5 Non-Fiction Books That Will Eat Your Brain

Great thread. I'm going to have to brainstorm! I love non-fiction books.

Recently I finished Helter Skelter. That book was a mind-fuck...

There's a short story in Alan Moore's Voice of the Fire. I don't know if it's non-fiction, but it certainly seems to be autobiographical. Nate can back me up on this when he gets here. Do you remember the story Nate?

Machiavelli

[QUOTE=corellion;1084255]There's a short story in Alan Moore's Voice of the Fire. I don't know if it's non-fiction, but it certainly seems to be autobiographical. Nate can back me up on this when he gets here. Do you remember the story Nate?[/QUOTE]

I think that last story is pretty much non-fiction but halfway knowing Moore, he's [i]embellished[/i] it for the sake of drama. Who knows though.

anyways, some non-fiction books I love...

The Great Influenza - John M Barry
Press On - Chuck Yeager
Stradivari's Genius - Toby Faber
Positively Fifth Street - James McManus
Possessing Genius: The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain - Carolyn Abraham

An Anthropologist on Mars -- Oliver Sacks

I don't generally read a lot of non-fiction, but this one was interesting.

[I]Your Baby & Child[/I] Penelope Leach

[I]Tattooing A to Z[/I] Huck Spaulding

[I]17th & 18th Century Art[/I] Julius S. Held, Donald Posner

[I]Art Since 1940: Strategies of Being[/I] Jonathan Fineberg

[I]The Ecology of Commerce[/I] Paul Hawken

[QUOTE=chad lott;1084137]

Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein (she rules, there is clip of her on Democracy Now where she tears Allen Greenspan a new ass)

[/QUOTE]

Very well written. Even better than her (1.) NO LOGO days.

(2.) The Rebel Sell : Why the Culture Can't Be Jammed by Joseph; Potter, Andrew Heath

(3.) Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America by Kalle Lasn

(4.) Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business : Neil Postman

(5.) And ofcourse you have to mention The God Delusion: Richard Dawkins

[QUOTE=XyZy;1084389]An Anthropologist on Mars -- Oliver Sacks

I don't generally read a lot of non-fiction, but this one was interesting.[/QUOTE]

My girlfriend loves his books. But she's generally a medical junky...

What about [B]How Doctors Think[/B]? I haven't read that yet but I've been very interested in it.

[B]Freakanomics[/B]. I loved it.
[B]Into The Wild[/B], [B]Into Thin Air[/B], or any of his books for that matter.

I love non-fiction books... I don't know why I'm drawing a blank and can't come up with anything.

Im only going to name one so it doesnt get lost in the list

Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten.... the story of two bestfriends who got lost camping and one of them ended up mercy killing his friend. I dont know how popular this book is in the US so maybe ye guys know a lot more about this than I do but I found it facinating. There were times when I thought he murdered him and other times when I thought he just put him out of his misery. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[QUOTE=Barca Boy;1085118]Im only going to name one so it doesnt get lost in the list

Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten.... the story of two bestfriends who got lost camping and one of them ended up mercy killing his friend. I dont know how popular this book is in the US so maybe ye guys know a lot more about this than I do but I found it facinating. There were times when I thought he murdered him and other times when I thought he just put him out of his misery. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?[/QUOTE]

That book sounds cool.

It also reminded me of 2 other books I absolutely loved:
Stiff by Mary Roach
Spook by Mary Roach

Two great books.

I can only recall two books of nonfiction Ive read all the way through:

[I][B]Whispers: Voices of Paranoia[/B][/I] By Ronald K. Siegel

[B][I]Zodiac[/I][/B] by Robert Greysmith

[QUOTE=PGoutis01;1085292]That book sounds cool.

It also reminded me of 2 other books I absolutely loved:
Stiff by Mary Roach
Spook by Mary Roach

Two great books.[/QUOTE]

Totally! The chapter in Stiff about the body farm was so rad/gruesome.

[QUOTE=PGoutis01;1084249]Great thread. I'm going to have to brainstorm! I love non-fiction books.

Recently I finished Helter Skelter. That book was a mind-fuck...[/QUOTE]

I loved Helter Skelter. Very interesting book, it kinda spawned my love of serial killer books a few years back.

I liked Portrait of a Killer, by
gahhh! I forget her name.

I use to read all her books.
She writes about Kay Scarpetta..

Patricia Cornwell.

[QUOTE=Barca Boy;1085118]Im only going to name one so it doesnt get lost in the list

Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten.... the story of two bestfriends who got lost camping and one of them ended up mercy killing his friend. I dont know how popular this book is in the US so maybe ye guys know a lot more about this than I do but I found it facinating. There were times when I thought he murdered him and other times when I thought he just put him out of his misery. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?[/QUOTE]

I was just thinking about this book again today. I have an idea. Could we get a handfull of Culties to read the book and then argue over which it was, a mercy killing to put his friend out of misery or cold blooded murder. We could have a mock trial here on the Cult or a Monthly book Club thread. Anyone interested?

[QUOTE=Barca Boy;1086849]I was just thinking about this book again today. I have an idea. Could we get a handfull of Culties to read the book and then argue over which it was, a mercy killing to put his friend out of misery or cold blooded murder. We could have a mock trial here on the Cult or a Monthly book Club thread. Anyone interested?[/QUOTE]

I'm going to read it because how can I not, after that summery you gave of it. I just have to find it now....

I'm going to the library today so I'll check there, but if it's not there I'll probably just have to buy it or something. I [I]know[/I] my friends don't have copy, because my friends are stupid idiots who don't read.

[QUOTE=Barca Boy;1086849]I was just thinking about this book again today. I have an idea. Could we get a handfull of Culties to read the book and then argue over which it was, a mercy killing to put his friend out of misery or cold blooded murder. We could have a mock trial here on the Cult or a Monthly book Club thread. Anyone interested?[/QUOTE]

Actually I was thinking of doing something like this with the book club. We could vote on a non-fiction book and do that one month? I don't know. I was just thinking of something to change it up a little because it's been slow.

I also liked Blink and Match Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

I want to read My Dark Places by James Ellroy. That book looks awesome and it looks like it's written in his usual style.

I wish I had my book cases with me. My girlfriend and I moved in together and I haven't had the time to move all of my stuff yet... I have all my books over at my Dad's house so all the books I've been reading are brand new ones that I've bought or the few I've grabbed.

[B]My dark places[/B] is excellent.

I'd be down to do that! I really want to read this book now, it sounds very interesting!

[I][B]The Devil In The White City[/B][/I] is a great non-fiction book I read a while ago. I was just thinking of it today for some reason. I don't remember who wrote it though.

I love non-fiction!

Does anyone else think its odd that its called non-fiction instead of like "reality" or something? I've always though it was a bit strange.

[QUOTE=Lady Chaos;1087235]
Does anyone else think its odd that its called non-fiction instead of like "reality" or something? I've always though it was a bit strange.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it makes it sound as though fake things existed before real things.

Yeah I know! I'm glad I'm not the only one who though its odd.

I just finished Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. I used to like to read non-fiction books that asked the question "What is reality?" The main subject of the book is the idea that fiction controls reality, specifically the aspects of pop culture that interest the lowest common denominator of our society.

[QUOTE=bradley sands;1087443]I just finished Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. I used to like to read non-fiction books that asked the question "What is reality?" The main subject of the book is the idea that fiction controls reality, specifically the aspects of pop culture that interest the lowest common denominator of the our society.[/QUOTE]

I keep meaning to buy that book. Im going to check it out soon.

[QUOTE=bradley sands;1087443]I just finished Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. I used to like to read non-fiction books that asked the question "What is reality?" The main subject of the book is the idea that fiction controls reality, specifically the aspects of pop culture that interest the lowest common denominator of the our society.[/QUOTE]

I read [B]IV[/B] by him. I own [B]Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs[/B] but haven't read it yet. He's a great writer. He's one of the main reasons that I have a subscription to Esquire.

Ive only read parts of it but The Shamefull Life of Salvador Dali looks interesting. I would read it all but its a whopper of a book to have in the shop when its quiet.

[QUOTE=PGoutis01;1087613]I read [B]IV[/B] by him. I own [B]Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs[/B] but haven't read it yet. He's a great writer. He's one of the main reasons that I have a subscription to Esquire.[/QUOTE]Totally agree about Esquire. Whenever I'm in the library, I check out it for his columns. Also, his other works are great as well.

I'm a big fan of memoirs or collected essays. Here's some that I enjoyed;

any Chuck Klosterman
any David Mamet
Candyfreak - Steve Almond
Bodies in Motion and at Rest: On Metaphor and Mortality - Thomas Lynch
Assassination Vacation - Sarah Vowell
Never Drank the Kool-Aid - Toure
A Man Without a Country - Kurt Vonnegut

I hesitate to include memoir writing with non-fiction, but I have to say that I like Augusten Burroughs' Dry. I own Running With Scissors too, but it will probably have to wait until Christmas break. Anybody else down with A.G.?

[QUOTE=chad lott;1091688]I hesitate to include memoir writing with non-fiction,[. ..][/QUOTE]I don't hesitate because whenever I check something out in the library there are two main sections. There are actually four sections, but when it comes to books it pretty much boils down to: Fiction and Non-Fiction.

I understand your hesitation since some non-fiction contain elements of fiction

Great books here, man. AB's "Running..." was good, I'll have to get Dry.

I'll throw out all of Hunter S. Thompson's books, especially "Hell's Angels," and of course "Fear and Loathing..." - while delusional, they are based in truth

I loved [I][B]Hell's Angels[/B][/I]. Actually I loved just about all H.S.T.'s work.

I read Sonny Barger's (Hells Angels President) memoir right after reading Thompson's Hell's Angels. The two books cover a lot of the same territory, but from vastly different perspectives.

The Barger wasn't nearly as interesting.

A Million Little Pieces!!!

*cough*

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][size=1]...has someone made that joke already?[/size][/COLOR]

I enjoyed the James Frey books and when it came out that they were full of Shite I was Meh.

[QUOTE=chad lott;1092477]I read Sonny Barger's (Hells Angels President) memoir right after reading Thompson's Hell's Angels. The two books cover a lot of the same territory, but from vastly different perspectives.

The Barger wasn't nearly as interesting.[/QUOTE]

If you like that time period check out:

Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

It's about Ken Kesey (who wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and how his gang (I think they were the Merry Pranksters) would through these big ass acid parties. The Hell's Angels and Hunter Thompson used to go to his parties. In fact the three books intertwine in some parts nicely.

[QUOTE=PGoutis01;1092693]If you like that time period check out:

Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

It's about Ken Kesey (who wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and how his gang (I think they were the Merry Pranksters) would through these big ass acid parties. The Hell's Angels and Hunter Thompson used to go to his parties. In fact the three books intertwine in some parts nicely.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I liked that book, too. When I moved to San Francisco it was kind of just an impulse (I was just passing through on a cross country Vespa trip) and I didn't know anything about the West Coast.

I tried to read every single important book that took place in the Bay Area in an attempt to convince myself I hadn't made a mistake not retuning to New Orleans. Seven years later I have no regrets.

Check out Neal Cassady's novel The First Third. He was Kesey's bus driver and the real life inspiration for Kerouac's On The Road character Dean Moriarty.

[QUOTE=chad lott;1092697]Check out Neal Cassady's novel The First Third. He was Kesey's bus driver and the real life inspiration for Kerouac's On The Road character Dean Moriarty.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I've been meaning to read that for probably 10 years now. I still haven't bought it - I always manage to grab something else...

Napoleon Bonaparte
Peter The Great
Adolf Hitler
Cesar
Hannibal
Miyamoto Musashi
Sun Tzu

[QUOTE=Ironman;1092714]Napoleon Bonaparte
Peter The Great
Adolf Hitler
Cesar
Hannibal
Miyamoto Musashi
Sun Tzu[/QUOTE]

those are non-fictional people, not books.
And there's seven of them, not five.
Make some research!!!

[QUOTE=Barca Boy;1092518]I enjoyed the James Frey books and when it came out that they were full of Shite I was Meh.[/QUOTE]

I had the exact same reaction when I found out JT Leroy wasn't who he/she was supposed to be. I still liked the books quite a bit and didn't really care all that much.

[QUOTE=nathaniel parker;1093203]those are non-fictional people, not books.
And there's seven of them, not five.
Make some research!!![/QUOTE]

With Machiavelli its 8!!!

5 wrote books. They are all good topics for books. They are my favorite books.

All those "master tactician" books would gather dust on shelves if it weren't for guido mob wannabes and Wall street day traders.

Seriously, do you know anyone that finished Musashi's Five Rings cover to cover? At least the Machiavelli is short (the one that everyone reads, anyway).

Sun Tzu's Art of War is mostly full of recommended troupe formations and battle strategies for horse warfare.

I wonder if three hundred years from now dissatisfied corporate monkeys will be reading the "classic and influental" Pentagon Shock and Awe strategy book.

[I]A People's History of the United States[/I], by Howard Zinn.

I just picked up Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq, A Soldier's Perspective by Paul Rieckhoff. It's an excellent piece of war time journalism and will totally stoke the flames of anti-war sentiment in anyone that reads it.

It's not a liberal bullshit fest either, it's a red blooded soldier's tale about what went wrong, why it went wrong, and who is to blame.

The cover even has a blurb from Chuck Palahniuk who says, "The best reporting to come out of the Iraq War- possibly the best journalism to emerge from any war."

These are some of my more recent non-fiction purchases.

The World Without Us
Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson
Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers
God Is Not Great
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook
The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

As you can see - my taste are all over the place.

P.S. - If you like extremely gory - like disturbing and sickening - you have to check out the detective scrapbook. If you go to amazon somebody actually posted pictures of the pages in it.

[QUOTE=chad lott;1106069]I just picked up Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq, A Soldier's Perspective by Paul Rieckhoff. It's an excellent piece of war time journalism and will totally stoke the flames of anti-war sentiment in anyone that reads it.

It's not a liberal bullshit fest either, it's a red blooded soldier's tale about what went wrong, why it went wrong, and who is to blame.

The cover even has a blurb from Chuck Palahniuk who says, "The best reporting to come out of the Iraq War- possibly the best journalism to emerge from any war."[/QUOTE]

That book looks really good. I added it to my wishlist.

Do you know, or have you read, anything about Looming Tower?

I just got this book, [I][B] Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson.[/B][/I] I cannot wait to read it, but I have to wait a little while as I'm reading one book that I'm almost done with (should finish tonight), and then need to read [I][B]I Am Legend[/B][/I] for the Book Club.

[I][B]The Secret Life Of Houdini[/B][/I] by William Kalush & Larry Sloman is pretty good, I enjoyed it. Also, [I][B]Billy The Kid: The Endless Ride[/B][/I]by Michael Wallis is a pretty good book. Especially if you enjoy history. I love biographies and these two are very good.

[I][B] Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook [/B][/I]looks pretty interesting. Have you read it already, or just bought it and haven't read it? I would like to know what you think of it. If it is any good I would like to check it out. Who wrote it, by the way?

The same goes for [I][B] Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers[/B][/I]. I'd like to know your thoughts on it when you are done reading. Also, who wrote this book? I actually didn't notice this on the list until I was just about to hit the submit reply button. I'm glad I caught it. I am very interested in this sort of book.

Pgoutis1- I haven't read Looming Tower. For the most part I tend to like personal, on the ground, Iraq stories much better than broader analysis (Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine being a notable exception).

If you enjoy this subject, I recommend the site, [url]http://michaelyon-online.com/[/url], Yon is an embedded journalist with a special forces background (and an interesting autobiographical book about killing a man in a bar fight) and has been with a Marine Company for most of the war. Good stuff.

Lady Chaos- Dead Reckoning was written by Dr. Michael Badden and Marion Roach. Badden is most famous for being the on screen Forensic Pathologist for a long running HBO series. Marion Roach is not the same as Mary Roach, who wrote Stiff.

Oh, and Death Scenes is awesome! I got it when it first came out like ten years ago. It's all photos from pre-1950s crime scenes with hand written annotations on them. At the time it was the most graphic book like that you could get.

Dead Reckoning is an OK read. The TV show is actually a lot better (most of the cases in the book were on the show). If you haven't read Stiff, check it out. Mary Roach is just a more engaging, charming writer and her wit lightens up the subject really well.

[QUOTE=Lady Chaos;1106288][I][B] Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook [/B][/I]looks pretty interesting. Have you read it already, or just bought it and haven't read it? I would like to know what you think of it. If it is any good I would like to check it out. Who wrote it, by the way?

The same goes for [I][B] Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers[/B][/I]. I'd like to know your thoughts on it when you are done reading. Also, who wrote this book? I actually didn't notice this on the list until I was just about to hit the submit reply button. I'm glad I caught it. I am very interested in this sort of book.[/QUOTE]

I've flipped through the Death Scenes book. There's not a lot of writing - but it is written by Marion Roach who actually co-authored Dead Reckoning. The book is mainly photographs. I bought it for my girlfriend - who weirdly enough loves stuff like that. She loves medical examiner stuff. She works at a hospital and she gets so excited when her doctors let her sit in the medical room and watch a surgery.

Dead Reckoning is written by Michael Baden. It's a very descriptive book about Medical Examinations. It's also bought for my girlfriend - but I'll definitely be reading it too. Right now she's reading his first book - Unnatural Death - and she is loving it. I also bought the Forensic Files DVD for her.

[QUOTE=chad lott;1106427]Pgoutis1- I haven't read Looming Tower. For the most part I tend to like personal, on the ground, Iraq stories much better than broader analysis (Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine being a notable exception).

If you enjoy this subject, I recommend the site, [url]http://michaelyon-online.com/[/url], Yon is an embedded journalist with a special forces background (and an interesting autobiographical book about killing a man in a bar fight) and has been with a Marine Company for most of the war. Good stuff.[/QUOTE]

I'll have to check out that site when I get some time. Thanks for the link.

I was just asking about Looming Tower because I read like half the introduction and I found it really interesting. I ended up coming home and putting it onto my wishlist. It seemed sort of like Against All Enemies or something like that. I really liked that book.