I don't particularly like reading fiction books. But, I am looking for some good non-fiction to read. Any suggestions? I have a wide interest range, so any ideas are welcome. . .history, forensic science, biographies, medical forensics, current events, . . .I just hate wasting time by starting a book and finding that it just isn't well-written. I could browse around the library or bookstore, but I thought I'd ask for suggestions first.
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Posted - July 28 2007 : 09:24:22 AM
History: 1776 by David McCullough. Anything written by him is absolutely breathtakingly written. If you've never been interested in the way our country got started... you will be after reading this one.
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been."
One of my favorite non-fiction reads [and that's pretty much all I read] is "Son of the Morning Star," by Evan S. Connell. It is a finely woven tale of the events and people surrounding Little Bighorn.
If you are a Civil War aficionado, anything by Stephen Sears will definitely engage you.
If you want an interesting read about gender studies and social relations in Colonial America, Thomas A. Foster's Sex and the Eighteenth-Century Man is a good read. A lot of first-hand accounts of (at the time) titillating trials and newspaper articles. A good analysis of what it meant to be "a man" in 18th c. America. I read the entire thing in pretty much one sitting, which is probably just more evidence that I'm a huge nerd.
A short, excellent book is Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman. The subtitle is A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. It's a true story about the really rather remarkable composition of the OED, much of which was originally compiled by an American Civil War veteran serving a life sentence for murder in an insanity ward(!).
A short, excellent book is Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman. The subtitle is A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. It's a true story about the really rather remarkable composition of the OED, much of which was originally compiled by an American Civil War veteran serving a life sentence for murder in an insanity ward(!).
Red, I picked up this book yesterday. It's a good read so far. I wish I had a life where I could read it all in one sitting. But, that was my former life before I had a daughter.
I don't particularly like reading fiction books. But, I am looking for some good non-fiction to read. Any suggestions? I have a wide interest range, so any ideas are welcome. . .history, forensic science, biographies, medical forensics, current events, . . .I just hate wasting time by starting a book and finding that it just isn't well-written. I could browse around the library or bookstore, but I thought I'd ask for suggestions first.
I just finished "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson. I could not put it down! It is non-fiction, has history, adventure, drama, biographies, etc. It is the story of two divers trying to identify the wreck of a U-boat from WWII which sank off the coast of New Jersey. I highly recommend it, and not just because it happens in NJ !!!
Dances with Beagles, That sounds like my kind of book. . .it has a little of everything. Thanks for the suggestion. New Jersey's o.k., too. They have a nice shore. I live outside Philadelphia, so can appreciate your state!
Red, I picked up this book yesterday. It's a good read so far. . . .
Apologies if it turns out not to be your style of book. I found it very interesting, one of the only books I was ever assigned to read that I actually liked.
If you want a negative recommendation, never never never pick up a book called Mawson's Will. It's an amazingly boring account of a group of explorers lost in Antarctica---description after description of weather patterns and compass directions, interspersed with disgusting details like how to boil dead sled dogs' toenails to make an edible goo. Not a very good read, if you ask me!
Hey, Red. I finished The Professor and the Madman this afternoon. It was pretty good. I (obviously) didn't read it without putting it down, but when I was reading it, I had a hard time knowing when to stop and go to bed. So, I'm just reading along finding the insights into the friendship between Murray and Minor very interesting, reading about Minor's dips into insanity (I knew it was schizophrenia right from the start) and suddenly this chapter comes along with his self-mutilation. What a shocker! I totally didn't expect it and was even more surprised by what he did! Kept it interesting. It's a good and a sad story at the same time.
So, knowing that this was an assigned book for you, I am wondering what your doctorate is going to be in? English or something related? Thanks for the recommendation.
) . . . and suddenly this chapter comes along with his self-mutilation. What a shocker! I totally didn't expect it and was even more surprised by what he did! Kept it interesting. It's a good and a sad story at the same time.
So, knowing that this was an assigned book for you, I am wondering what your doctorate is going to be in? English or something related? Thanks for the recommendation.
When I first read the book that chapter was a definite for me! Totally unpredictable and, what's worse, entirely true.
Now, to answer your question. First, I guess I should say that I read Prof. and the Madman as part of an undergrad honors seminar that had a different book assigned each week. It was the only book from the whole class that I enjoyed!
Now: fast forward through six years of grad school, and I'm working on a PhD in classical languages and literature. My areas of interest include Greek tragedy, Latin elegy, and the ancient novel. Can you say ?
And what will I do with this (totally impractical) degree? Hopefully get a job as a professor and teach the languages to other people. And if I can't find a job? I have a running joke with my sisters that I'll turn to writing trashy romance novels set in the ancient world.
Now: fast forward through six years of grad school, and I'm working on a PhD in classical languages and literature. My areas of interest include Greek tragedy, Latin elegy, and the ancient novel.
And what will I do with this (totally impractical) degree? Hopefully get a job as a professor and teach the languages to other people. And if I can't find a job? I have a running joke with my sisters that I'll turn to writing trashy romance novels set in the ancient world.
Wow! That's some PhD. You must be close to finishing if you have six years of grad school under your belt. . .like writing your dissertation or something. I hope you're doing all this before you have kids. I'm looking at another graduate degree, but it's 1000% harder when you have to keep in mind the needs of a child, too. However, my mind is nothing like yours. I am a math and science person, although I love modern languages. I used to sit in required lit classes as an undergrad and wonder what in the world those lit majors were talking about. I thought, "I didn't see that in the story." Keep up the good work. I find your posts thoughtful and enlightening, so I'm sure you'll do well.
My husband is a full time graduate school professor and the bad news is, you'll make more money writing those trashy novels than teaching! But, loving what you do is more important than money (most of the time!)
Well, I would be writing my dissertation now, Winglo, but I changed graduate programs after two years and the new school made me start all over. So I probably still have another year or so.
But, YES, I'm doing this all before I have kids. Thank goodness! I have a friend who is trying to get through grad school with a kid and it's no fun for him or his wife, especially because he's an archaeologist and spends every summer out of the country while his wife tries to juggle the baby and a job. Yikes!
And, sadly, I know I'll never make money teaching. My husband is a high school teacher and, while he definitely earns more than I do on my graduate stipend, it ain't much! I do love teaching, though. I find it very rewarding when I can see little light bulbs flicker on over students' heads , or when I can make my students chuckle by making a total fool of myself in front of the class. (Yes, I do this regularly.) I think a large part of teaching is keeping the students entertained, anyway . . . at least in a college classroom, where students don't have to be there if they don't want to!
My friend, as I'm sure you're already aware, money ain't everything. Most high-paying jobs come with a big hunk of stress, and that's a killer, period. I'm living proof of that...
Thank-you, Light. I have read both of them, when required, but, as the title of this thread indicates, I am looking for non-fiction book recommendations, as I don't really enjoy reading fiction. Both Poe and Shakespeare wrote fiction--unless there's something written out there that I've never heard about. Any good non-fiction books that you've read lately?
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Posted - August 29 2007 : 3:42:29 PM
quote:Originally posted by winglo
I picked up 1776 yesterday. Hope its as good as you say!
Well, it is always difficult to recommend books to others, as tastes are so different. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Winglo. At the very least, I think you can appreciate the beauty of McCullough's writing style. And if you do agree with me on that one, you might want to try his "John Adams." I have not read it yet, but intend to.
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been."
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Posted - September 01 2007 : 1:00:26 PM
quote:Originally posted by winglo
Thank-you, Light. I have read both of them, when required, but, as the title of this thread indicates, I am looking for non-fiction book recommendations, as I don't really enjoy reading fiction. Both Poe and Shakespeare wrote fiction--unless there's something written out there that I've never heard about. Any good non-fiction books that you've read lately?
Yeah, I know they're fiction. Just wanted to toss them out there. A humorous non-fiction book that I recently read was "A Walk In The Woods." It's a novel about a Geezer's hike throught the Appalachain Trail. Written by Bill Bryson.
Some of the stuff he did was hysterical! One of the things he did earlier in the book reminded me of Obi.
He left some chatty know it all woman from Florida behind by hitch hiking to get away from her. LMAO! Only to run into her again days later because a blizzard hit and they got stranded in a hicktown. Too funny. I won't say anymore for the sake of not ruining it should you decide to read it.
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Recommendation for Non-Fiction?
Posted - July 27 2007 : 7:01:21 PM
Posted - July 28 2007 : 09:24:22 AM
Not a very good read, if you ask me!
Hopefully get a job as a professor and teach the languages to other people. And if I can't find a job? I have a running joke with my sisters that I'll turn to writing trashy romance novels set in the ancient world. 
So I probably still have another year or so.
My husband is a high school teacher and, while he definitely earns more than I do on my graduate stipend, it ain't much! I do love teaching, though. I find it very rewarding when I can see little light bulbs flicker on over students' heads 
, or when I can make my students chuckle by making a total fool of myself in front of the class. (Yes, I do this regularly.) I think a large part of teaching is keeping the students entertained, anyway . . . at least in a college classroom, where students don't have to be there if they don't want to!
heh-heh
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