I really enjoy non fiction books and learning about people that have done interesting and peculiar things. Some books I've finished recently and really enjoyed; 438 days by Jonathon Franklin, the Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, Cabin-Off the grid adventures with a clueless craftsman by Patrick Hutchinson, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, Code Name Blue Wren by Jim Popkin, In the Great Green Room by Amy Gary. Thank you for any suggestions!
by R1verStar
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A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter
Underland by Robert Macfarlane – a book about places and locations that exist underground. The author visits these places and the people that work in or research them.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain – Bourdain’s autobiography about working in the professional, high-end food business.
Among The Thugs by Bill Buford – an American journalist spends 3 years embedding himself in UK football hooligan culture so he can learn about it and about why it’s rife with xenophobia and violence.
Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe – a collection of Keefe’s articles and essays for The New Yorker, all focusing on people that are considered “rogues” or “nonconformists” in some way.
My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams – The author’s story of being manipulated and conned by Anna Delvey, a Russian con artist posing as a rich heiress.
The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko – The story of a record-breaking illegal boat ride down the Grand Canyon. This reads like a thriller novel but also talks a lot about the ecology and conservation of the canyon.
A Simple Story: The Last Malambo by Leile Guerriero – A very short book about an intense traditional dance competition festival in a village in Argentina, following one competitor as he prepares for the next festival.
Joe Gould’s Teeth by Jill Lepore – A biography of a little known Modernist era writer, who was part of the NYC scene and who told everyone he was writing a “complete history of the world.” The author attempts to find if anything was written at all and also researches and expounds on Gould’s life and obsessions.
Here are a few history books that I think are good:
“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
It’s an unflinching look at the U.S. Army’s decades long campaign against the Comanches. It goes into the Comanche culture & way of life while also detailing massacres committed by both the Comanches AND the U.S. Army.
Another great book is “In Search of the Old Ones: Exploring the Anasazi World of the Southwest” by David Roberts
It’s a great book that combines the history of the southwest Anasazi (Cliff Dwellers) with first hand accounts from the author’s backcountry adventures in the Four Corners area exploring ancient ruins.