What non-fiction books are a must-read in your opinion?

https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/9nh97/what_nonfiction_books_are_a_mustread_in_your/

created by Scarker on 23/09/2009 at 23:25 UTC

74 upvotes, 85 top-level comments (showing 25)

Comments

Comment by ophanim at 24/09/2009 at 00:01 UTC

61 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman![1], autobiography by the infamous Feynman.

1: http://www.gorgorat.com/

Comment by ergomnemonicism at 24/09/2009 at 03:18 UTC

15 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Comment by etcetcetc00 at 24/09/2009 at 04:06 UTC

13 upvotes, 1 direct replies

The Origin Of Consciousness In The Breakdown Of The Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes.

Comment by [deleted] at 24/09/2009 at 08:48 UTC

11 upvotes, 2 direct replies

I rather liked Ben Franklin's autobiography. No book is a must-read.

Comment by [deleted] at 24/09/2009 at 09:05 UTC

8 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The Age of Reason, Thomas Paine

Comment by bscald0 at 24/09/2009 at 14:28 UTC

9 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The Demon Haunted World and Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan.

Comment by fingers at 24/09/2009 at 01:38 UTC

27 upvotes, 2 direct replies

freakonomics

Comment by caffeine_party at 24/09/2009 at 02:20 UTC

26 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Guns, Germs & Steel - Jared Diamond

Comment by topcat31 at 24/09/2009 at 12:03 UTC

7 upvotes, 0 direct replies

A brief history of time - stephen hawking

fermat's last theorem - simon singh

surely you're joking mr feynman

Comment by antifolkhero at 24/09/2009 at 15:47 UTC

7 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlanksy and Banker for the Poor by Muhammad Yunus.

Comment by markmuetz at 24/09/2009 at 09:25 UTC

23 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid[1] by Douglas Hofstadter

1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach

Comment by spike at 24/09/2009 at 02:49 UTC

18 upvotes, 3 direct replies

Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond

Black Lamb, Grey Falcon, by Rebecca West

The Classical Style, by Charles Rosen

The Chomsky Reader, by Noam Chomsky

Civilization and Capitalism, by Fernand Braudel

Comment by fingers at 24/09/2009 at 01:38 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

ladies and gentleman, lenny bruce

Comment by scottintx at 24/09/2009 at 03:50 UTC

4 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Most of Stephen Ambrose's works....

Comment by [deleted] at 24/09/2009 at 06:45 UTC

4 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The Real Frank Zappa Book.

Comment by NightChips at 24/09/2009 at 15:09 UTC

4 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I just finished The Omnivore's Dilemma[1] and found it to be a great read. Not sure if its 'must-read' but I would add it to your list.

1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omnivore%27s_Dilemma

Comment by windwing at 24/09/2009 at 04:54 UTC

25 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins

Comment by [deleted] at 24/09/2009 at 02:24 UTC

9 upvotes, 1 direct replies

predictably irrational, dan ariely

Comment by zentimo at 24/09/2009 at 06:55 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

It's a history of emotion, looking at the evolution of love, friendship, ethics etc, and it'll change the way you perceive emotion.

A look at the significance of gifts and the gift economy. Essential medicine for the mind if you find yourself ground under by the capitalist machine.

Read this if you want to understand just why everyone in the world seemed to go insane after 9/11.

Comment by spuchbob at 24/09/2009 at 15:02 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

Comment by harrytuttle at 24/09/2009 at 02:58 UTC*

21 upvotes, 2 direct replies

a people's history of the united states[1] by howard zinn.

1: http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States-P-S/dp/0061965588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253761018&sr=8-1

Comment by weinerjuicer at 24/09/2009 at 04:26 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Comment by fingers at 24/09/2009 at 01:39 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Most things by Tom Wolfe

Comment by sisyphus at 24/09/2009 at 06:08 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel - learn why you should invest and not speculate

Comment by [deleted] at 24/09/2009 at 11:40 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

"The Naked Ape" and "The Human Zoo" by Desmond Morris

"The Naked Ape" examines humans as a species and compares them with other animals.

"The Human Zoo", is about the behavior of people living in cities.