Favorite Non-Fiction/Biographies

[Ammanas]

I love reading fantasy books, but there have been a few non-fiction books that I have loved. I will share my top three (in no particular order) would like to hear yours.

1. Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence by Karen Armstrong 
(For the first time, religious self-identification is on the decline in American. Some analysts have cited as cause a post-9/11perception: that faith in general is a source of aggression, intolerance, and divisiveness—something bad for society. But how accurate is that view? Hint: She believes that is lazy thinking and offers convincing arguments)

2. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Bushman (absolutely fascinating and I believe fair and balanced biography on one of the most enigmatic and divisive religious leaders)

3. Ghost Soldiers by Sides (a harrowing and fascinating account of the Battan Death March and the raid to rescue the survivors )

[Hood]

These are the ones that I like:

1. The Thirty Years War by C.V. Wedgewood - It is a good book. The audiobook is even better. One of my favourite historical books. 

2. Symposium by Plato - Okay, it isn't a book, but a dialog. A short one too. But I like it all the more. I liked Pausania's speech the most (even though it was all flowery, with little content ). The entry by Alcibiades is nice. Overall, there is somewhat melancholic atmosphere in the sense that, you know these 'friends' won't be together after this party, and will separate from each other. Some will even die, like Alcibiades, and ofc Socrates.

3. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert - She is a fantastic writer. This book is really good. It is one of the first science themed books I've read.

[rmmateus]

I don't usually read non-fiction unless I have to. My favorite so far is Chrissie Hynde's Reckless: My Life as a Pretender. In one word, it's reckless and I love it. I also have a feeling Ursula Le Guin's The Language of the Night is awesome, though I haven't read it yet.