Top, Ten, Non-Fiction, Books, (Non-Academic)

As promised, I am running through three top ten lists: my favorite academic books, my
favorite non-fiction books from outside academia, and my favorite fiction books. Yesterday, I
went through my favorite academic books; you can click here to see that list. For the fiction
list, you will have to wait a day or two.
Anyways, what follows is an unranked list of the best non-fiction non-academic books.
1. Bill Buford, Among the Thugs
The greatest book I have ever read. No, seriously. I blogged about this brilliant book a few
months ago, but the short and sweet story is: this book is about the way crowds and mobs
work, about football hooligans and weekends in England and Italy, and casual violence -- all
woven together in arresting and captivating writing. If you don't follow my advice this one
time, if you don't buy or borrow this book from your local library, if you don't wolf it down the
way Harold and Kumar do those burgers at White Castle, then you are dead to me, and you
should stop reading this blog. Seriously.
2. Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs And Steel
A history of everything. Rather, an explanation of everything -- using basic facts about
population settlement and geography as the tools to do so. Awe-inspiring in the breadth of
human history covered.
3. Malcolm Gladwell, Blink
Is there a better writer alive than Gladwell? If there is, I am unaware of their existence. This
was Gladwell's best book, at least in my mind, because it didn't straw-man arguments as
much as Outliers (does anyone actually believe success is merely the result of talent?) and
more engaging than The Tipping Point (which tended to menader at times). And the chapter
on the Bronx shooting of Amadou Diallo? Genius. Absolute genius.
4. Sudhir Venkatesh, Gang Leader For A Day
Venkatesh was a sociology PhD student here at U of C, and spent his years here
researching the gangs on the South Side. While he has a bunch of academic stuff published
on his time living side-by-side with gangs in housing projects, this book is written for a more
pop-type audience. It's super interesting, and contains information and anecdotes you really
won't be able to find anywhere else. FYI, Venkatesh is now a professor of sociology at
Columbia. And Freakonomics blog readers will recognize him as a regular contributor there.
5. David Halberstam, Playing for Keeps
The best book I've ever read on Michael Jordan. The level of research and the number of
people interviewed is off the charts -- even Michael's roommates from North Carolina get
their moment in the sun.
The book basically tells the story of Michael's life until his second retirement (1999), and the
Chicago Bulls' rise from also-ran to dynasty. It's got some really fun anecdotes and is really
well written. The only drawback is that it isn't edited particluarly well -- there are a couple of

things said again and again -- but that doesn't take away too much from the quality of the
book.
6. Stephen Colbert, I Am America (And So Can You!)
Ok, I may be stretching the definition of "non-fiction" here, but whatever, it's my list. Colbert
is, well, Colbert. If you enjoy his show, or his ballsy speech at the White House
correspondents dinner a couple of years ago, then you will love his book. I understand
Colbert is not for everyone, but I don't think I've ever laughed this hard reading a book.
7. Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves
I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote about this book a year or so ago:
Truss is a grammar-phile. More accurately, she's a those-who-fuck-up-grammar-phobe. In a
hilarious treatise on the state of grammar in today's world, Truss takes aim at all those who
write incorrect or badly-written sentences. It's not just a railing against bad writing, however.
Truss also describes in great detail the exact ways in which commas, apostrophes, and other
punctuation marks should be used.
You should buy/read this book if: you want to laugh for three straight hours, or you're an adult
and your grammar is terrible and you need help (ahem, AKS. Ahem).
You should not buy/read this book if: you don't think grammar is all that big a deal, or if you
have no sense of humor.
8. Steve Waugh, Out of My Comfort Zone
The best sports autobiography I've ever read. The level of detail and care with which the
book mirrors the level of detail and care Waugh took with his own career. It really is quite
striking -- especially coming from the laissez-faire culture of preparation that all Pakistani
cricket fans are used to -- how dedicated and hard-working this guy was. The determination
to get better every single day may be a cliche, but for Steve Waugh, it was a mission
statement. And the book has some great stories too. If you're a cricket fan, you have to read
this book, if only to see how pathetic your favorite team/player looks when put up against
Steve Waugh and his work ethic.
9. Owen Bennett Jones, Pakistan: Eye of the Storm
Absolutely and positively the best book I've ever read on Pakistan, its politics, and its history.
The best thing about the book is how it appeals to different sorts of people: both those trying
to learn something about the country for the first time, as well as area specialists and
experts, can learn a great deal from this book. It's written by a former Pakistan
correspondent for the BBC, and consequently is written as a long journalistic account than
anything else. And its subject-by-subject breakdown is also useful more so than most writers'
chronological accounts.
10. Nien Cheng, Life and Death in Shanghai
A gripping and powerful account by a woman caught up in China's cultural revolution in the
60s and 70s. Reading personal stories of people facing tyranny and torture in the face is
always awe-inspiring to me. One thing that sticks out is the extent to which these people can
be completely stoic and unyielding in such circumstances (Survival in Auschwitz is similar in

this regard). Anyways, this particular book is about Nien's imprisonment and daily battle with
Mao's Red Guards, the torture, hunger and pain she underwent on a daily basis, and how
she refused to lose. It almost feels fictional at times -- which I suppose is testament to her
struggle, and her courage in conquering it.

Nine Lives by William Dalrymple

[read excerpt]

Christian Science Monitor review

by Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar
The Observer review
by Ruaridh Nicoll
San Francisco Chronicle review
by Jonathan Sidhu
The Independent review
by Salil Tripathi

Nine Lives
William Dalrymple
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Globish by Robert McCrum

New York Times review

by Dwight Garner
The Guardian review
by Deborah Cameron
Washington Post review
by Jonathan Yardley
New Yorker review
by Isaac Chotiner

Globish
Robert McCrum
[see all reviews and synopsis]

War by Sebastian Junger

Washington Post review

by Philip Caputo
New York Times review
by Dexter Filkins

St. Louis Post-Dispatch review

by Steve Weinberg
USA Today review
by Bob Minzesheimer

War
Sebastian Junger
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick

Seattle Times review

by Steve Raymond
Dallas Morning News review
by Jeff Guinn
BookPage review
by Edward Morris
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review
by Bob Hoover

The Last Stand

Nathaniel Philbrick
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides

[read excerpt]

USA Today review

by Bob Minzesheimer
St. Petersburg Times review
by Colette Bancroft
Dallas Morning News review
by Steve Weinberg
New York Times review
by Janet Maslin

Hellhound on His Trail

Hampton Sides
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Insectopedia by Hugh Raffles

[read excerpt]

Austin Chronicle review

by Wayne Alan Brenner
New York Times review
by Janet Maslin
Seattle Times review
by David B. Williams

New York Times review

by Katherine Bouton

Insectopedia
Hugh Raffles
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

Washington Post review

by Steven Pearlstein
New York Times review
by Michiko Kakutani
Boston Globe review
by Chuck Leddy
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review
by Bob Hoover

The Big Short

Michael Lewis
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Whale by Philip Hoare

New York Times review

by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Observer review
by Ruaridh Nicoll
Christian Science Monitor review
by Randy Dotinga
The Telegraph review
by Jonathan Bate

The Whale
Philip Hoare
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

[read excerpt]

Washington Post review

by Art Taylor
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review
by Jim Higgins

Dallas Morning News review

by Jane Sumner
New York Times review
by Elyssa East

The Poisoner's Handbook

Deborah Blum
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt

San Antonio Express-News review

by David Hendricks
Christian Science Monitor review
by Katie Ward
USA Today review
by Craig Wilson
Washington Post review
by Carolyn See

Making Toast
Roger Rosenblatt
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

[read excerpt]

New York Times review

by Dwight Garner
Washington Post review
by Eric Roston
Seattle Times review
by Drew DeSilver
Dallas Morning News review
by Christine Wicker

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Death of American Virtue by Ken Gormley

San Francisco Chronicle review

by Michael S. Roth
New York Times review
by Janet Maslin
Boston Globe review
by Claude R. Marx

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review

by Glenn C. Altschuler

The Death of American Virtue

Ken Gormley
[see all reviews and synopsis]

What the Dog Saw by Rebecca Skloot

New York Times review

by Janet Maslin
Christian Science Monitor review
by David Holohan
The Telegraph review
by Philip Womack
New York Times review
by Steven Pinker

What the Dog Saw

Rebecca Skloot
[see all reviews and synopsis]

SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Palo Alto Daily News review

by Kevin Kelly
The Telegraph review
by John Preston
Washington Post review
by Neil Irwin
Associated Press review
by Dinesh Ramde

SuperFreakonomics
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Big Burn by Timothy Egan

Denver Post review

by Andrea Hoag
Houston Chronicle review
by Dave Sowders

Washington Post review

by Bill Gifford
Seattle Times review
by Ellen Emry Heltzel

The Big Burn

Timothy Egan
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon

New York Times review

by Michiko Kakutani
San Francisco Chronicle review
by Jeremy Adam Smith
Seattle Times review
by Alan Moores
BookPage review
by Pete Croatto

Manhood for Amateurs

Michael Chabon
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins

London Times review

by Anjana Ahuja
New York Times review
by Nicholas Wade
The Telegraph review
by Steve Jones
The Independent review
by Marek Kohn

The Greatest Show on Earth

Richard Dawkins
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Anne Frank by Francine Prose

New York Times review

by Janet Maslin
BookPage review
by James Summerville
San Francisco Chronicle review
by Sara Houghteling

Los Angeles Times review

by David L. Ulin

Anne Frank
Francine Prose
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer

[read excerpt]

USA Today review

by Don Oldenburg
San Francisco Chronicle review
by Steve Weinberg
Denver Post review
by Robn Vidimos
New York Times review
by Janet Maslin

Where Men Win Glory

Jon Krakauer
[see all reviews and synopsis]

The Clinton Tapes by Taylor Branch

[read excerpt]

New York Times review

by Joe Klein
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review
by Glenn C. Altschuler
St. Louis Post-Dispatch review
by Harry Levins
London Times review
by Robert Harris

The Clinton Tapes

Taylor Branch
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Seattle Times review

by Steve Weinberg
New York Times review
by Jennifer Senior

San Francisco Chronicle review

by Kevin Smokler
Washington Post review
by Gary Krist

Columbine
Dave Cullen
[see all reviews and synopsis]

Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb

Washington Post review

by Clancy Sigal
Philadelphia Inquirer review
by Susan Balee
Pop Matters review
by Shyam K. Sriram
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review
by Len Barcousky

Hunting Eichmann
Neal Bascomb
[see all reviews and synopsis]