I’ve taken a break from nonfiction for a while (finished lotr and read a whole bunch of Stephen king). Now I want to go back to reading nonfiction, but I want something that will pull me in another world of facts I didn’t know about. Be it political, sociology… anything really. I don’t know if “facts” is the word I’m looking for here (English is my second language). Can I say “discoveries”? Things you’ve found through the book that shocked you? Hope that makes sense.
Thanks in advance
Edit: Thank you all for the great suggestions. I’ve saved this post and will go through the list. Much, much appreciated 🫶🏽
I just finished The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow, and it’s a remarkable look at state formation, prehistoric societies, the process by which cultures differentiate from each other and form their identities, the origins of farming and why it was (or wasn’t) adopted around the world, and so much more.
If you have even a passing interest in prehistory, it’s a must-read
Just finished that recently myself. One of the best books I’ve ever read that compels the reader to better understand what it means to be human on this planet.
This is the type of feedback that makes me want to read a non-fiction book.
The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins. This one is kinda cheating because if genocide doesn’t shock you then something is wrong
Oh, good topic! I always recommend Blackshirts and Reds. Another good one is Michael Hudson’s Super-Imperialism. I also intend on reading Settlers soon. Can’t neglect to mention Capital, the sections specifically on the conditions of labor in early Britain, with child labor, suffocation, crushing, etc. were genuinely revolting.
As a side-note, I made an introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list, if you find yourself generally interested in the topics I listed above.
These are hard hitters. Damn. Added to the list. Thank you
No problem!
I’m actually quarter way through this book and stopped a while ago. The author goes into so much details and it gets really boring. So, I’ve put it aside for now.
But that’s just not true, the author doesn’t go into so much detail that it gets boring, it’s a deeply fascinating book.
It’s a matter of preference.
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Sounds very interesting. Thank you so much.
Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen.
It’s truly horrifying how close we are to destruction.
I can’t remember the book, just the fact. The “Fibonacci Sequence” (1+2=3,2+3=5,3+5=8,5+8=13,…) exactly adheres to certain natural progressions in nature like nautilus shells, pine cones, and sunflower plants.
Unconscious Memory - Terrell Bainbridge.
