Hello! I’m trying to get more into reading non-fiction and would love some recommendations. I want to expand my knowledge with interesting, kind of random topics. If not so random: I enjoy history — especially about crimes committed against the people. I’m not religious, but I do find the history of religion fascinating. Philosophy, however, just doesn’t click for me, so I’d prefer to avoid that. Also, please go easy on me—English isn’t my first language, but I’m working on improving it.
by ijudgehere
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You might enjoy In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It’s about a real family murder that took place but written in a novel-like manner
“Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach is really good
*The Jakarta method* by Vincent Bevins
*The capital order* by Clara Mattei
**God is Not One** by Stephen Prothero is a really interesting look at the origins and effects of the eight most popular religions in the world – Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Confusionism, Hinduism, Yoruba, and Daoism (as well as a short section on atheism).
For crimes, I wonder if you might like some of the niche anthologies I like – they are more like a collection of short, nonfiction stories around one theme:
**A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes** by Gale Eaton. This takes a look st some of the most famous hoaxes in history. They’re not all crimes technically, but they are pretty fun. The original Trojan Horse is one, and then it goes up to the 90s when there was a big online dinari-buying scheme (think “a prince in Nigeria emailed me” type scam).
**Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks** by Scott Shapiro. What was the very first internet virus? Who accidentally found a back door into military networks? How did the advent of hacktivists change the internet landscape? Questions like that.
A few historical books that really grabbed me:
The Last Days of the Incas, by Kim MacQuarrie
Empire of the Summer Moon
The Four Voyages of Columbus
The Dark Queens, by Shelley Puhak
And about cults:
Dear Leader
Infidel
Seductive Poison