Jump to content

Non Fiction


Guest

Recommended Posts

How many people on this board read non fiction?

 

I mainly read fiction but I do like to mix in the odd true story, at the moment i'm reading a book (The eneny within) about the 1984/85 Coal miners strike here in Britian during the Margaret Thatcher years of goverment, facinating read so far and much more informative than what we got to see and hear in the media.

 

Sometimes non fiction can be just as entertaining as fiction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 90
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I'll occasionally read an autobiographt, but only if I'm already interested in the person in question. I also have a collection of books on various Pagan / Witchcraft subjects.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a non-fiction writer, a good proportion of what I read is also non-fiction, admittedly less so than it used to be, since it is 2 years next month since the last edition of my own book was published. When I was writing it I had to read an awful lot of other people's stuff - mostly alternative history, archaeology and religion - but also a lot of more general mind, body and spirit - I was and am particularly influenced by Eckhart Tolle and Neale Donald Walsch, among others, and A Course in Miracles.

 

I also have a sizeable collection of books on writing and publishing, which I dip into now and again, and Icelandic sagas - which are historical records of the settlement period of Iceland. I have always been fascinated by that country, and hope to go back next year, if I can afford to.

 

Agree though that properly written, non fiction can be just as entertaining.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like non-fiction although I don't tend to read masses of it. From my blog, in 2007 I only read one (George Orwell) but in 2008 I read 8 out of a total of 40 books in that year.

 

I have lots of hardbacked factual non-fiction books that I dip in and out of like What the Victorians Did For Us, all of the Who Do You Think You Are? series, The 1900s House, Stephen Fry in America...

Edited by Janet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably in terms of the amount of time I spend reading, it's probably equal between fiction and non-fiction; I do, though, find fiction easier - plot and narrative drive make it much easier to obsessively read an entire book quickly. So I read lots more novels than non-fiction books. My current non-fiction read is Molecular Gastronomy by Herve This.

 

Most of the non-fiction I read is travel writing, or area-specific history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a varied taste when it comes to non-fiction books, but I prefer to set aside time specifically for reading them, mainly because I tend to read about science and mathematics. At the moment I'm trying to clear my TBR pile of fiction books before attempting Cultural Amnesia, Clive James' autobiography.

 

My current non-fiction read is Molecular Gastronomy by Herve This.
I'd love to read this book. I remember putting it on my wish list when the first series of Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection was broadcast.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got so sick of reading only non-fiction in college that for the last few years I haven't read much at all. It's definitely a very different feel than fiction so I have to prepare my mind for it :irked:

 

I just mooched Blank Slate by Steven Pinker, but it's well down on my list :)

 

I read the occasional autobiography but I prefer the pace and style of fiction personally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't think of a single non-fiction book I've read... I guess I haven't. This surprises me, because I'm a bit of a history-freak, so I should (logic tells me) have at least a few non-fiction books together with my already owned historical fiction novels. Would anyone like to recommend good non-fiction with a WWII theme? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

re Herve This...

 

I'd love to read this book. I remember putting it on my wish list when the first series of Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection was broadcast.

 

I'm only about 50 pages in, but it's fascinating stuff if you're a foodie and interested in the science of it. So far it's very much focussed on individual dishes and how received law might be wrong or right, but explaining why. The other great science-of-food book is Harold McGee's On Food And Cooking, which explains in much more detail the science of food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Currently I have been reading Wikinomics and Alfabeti, two non-fiction books on very different topics: web 2.0 the first one, books and literature the other.

I do read a lot of non-fiction usually about String theory or neuroscience, additional dimentions and economics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read quite a bit of non fiction, especially relating to places I have an interest in.

 

One I hope to get a chance to read soon is Home Run by Nichol and Rennell relating to the networks that existed across Europe during WW2 to get downed pilots home, and children away from danger.

Edited by Chrissy
Because I am a moron!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like to read non fiction every now and then. The books are mainly biographies about people I have an interest in and they're usually music related people. Most recently I've read about Ian Curtis from Joy Division, Kurt Cobain from Nirvana and Lester Bangs who was a gonzo journalist back in the day.

 

A few weeks ago I read a book which was intended to help with one of my assignments for uni and ended up loving it! It's called 'Celebration USA by Douglas Frantz'. The author and his wife moved to Celebration (the town that was built by the Walt Disney company) in Florida as an experiment and the book is a documentation of their time there. It's really freaky and the rules put in place by the company are unbelievable but it really made me think about the future of towns and cities and what role corporations could possibly play in their creation.

 

I'd definitely recommend it! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do occasionally read non-fiction, mostly science, mathematics or travel. In recent years, a couple of books I've really enjoyed are:

 

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

(synopsis from amazon.co.uk)

Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. It is a product of long hours and intelligent design, of meaningful work environments and particular rules and principles. This book shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices and in everyday life. Just as he did with his revolutionary theory of the tipping point, Gladwell reveals how the power of

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the books I read are fiction, but I do try to work in a couple of non-fiction books each year.

I'm currently reading Future Perfect: How Star Trek Conquered Planet Earth, by Jeff Greenwald, it's an interesting read - provided you like Star Trek!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read a lot of Non-F and would recommend "Devil's Teeth" by Susan Casey.

 

Casey is an American journalist who became fascinated by Great White Sharks after seeing a BBC documentary about them. She managed to wangle a rare visit to the Farallon Islands off the west coast of America. Once ther, she hoped to watch scientists tag the big Great Whites...the REALLY big ones, the females!

Reading about everything she went through and what did and didn't happen is quite the thrill ride.

Hope you enjoy it, but best not to read it too late at night!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...