a non-fiction dish to suit you. I guarantee you'll find a tempting tidbit or two in this list of the 20 best non-fiction books for people who think they hate to read non-fiction.

20 best non-fiction books for people who think they hate to read non-fiction

1. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande

If I hadn't already sworn off using tired old reviewerspeak words like "riveting" and "tour de force" to describe books (find out about the bane of reviewerspeak here) I'd be tempted to use both about Complications. And, in this case, both would be completely accurate: Complications is an astonishingly good book. Originally published as a series of personal essays in the New Yorker, Complications explores the paradoxes, insecurities, and failures of the physician's world. Not only are the issues that Dr. Gawande ponders fascinating -- the haphazard nature of medical training, how and why doctors make mistakes, whether or not a full moon really makes people act strangely -- his writing is perfection. The first chapter of the book, "Education of a Knife," is one of the best things I've ever read. If you only read one book off of this list, I highly recommend it be this one.

2. The Blooding: The True Story of the Narborough Village Murders - Joseph Wambaugh

The Blooding is part mystery, part true crime reconstruction, part hero story. The book focuses on the investigation that resulted in the first capture and conviction of a serial rapist and murderer through the use of DNA testing. Now that we are all so inured to the use of forensics in criminal investigations (as well as watching it done every night on CSI and Forensic Files), it's difficult for us to imagine a murderer being caught without DNA evidence. The story is a sad one, but the dogged efforts of the policemen investigating the case and their commitment to using what was, at the time, considered a highly questionable method, is quite inspiring.

3. Mistress Anne - Carolly Erickson

Carolly Erickson specializes in writing biographies of famous royal women of the past -- Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, the Empress Josephine, Catherine the Great, and Anne Boleyn, the focus of Mistress Anne. If you're a fan of lush historical novels and romances you will find any of Ms. Erickson's books fascinating. Don't be freaked out thinking they must be as dry as a history textbook: they are full of period details, excerpts from personal letters and diaries, and of course, plenty about the favorite pasttime of royals everywhere -- sexual exploits. Take a look at more information about Ms. Erickson's books here.

 

4. Material World: A Global Family Portrait - Peter Menzel and Charles C. Mann

Once you start looking at this book, it's difficult to put it down. It features pictures of  30 "statistically average" families, each representing a particular country. The photographers who contributed to the book spent a week living with the family, then took spectacular, two page spread pictures of them outside their home with all of their possessions. The differences are striking: the family from Mali has one husband, two wives, a mob of children and a few cooking pots in front of their dirt house; the family from Kuwait has 4 cars, goodness knows how much stuff, and lives in a mansion. When I first read Material World, I was worried that it might turn out to be nothing more than a cleverly disguised bash on American materialism; I was pleasantly surprised. The American family is presented with the same respect and kindness as all the others. A remarkable book.

5. Notes from Nethers: Growing Up in a Sixties Commune - Sandra Eugster

Notes from Nethers was by far the best book I read last year. I expected it to be full of sensational details about free love and organic grains and all manner of Woodstock-ish wildness. Instead, it's an honest, exceptionally well-written account of the good and the bad that Ms. Eugster encountered at the commune her mother began in the mid-1960s. Take a look at the full review of it here.

6. A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle

You don't have to be an aficionado of France or a lover of red wine to enjoy A Year in Provence, but you certainly will be both by the time you finish reading. Mr. Mayle describes the triumphs and tribulations of moving from England to the French countryside with exquisite detail (especially when he talks about the food) and a lot of humor. This is just the sort of book to enjoy while lazing away a sunny afternoon in the backyard.

7. Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood - Alexandra Fuller

Outstanding look at life in Rhodesia, Zambia, and Malawi in the late 1970s and early 1980s through Ms. Fuller's memories of being a white British girl growing up in a troubled home and a troubled country. Ms. Fuller's writing is magical. For any of you aspiring writers out there (and this goes for both fiction and nonfiction), Ms. Fuller is the undisputed master of literary foreshadowing. The audiobook read by Lisette Lecat only just missed making my list of 10 best audiobooks.

8. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West - Stephen Ambrose

History books are sometimes pretty tough to enjoy and digest -- not so Undaunted Courage. Mr. Ambrose manages to turn the Lewis and Clark expedition into a hero tale that rivals the best fantastical adventures. His love and admiration for the courage of both men, for the strong bond of friendship between them, for the crew that accompanied them, and for Sacajawea shine through in this detailed account. American history at its best.

 

9. Doctor in the House - Richard Gordon

Probably the funniest doctor-themed book you'll ever read, Doctor in the House is Gordon's account of his medical training in post-war London. Although the hospital, St. Swithin's, is fictitious, the nurse-chasing, pub-crawling, rugby playing lads Gordon lives and works with are all too true, as is the hilariously condescending surgeon who trains them. Gordon followed this up with over a dozen more doctorish comedies and the entire series was later made into a successful British television comedy series.

10. Stuffed: Growing up in a Restaurant Family - Patricia Volk

In Stuffed, Patricia Volk writes, "We were a restaurant family, four generations in a six-block radius. When you opened our fridge, food fell on your feet." Ms. Volk's memoir isn't just about the restaurants her Jewish family ran in New York for generations, but about all the people and love that make families unique.

Ready for #11 - #20 on the list of 20 best non-fiction books for people who think they hate to read non-fiction? Take a look at them here or SUBSCRIBE to the Book Examiner for bookish rants, raves, reviews, and recommendations delivered straight to your inbox, whether it be of the carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore persuasion.