A fantastic non-fiction read
581178
Loved this book. A fantastic journey - both courageous and humbling.
2150385
This book is possibly my favorite work of non-fiction. The writing style is witty, but quite easy to follow--it is intended for a general audience. I think Professor Dawkins really does a great job of exposing the probabilistic ludicrousness of a divine creator, and he does this not only by referencing things about the physical world and universe, but also by simply showing internal inconsistencies in religious doctrine. Also, aside from religion, there were some very interesting studies mentioned when talking about where morals come from. In particular, I found it fascinating the parts where Professor Dawkins explained how people across cultures tend to evaluate moral dilemmas similarly.
4586379
I can't even count all the reasons why you MUST read this book. It's the best non-fiction book I've read in a few years.

Amanda Palmer is an inspiration. Besides being a great musician, and a great writer, she is a reality hacker. Amanda is not content with the way things are; she makes things happen on her own terms. But by the way, she also IS a great writer. The book is challenging, sometimes upsetting, but totally funny and overall fun, as it tells the story of how Amanda confronts demons and tackles challenges head-on, in a personal campaign to become herself. It's stuff we should all be doing, every day, no matter what our personal domain.

I read The Art of Asking just as I was about to launch a Kickstarter campaign of my own. It gave me all the confidence I needed to go out and ASK others for help without fear or shame.

Read it.
1360240
This book is the best kind of non-fiction.  The historical rigor doesn't get in the way of the narrative flow of the story, but the narrative flow doesn't water down the historical rigor, either.  I think the main reason for this is that the author is primarily a novelist; this is his first non-fiction book.

As he unfolds the story, it becomes an edge-of-your-seat tale of suspense.  You can almost hear ominous soundtrack music welling up in the background as the snow falls and falls and falls, the railroad workers make nearly superhuman attempts to clear the tracks so the stranded trains can get off of the mountain, and the passengers sit at the base of a thousand-foot high mountain with millions of tons of unstable snow above them.

While he's telling the human stories, he also explains the background of mountain pass railroading, the economics of the industry, and the technological limitations the equipment of the day created.  At the end of the book, he explains the legal issues that arose as a result of the disaster.  Most important, he makes it clear that nearly everyone involved made the decisions he made for the best of reasons, even though some of those decisions turned out to be disastrously wrong.

Though the Wellington avalanche is the worst such disaster in US history-- and one of the worst train disasters, too-- in the hundred years that have passed, it has faded into oblivion.  The site of the disaster has, too, having been abandoned by the railroad since 1929.

On the one hand, that's just the way it goes; new events push old events into the past.  On the other hand, that's a real shame.  There are lessons in the Wellington avalanche about corporate responsibility, technological hubris, and government oversight that we might well benefit from.

This book is nearly perfect non-fiction.  It's a fast, entertaining read that also teaches the readers important lessons.  I recommend it most highly.
4805328
Robert Guest is a great non-fiction writer. His experience traveling as an Economist correspondent has given him a wealth of experiences to draw from for this book, and his stories are quite entertaining. The book is positive and full of useful data and well-researched arguments. It was my favorite book I read this year.
361760
I don't read a lot of non-fiction but I really enjoyed this book.  It was written in a way that drew me into the fascinating story right away.  I loved the way the story started at the very beginning of her life and took you to the present day.  This lady's life was so amazingly interesting and yet I believe it all was true.  I think this book would be a good book for book clubs to read.  It is inspirational and also makes readers comtemplate the role of the community in the life of others.  It makes one question our immediate judgement of other people.  I would definitely recommend this book.
3346278
A great combination of history/fiction/non-fiction.
3280660
One of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. Catherine Bailey layers the story like a suspense novel and creates connections to America's current political scene by default. Black Diamonds paints a masterpiece of class and cultural pecking orders that are timeless and real in any capitalist society, but particularly resonate with the reality of income and wealth disparity in America today. Within the context of English aristocracy, Bailey describes the stereotypes, archetypes, rebels and rabble rousers that shaped British society for nearly a century. Black Diamonds is the history of the British 1% during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The commoner and less common make regular appearances; from child laborers in the coal mines to Winston Churchill to the Kennedy's, while the storylines at all class levels are fascinating and sometimes heart-wrenching. Catherine Bailey has accomplished something with this book that is often promoted but rarely mastered, a truly entertaining, page turning historical epic. Bravo!
2995715
As an avid reader of all types of non-fiction books, I am surprised at myself that a friend had to tell me about this book. Well written and researched exhaustively, this book is an unbiased account (despite what Brughno's? review attempts to portray), of a truly unbelievable series of events; events that took place over the past couple of years, not decades ago. This book became a stand-out in my mind for a couple of reasons. While there are hundreds of compelling non-fictions accounts out there, this book manages to address a series of unbelievable real-world events, not just a single happening. Telling the tale of a young woman convicted of a double murder, a woman who subsequently escapes from prison and eludes authorities for over 100 days; this book starts by detailing the forces and events in life that can unhinge a person, make them feel out of control, and commit terrible acts. This book would be worth reading even if it stopped there; the pre-escape portions of this book are as compelling as the post-escape ones, for very different reasons. However this book plows forward from being a fascinating portrait of a killer, to an unbelievable and admittedly amazing account of life on the run from the law. Despite the large amount of material covered in the book, I found the narrative very well constructed in terms of its chronology and development, and not frustrating in terms of pace or subject matter as non-fiction books can be sometimes. I rarely, if ever feel compelled to write reviews and I definitely felt the need in this case to recommend this book.
151603
I was first skeptical of reading this novel. I'm 18 so, I don't enjoy much non-fiction. In fact I can say in the total sum of about 375 books I have read in my years of reading, this is the only non-fiction novel I have finished.
And the reason for that is because this novel doesn't flaunt intelligence or have a point to prove. It really is all about a struggle that a family faces when they lose 5 pets in one night. The grief and bitterness that David and Charlotte feel after the loss of the pets is tangible and is felt by the reader. Within the first 15 pages you are sucked in and feel as if you are being carried along in the journey with David and Charlotte. You smile when kind words are said, laugh through the tears and get angry when other people's ignorance and selfishness give humanity a bad name.
This story tugs on all of your heart strings and keeps you turning the pages waiting for the good news which you know is coming.

Definite buy. Fantastic.
4402532
It has been my opinion for sometime now, that not everyone can write non-fiction. Just because someone has a great life experience, it doesn't mean they can re-tell that tale and do it justice. Apart from sporting non-fiction, I have all but given up on reading any non-fiction, for lack of finding good non-fiction. Marley & Me has renewed my faith in non-fiction.

Here is a tale of a dog, a man and the fun they have along the way. John Grogan is a wonderful storyteller, and has written a beautiful, witty tale, and one that should not be missed.

Marley is quite possibly the worst dog in the world, he chews things, he gets kicked out of obedience school, and yet he is so lovable and has the most wonderful view on life, live everyday to the full. I particularly enjoyed this quote from John Grogan, with respect to Marley's view on life, "he crashed joyously through life with a gusto most often associated with natural disasters".

There is something in this book for everyone to relate to, right from when they first bought Marley home, through to the birth of their three children and their ever-developing careers, to the inevitable ending. As a animal lover, who has had a handful of cats and her own dog, it was such a beautiful tale to read. There were tears at the end, as I remembered when I had to put my own cat, Monty, down, when he got cancer.
4631808
Best non-fiction novel I have read in years! You can't make this stuff up. The personnel journey is a story unto itself and speaks to all of us of a certain age that have a drive to remain 'relevant' in a society that continues to make judgements despite past accomplishments. But the story becomes especially enjoyable when Michael describes his foray into the restaurant business. I suspect many out there have flirted with this dream and Boss Nova is the reality of one individual to pursue that dream. The details of that reality are worth the read alone. For those of you who have had the opportunity to travel to Brazil and experience the culture, Boss Nova will give you an added payback of insight into the culture and over the top enjoyment. I have ordered additional books so my friends can enjoy.
Jerry Simmons, Salt Lake City.
3401171
It is such a pleasure to read a non fiction that is written like a novel. I learned a lot about a subject I knew little about. Very easy to read and filled with information. If you enjoy reading about historial events you will enjoy this book
1898347
This is a fantastic and engaging book. Both for Kidder's unfailing talent at relaying vivid accounts of non-fiction but also for the story being told. "Deo" (who I have met) goes from being a Medical student to a New York City delivery boy to a student at Columbia and never forgets where he came from or loses his perspective on what needs to be done to help the true victims of war- the citizens. The accounts of Hutu and Tutsi conflicts are vivid and terrifying and the stories of his life in New York are equally vivid. One is left in awe of Kidder for such an amazing story but even more so of Deo, who never lets it slow him down and keeps his focus through the entire ordeal. My only complaint: this book does go on slightly longer than I had wished it would, but it's well worth the read. I dare you to read this book and not want to donate to his cause and also realize how lucky you truly are.
4625873
This narrative nonfiction book makes the story of the WASPs add riveting as it is informative. The book reads more like a novel than the traditional, dry, history books. Even though the book is for ages 10 and up, I enjoyed it as an adult as a fantastic read for any age. Nonfiction has not been my favorite genre in the past, but this narrative style had me as captivated and emotionally hooked as any fiction novel. The underlying themes of equality and struggle are also incredibly relevant and important to today's culture.
4450106
One of the best non-fiction books of the year.
First of all I read a lot of pirate history and adventures on the sea. For example in fiction, I especially like Patrick O'Brian; and in non-fiction, Marcus Rediker. Thus, when I had read a blurb on this book by Marcus Rediker I became a player for it.
From page one I was hooked. A few chapters later came the line and sinker and I was delighted that I was once again swimming in pirate infested waters. As the story caught more sail I found myself being astounded by the provenance & history of the two modern pirate hunters of whom this novel revolve around. It only added more wind to the flying pages. But then the story picked up a few greedy barnacles inherent in treasure. Here the pace slowed as, quite frankly: Treasure Is Trouble. In fact, that line has become gospel in the business. Time and time again through history, treasure turned honorable men greedy and brought out the worst in the well-intentioned. Just the sight of it caused people to severe marriages, friendships, and partnerships; to cheat investors; to fight for more than their fair share. In this way, gold and silver performed alchemies of their own.
The author is as free-spirited as the pirates he writes of passionately. I can see why Rediker gave him high accolades. He's a superb wordsmith with lots of heart and well worth reading. The whole story has to be non-fiction because it's true: truth is stranger than fiction. And in this case a real life thriller indeed.
2705902
This is no doubt one of the most interesting non fiction books i have read lately.  a great account of one of the most despicable crimes of our time.  I could not stop once i started reading.