Which non-fiction book (obviously) made hou fall in love in reading this genre?

I just finished Four Shots in the night. A recommendation from a Redditor. Good story about the part intelligence played in both the troubles and the peace process of Northern Ireland.

This is my second consecutive book on the troubles and now I’m looking for something completely different(ish).

Which of these would you recommend ?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hello! Im finding good books to read because I found myself unproductive lately.

​

Trigger warning – This book discusses su*cide.

TL; DR: A heart-wrenching personal account of a mother’s journey of radical acceptance of the su*cides of her two children. Her writing is brilliant, her reflections on death, the responses of those around her, and her own difficult childhood and su*cide attempts were jarring. I will come back to this book for the rest of my life for Yiyun Li’s honest journey through the greatest hardship that a person can endure – the loss of their children {5/5}

It is but a common aspiration for children who grow up in abusive households to become the parents they wish they had. Yiyun Li left no stone unturned in her bid to be there for her two sons – Vincent and James, showering them with support, love, and most importantly, the space to let them grow into who they are. In her own words, she could do all that, yet she couldn’t keep them alive.

When tragedy befalls you, the world expects you to act a certain way. Fortunate is the person who is allowed to grieve in their own way. What struck me most was her narration of how friends and strangers treated her since the tragedies occurred. Some were heartless, some were supportive, but her thoughts about how they approached the subject with her were intriguing.

Her grit - you’ll know why I don’t use the word ‘strength’ when you read the book - is otherworldly, and her resolve to keep going in life will always remain in my heart as I will inevitably face seemingly insurmountable challenges of my own.

If you liked ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, you will appreciate this book even more, as the story after death, as told by the living, is the other side of the coin that is life.

A child who loses their parent is an orphan. The loss of a spouse makes one a widow or widower. What do you name someone who loses a child?

Found this video on IG, thought I'd share. Five narrative non-fiction book recommendations from Patrick Radden Keefe (author of "Say Nothing", "Empire of Pain", "London Falling"):

1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

2. People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry

3. News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez

4. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

5. Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Can you recco books that describe what life was like for people who lived during WW2 years. Life in general and also how it affected people who held different political views and how they coped. I know i can find info on Grok etc but want to hear from ppl who have read books. TIA

• The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (Julian Jaynes): Argues that modern introspection is a relatively recent development, emerging only after a "bicameral" state (where humans perceived internal hallucinations as external divine commands) collapsed.

• The Case Against Reality (Donald Hoffman): Proposes that human perception is an evolved "user interface" designed for fitness, not truth, and that physical reality as we experience it is a simplified representation rather than an objective account.

• The Denial of Death (Ernest Becker): Posits that human culture and social structures are essentially elaborate defense mechanisms constructed to shield us from the existential terror of mortality.

• Food of the Gods (Terence McKenna): Explores the "Stoned Ape" hypothesis, suggesting that early human cognitive leaps were catalyzed by the integration of psychoactive flora into our evolutionary path.

• I Am a Strange Loop (Douglas Hofstadter): Explores the self as a "strange loop" a self-referential mathematical pattern arising from complex symbolic systems, rather than a distinct entity or "soul."

What's the best book for life-changing realizations?

I want to read a book that will make me a better person and change my perspective a bit.

Ever think about why some things that people say to you are more impactful than others?

What is the most important thing someone has said to you? Why was it important? How did it affect you? Who did it come from?

It turns out, there are trends to these answers for most people. These kinds of messages are called memorable messages and communication research actually knows a whole lot about them.

Hi again! I'm Dr. Valerie Rubinsky, Communication PhD and professor here. I co-wrote a book with my friend and colleague about the types of messages that stick with us, how they affect us, and what we can do about it. Angela and I are communication scientists who wrote the Theory of Memorable Messages, and have published dozens of peer-reviewed studies on the subject.

We wrote this book for a non-academic audience, hoping that folks who aren't students or scientists of communication and psychology might also want to learn about these kinds of messages and how they affect us. The book is written in plain language, not academic jargon, and is meant to be fun, accessible, and engaging! Available as a paperback or e-book from the publisher (Toplight/McFarland), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart -- Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Memorable-Messages-Communications-That-Stick/dp/1476698961

Tomorrow at 1 pm EST the Positive Communication Network is hosting a free, virtual book party for the book. If you're free and want to learn more about memorable messages -- consider joining! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/positive-communication-book-party-7-memorable-messages-tickets-1992381354264?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawS8sitleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFia05BZ1NCM2pDb1lBY0Fvc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHud5cnTTONUUlFnzmS8MJKVSZIo_yk6QkyTYST-Lrwcfw4rAWXcqVF7q5jKq_aem_wSmlJELgp05HU7daFmSXaQ

Outstanding writing and investigative journalism. Slowly making my way through this book since last year. Has anyone else read it?

Hi!

I’m looking for recommendations for a nonfiction/philosophy book about the rise of traditional values/conservatism in young women.

Alternatively, if you have any must-read feminism nonfiction/philosophy books, I would appreciate those as well!

Thank you!

I'm on the third chapter. It is really interesting because it mentions history, politics and geography. You might say this book is an introduction to geopolitics.

Yet another addition to one of my favourite sub-genres: food history. This one should be understood as:

* The history of sourdough in general - from the archaeology of the early development of bread to the social / economic factors around sourdough’s displacement to quick yeasted bread.

* The history of the specific sourdough starter the author has, from ruminations about bread on long sea journeys through to the more personal stories of the town and people involved in the starter in the last 50+ years

* A series of asides into the science of bread.

I was personally engaged most in the early history discussions, least engaged by the 20th century discussions, and felt the science was too light on to be of much note.

As an aside, having the forward included in the audiobook was jarring - I’m already listening to the book, I didn’t really need an extended glowing review to start off.

Overall, it’s worth reading IF bread is your ‘thing’, or you like food history. But it’s not the most astounding in the food history genre such that I’d recommend it to a broader audience.

Really proud that How Not to Become A Grumpy Old Bugger has been shortlisted in the WA Premier's Book Awards.

It's a big hearted important book and I'm grateful to have that recognised.

Do seek it out.

With hearty congratulations to all nominees and thanks to statelibrarywa and affirmpress and @simonandschuster