Going to order 5 nonfiction books, need ideas!

Stingerbar

Definitely non-fiction and I must admit I am a bit nerdy

Any recommendations

No self help

Just interesting stuff ..

sxt

Have a look a this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056020541

Dades

The Grand Design, by Stephen Hawking (and some other guy)...
Really enjoying it at the moment and not too technical for plebs like us.

Oh, and read Cosmos if you haven't already. If you're not sure just read the reviews...

[-0-]

Dades wrote: »

The Grand Design, by Stephen Hawking (and some other guy)...
Really enjoying it at the moment and not too technical for plebs like us.

Oh, and read Cosmos if you haven't already. If you're not sure just read the reviews...

Just ordered both of these. Thanks Dades!

Darlughda

'Ship of Fools:How Stupidity and Corruption Sank the Celtic Tiger' by Fintan O' Toole.

and

'Smile or Die:How Positive Thinking Fooled America & The World' by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Stingerbar

Great, please keep the suggestions coming

As long as it isn't Everest, World War 2 or self help then I am interested..

One beaut I read recently was 'In the Heart of the Sea' - incredible, story of a Nantucket whaling ship being attacked by a large Sperm whale.

IrishPhoenix

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?
Anything by Bill Bryson
Battlecry of Freedom by James McPherson [American Civil War]

chenguin

Dades wrote: »

The Grand Design, by Stephen Hawking (and some other guy)...
Really enjoying it at the moment and not too technical for plebs like us.

I second this I read and I really enjoyed it. Although I did find it a bit repetitive near the end.

Kinski

Stingerbar wrote: »

One beaut I read recently was 'In the Heart of the Sea' - incredible, story of a Nantucket whaling ship being attacked by a large Sperm whale.

Isn't that just Moby-Dick?;)

Denerick

I'd recommend these three broadly popular history books:

Postwar by Tony Judt, Empire by Niall Ferguson, and Citizens by Simon Schama (I've only read a couple of chapters of Schama's book, but I lost it about 6 months ago. Gutted)

Stingerbar

Kinski wrote: »

Isn't that just Moby-Dick?;)

Indeed, it was the true story that actually inspired Melville.

DapperGent

Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond is wondeful. Africa: A Biography of a Continent by John Reader is a personal favourite.

Shryke

Stalingrad by Antony Beever. And to a stlightly lesser extent, Berlin and D-Day. They are seriously extent and comprehensive and tie the entire events of the war together with a very clear and easy to understand narrative.

Muggwoffin

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick is a fantastic book on North Korea

DeVore

I would second "Bad Science by Ben Goldacre"

anything by Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Outliers or Blink especially).

Dawkins obviously but I prefer Blind Watchmaker and Selfish Gene to his recent stuff.

DeV.

mrsdewinter

Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. Just as a break from the history/biography/economics suggestions you've received so far. I'm not a big fan of True Life sagas, but this account of a disastrous ascent of Everest is so vivid, I really enjoyed it.

JohnMearsheimer

I enjoyed Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner, America Unchained by Dave Gorman and Call of the Wild by Guy Grieve. I'm sure everyone knows about Freakonomics. With America Unchained the author tries to travel across America without using any services provided by chain companies. It's a bit of harmless fun. I particulary enjoyed the last one, Call of the Wild, the author goes off and lives one of my dreams.....living in the Alaskan wilderness

IvyTheTerrible

The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. Very long but excellent account of the lead up to the atomic bomb. Covers the science but also the personalities of the people involved.

Blood River by Tim Butcher. Butcher decides to travel up the Congo River to recreate the voyage of Livingstone. Very interesting story of the fall of a country.

Glowing

I thought 'The God Delusion' was a great read .. a real eye opener

Edit: I also really enjoyed 'Don't sleep, there are snakes'

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/9594115/Don-t-Sleep-There-Are-Snakes/Product.html

Denerick

Glowing wrote: »

I thought 'The God Delusion' was a great read .. a real eye opener

-1

Read Newman's Apologia instead

wonton

"Reflections on the Revolution In Europe: Immigration, Islam, and the West"

by christopher caldwell


very interesting book, a real page turner.

pavb2

The Worst Journey in the World - Apsley Cherry Garrard

"Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time that has ever been devised"

This is one of my favourite books a pre cursor to Scott by one of the group that found their bodies.

OwaynOTT

Catch 22 is an excellent, excellent read. Extremely amusing and well executed.
Rubicon by Tom Holland. Its a good account of the fall of the Roman Republic and told in an informative and engaging way.
A voyage long and strange by Tony Horowitz. Touches on all lot of explorers and conquistadors who sailed to the new world, from the vikings to Columbus to the pilgrims.
And two other books.
One of which being 'Mystery Man' by that Bateman chap. Very funny light read. Main character is very interesting.

First post. :pac:

FruitLover

Stingerbar wrote: »

non-fiction

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Catch 22

Eh...

Ectoplasm

If you can find a copy I'd highly recommend 'Letter to Daniel: Despatches from the Heart' by Fergal Keane. It's a collection of 'despatches' from a foreign correspondent and includes pieces about apartheid in South Africa, the Rwandan genocide and former Soviet Bloc countries along with more personal topics too. It's an incredible book about recent history and in my opinion he is a fantastic writer with an amazing lyrical quality to his writing.