Getting into Non-fiction
I’ve been running a Facebook group for a little over a year now devoted to non-fiction books. The group has grown to over 5,000 dedicated members and is the largest such group on Facebook.
New members will often post requests for book recommendations for non-fiction books that read like novels.
Therefore, I’ve put together this list of some of my favourite non-fiction books that hold an appeal for those who are used to reading fiction. These books tell fascinating stories and are written in a captivating style typical of popular fiction.
I hope to continue this series with recommendation lists for various topics. Consider this Part I.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This book is really three books in one. The first part follows the story of how a poor kid from California went from outrunning cops to racing in the Olympics. The second and third parts of the book take a much darker turn. They tell of how the protagonist served on a bomber in the Pacific during WWII and his story as a prisoner of war of the Japanese.
Hillenbrand is a great sportswriter, as she proved in her first book, Seabiscuit, and this book meets and exceeds the expectations set by that one. Some might find the latter parts of this book a little dark, but this extremely well rounded — and vividly written book should have something to please everyone.
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
Richard Preston has several books about infectious viruses, both fiction and non-fiction, including his latest, Crisis in the Red Zone, but this one is probably his best-known. More than any other book on this list, this one truly reads like a thriller novel, and I guarantee will have you holding on to the edge of your seat.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer has written several great books, many of which would be equally deserving of a place on this list, including Into the Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven, but ultimately, this one is the closest to a thriller novel and that’s why I chose it for this list.
Krakauer does an excellent job weaving the narrative of the main story with flashbacks and background information. That is equally true for Into the Wild. Although that one might not take your breath away, it will make you cry. I highly recommend both Into Thin Air and Into the Wild.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
This one is a little longer than some of the others on this list, and his topic is science, but anyone who’s familiar with Bill Bryson will tell you that his style is anything but boring. His humour will have you rolling on the floor. Bryson’s earlier books were a little less serious, like A Walk in the Woods, Notes From a Small Island, and In a Sunburnt Country. Starting with this book, Bryson turned to more serious topics, like science and history, but he has lost none of his charms.
This book is probably one of the best to get beginners into popular science books. You can also follow this up with At Home and his newest on The Body.
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
This book is a bit more serious than the last, but it truly is a masterpiece of non-fiction. Mukherjee’s depth of research is impressive and explains some very detailed science in a way that is understandable. Yet this book really does read like a murder mystery — instead of wondering “will they catch the murderer?”, you will be turning the page to find out “will they cure it?”. Who could ever imagine a book on the history of cancer could be a page-turner?
His newer book The Gene is not quite as good, but worthwhile if you like his style.
Dead Wake by Erik Larson
Erik Larson has a number of books that are said to read like novels, such as The Devil in the White City, In the Garden of the Beasts, and his newest, The Splendid and the Vile. I picked this one because I found it one of his best — the story holds together a little better than some of his others, and I found the bits on submarines and code-breaking fascinating.
Larson likes to weave together multiple plotlines and characters and does an excellent job making his settings real. I don’t quite agree that his books are like novels — I’d put it halfway between narrative non-fiction and straight-up history. I especially appreciate his detailed footnotes — they reveal how a professional historian like Larson works.
Genome by Matt Ridley
Another science book by probably one of the greatest masters of science writing. I can’t really say this one reads like a novel — it is squarely in the category of science — but Ridley’s writing is so pleasing that this one is sure to appeal to even the most science-phobic readers.
If you like this one, you should also check out Ridley’s other books, like The Agile Gene and The Red Queen, both about genetics and human evolution, and The Rational Optimist, The Evolution of Everything, and his newest one How Innovation Works, which take on a more political/economic angle.
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis has several great books about finance and business stories. His first book, Liar’s Poker, about Wall Street culture in the 1980s, is a classic and The Big Short about the 2008 financial crisis is very well known because of the movie based on it. I also highly recommend Flash Boys about high-frequency-traders, and his more recent one, The Undoing Project, is extremely interesting if you like behavioural economics.
I chose this book as a good starting point for Michael Lewis’s books because the topic is a little lighter than high finance. At its core, however, it really is about economics, but don’t worry, you don’t need to be a math major to understand this one. Lewis has a gift for making financial topics fun and engaging, and his books are better than any for getting into the business genre.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
Another business book, but like some of the others on this list, more thrilling than any novel. This book is about Elizabeth Holmes, who was supposed to be the next Steve Jobs until it turned out that her company was a complete fraud. What is most shocking is how many high profile politicians, generals, and investors she had wrapped up in her scheme and how willfully blinded they were by her personality. As much a study in human nature as in financial crime.
Conclusion
There is no shortage of great non-fiction books of all styles and levels. The ones listed above are your best entry point to non-fiction if you are looking for engaging books to get you into non-fiction.
I hope to follow this post up with lists of the top books on specific topics, so be sure to check in often.
