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Best Nonfiction Books: Memoirs, History and Big Ideas

This list collects the nonfiction books in our catalog: memoirs, travel and adventure, nature writing, history and popular science, all written to be read for pleasure.

Pick it when you want true stories or clear explanations. Books are ordered by reader interest, and each has a hook and a note on what you get.

Best for: Readers who prefer true stories and clear explanations.

Scope: Books in our catalog with this genre.
Order: By reader interest (Open Library want-to-read counts), then newest first. Not a quality ranking.

61 books

1997
Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom
Nonfiction · Warm
A man visits his old professor every Tuesday as he is dying
What you get: A tender, easy-to-read story of friendship and life lessons that leaves you reflective and grateful.
Amazon Description
1966
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
Nonfiction · Dark
The true story of a murder in a Kansas farmhouse
What you get: A gripping, beautifully written account that reads like a novel, giving real insight into people and a landmark event. Powerful and thought-provoking.
Amazon Description
2003
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
Nonfiction · Light
The history of the universe, life and everything on Earth
What you get: A cheerful, fascinating tour of how the universe, Earth and life work, full of surprising stories.
Amazon Description
1996
Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A young man gives away his savings and walks into the Alaskan wilderness
What you get: A haunting, beautifully written story that makes you think about freedom, risk and what we really need. Compelling and unforgettable.
Amazon Description
1974
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert M. Pirsig
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
A father and son on a motorcycle trip
What you get: A thoughtful journey that makes you rethink how you approach work and life.
Amazon Description
2018
Educated
Tara Westover
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A girl who grew up without school goes to Cambridge
What you get: A remarkable true story of a girl who teaches herself and reaches the world of universities. It is inspiring, beautifully told and leaves you grateful for every classroom.
Amazon Description
1854
Walden
Henry David Thoreau
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
Two years in a cabin at Walden Pond
What you get: Quiet, thoughtful reflections on living deliberately. It gives you permission to slow down and notice what is around you.
Amazon Description
1993
Girl, Interrupted
Susanna Kaysen
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A young woman’s two years in a psychiatric hospital
What you get: A quick, honest and affecting read that makes you think about how we see ourselves.
Amazon Description
2006
Eat, Pray, Love
Elizabeth Gilbert
Nonfiction · Warm
A year of Italy, India and Bali after a divorce
What you get: A warm, candid story that inspires you to savor life, find stillness and follow your curiosity. Perfect for a moment of change.
Amazon Description
2013
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Nonfiction · Warm
A botanist writes about plants, gratitude and reciprocity
What you get: A gentle, lyrical mix of science and wisdom that changes how you look at plants, land and your place among them.
Amazon Description
1996
Angela’s Ashes
Frank McCourt
Nonfiction · Melancholic
An Irish childhood of poverty
What you get: A moving, funny and honest story of resilience that lingers with you.
Amazon Description
2016
Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly
Nonfiction · Hopeful
The Black women mathematicians who helped NASA reach space
What you get: A motivating, well-told history of brains, grit and breaking barriers.
Amazon Description
2010
Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand
Nonfiction · Melancholic
An Olympic runner survives a plane crash and a Japanese prison camp
What you get: An inspiring account of strength and will that stays with you.
Amazon Description
1998
A Beautiful Mind
Sylvia Nasar
Nonfiction · Melancholic
The life of the mathematician John Nash and his struggle with schizophrenia
What you get: An absorbing, moving biography about a brilliant mind and the people who stayed beside him.
Amazon Description
2012
Wild
Cheryl Strayed
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A woman hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone after her mother’s death
What you get: A vivid, heartfelt story of a woman who sets out on a long trail and finds her strength. It will make you want to lace up your boots.
Amazon Description
2010
The Big Short
Michael Lewis
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
The investors who bet against the housing market
What you get: A fast, engaging account that makes complex finance easy to follow.
Amazon Description
1959
Endurance
Alfred Lansing
Nonfiction · Tense
Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition
What you get: A gripping account of courage and teamwork against impossible odds.
Amazon Description
1962
Travels with Charley
John Steinbeck
Nonfiction · Warm
Steinbeck takes a road trip with his dog
What you get: A warm, observant, gentle journey that feels like being a passenger on the road.
Amazon Description
2013
The Boys in the Boat
Daniel James Brown
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Nine Americans at the 1936 Olympics
What you get: A stirring story of underdogs rowing toward greatness that fills you with admiration and makes you want to cheer them on.
Amazon Description
1985
Wiseguy
Nicholas Pileggi
Nonfiction · Dark
The life of a real Mafia associate, Henry Hill
What you get: A vivid, fast account that reads like a movie.
Amazon Description
1970
84, Charing Cross Road
Helene Hanff
Nonfiction · Warm
Letters between a New York writer and a London bookseller
What you get: A delightful read in letters that warms your heart and celebrates the joy of books.
Amazon Description
2003
Moneyball
Michael Lewis
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
How a small baseball team used numbers to beat richer rivals
What you get: A lively, clever look at how numbers changed baseball, with real people at its center.
Amazon Description
1956
My Family and Other Animals
Gerald Durrell
Nonfiction · Light
A boy and his eccentric family on a Greek island
What you get: A joyful, warm and humorous story of nature and eccentric family life.
Amazon Description
2007
The Wolf of Wall Street
Jordan Belfort
Nonfiction · Dark
The rise and fall of a stockbroker and his firm
What you get: A lively, jaw-dropping ride through the highs and lows of Wall Street.
Amazon Description
1999
Black Hawk Down
Mark Bowden
Nonfiction · Tense
The 1993 battle of Mogadishu, hour by hour
What you get: A fast, vivid, minute-by-minute account that makes you feel the moment.
Amazon Description
2020
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Glennon Doyle tells how she stopped living by other people's rules
What you get: Warm, brave stories and ideas that help you trust yourself.
Amazon Description
2019
Cribsheet
Emily Oster
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Economist Emily Oster looks at the data behind parenting choices from birth to preschool
What you get: A clear, balanced look at parenting choices that helps you decide with confidence.
Amazon Description
2018
Like a Mother
Angela Garbes
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
Journalist Angela Garbes follows the science and culture of pregnancy
What you get: A clear, humane book that mixes science and personal stories.
Amazon Description
The Language of Kindness
2018
The Language of Kindness
Christie Watson
Nonfiction · Warm
A nurse's memoir of two decades on the wards
What you get: A warm, honest memoir of nursing that touches the heart.
Amazon Description
2016
Christmas Days
Jeanette Winterson
Nonfiction · Warm
Twelve stories and twelve feasts for the twelve days of Christmas
What you get: A warm collection of festive tales paired with food.
Amazon Description
2016
The First Forty Days
Heng Ou
Nonfiction · Warm
Recipes and rituals for nourishing a new mother in the weeks after birth
What you get: Nourishing recipes and gentle rituals that help a new mother rest and recover.
Amazon Description
2016
When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A neurosurgeon becomes a patient and writes about what makes life worth living
What you get: A beautifully written, heartfelt reflection that inspires gratitude and a closer look at what makes life meaningful.
Amazon Description
2015
The Nurses
Alexandra Robbins
Nonfiction · Warm
Alexandra Robbins spends a year with working nurses
What you get: A vivid, engaging portrait of the people who keep hospitals going.
Amazon Description
2014
Being Mortal
Atul Gawande
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
Surgeon Atul Gawande asks what matters most when life nears its end
What you get: A wise, compassionate book that helps you think about what matters most and how to care for people you love.
Amazon Description
2014
The Confidence Code
Katty Kay
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman combine science and interviews to explain self-assurance
What you get: Clear, encouraging ideas that help you take bolder steps.
Amazon Description
2014
We Should All Be Feminists
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's short essay on what feminism means today
What you get: A brief, accessible call that gives you ideas to share and talk about.
Amazon Description
2013
Expecting Better
Emily Oster
Nonfiction · Hopeful
An economist checks the data behind common pregnancy rules
What you get: A clear, reassuring guide that helps you make informed choices.
Amazon Description
2012
Bringing Up Bébé
Pamela Druckerman
Nonfiction · Light
An American mother in Paris explores how French parents raise their children
What you get: A witty, thoughtful look at calm, confident ways of raising kids.
Amazon Description
2012
Tiny Beautiful Things
Cheryl Strayed
Nonfiction · Warm
Cheryl Strayed answers readers' letters as Dear Sugar
What you get: Heartfelt, honest letters that offer comfort and a fresh view of life.
Amazon Description
2011
The Whole-Brain Child
Daniel J. Siegel
Nonfiction · Hopeful
Twelve strategies that use brain science to help children handle big feelings
What you get: Clear, brain-based strategies that make everyday parenting calmer and more connected.
Amazon Description
2009
The Accidental Billionaires
Ben Mezrich
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
The founding of Facebook and the lawsuits that followed
What you get: A quick, dramatic read about the early days of a famous company.
Amazon Description
2007
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Barbara Kingsolver
Nonfiction · Warm
A family spends a year eating only what they can grow or buy locally
What you get: A warm, inspiring story of a year spent eating locally.
Amazon Description
2006
Mayflower
Nathaniel Philbrick
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
The true story of the Pilgrims and their first years in New England
What you get: A vivid, readable account of the Pilgrims and their first years.
Amazon Description
2004
Be Prepared
Gary Greenberg
Nonfiction · Light
A hands-on handbook that gets new dads ready for the first year
What you get: Straightforward, useful guidance for the first year, so you feel more confident with your baby.
Amazon Description
2003
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Ina May Gaskin
Nonfiction · Warm
Midwife Ina May Gaskin combines birth stories with practical information about labor
What you get: Warm, empowering stories and information that help you feel prepared and calm.
Amazon Description
2002
The Happiest Baby on the Block
Harvey Karp
Nonfiction · Warm
Pediatrician Harvey Karp's method for calming a crying baby and helping it sleep longer
What you get: A friendly, practical method for calming your baby and getting more rest.
Amazon Description
2002
Call the Midwife
Jennifer Worth
Nonfiction · Warm
A midwife's memories of the London Docklands in the 1950s
What you get: Heartwarming memories of midwives in the London Docklands.
Amazon Description
Seabiscuit
2001
Seabiscuit
Laura Hillenbrand
Nonfiction · Warm
The small racehorse that became a Depression-era hero
What you get: A rousing, heartwarming story that makes you cheer.
Amazon Description
1998
The New Father
Armin A. Brott
Nonfiction · Warm
A dad's guide to the toddler years, from Armin A. Brott's New Father series
What you get: Clear, supportive advice that helps you enjoy and understand your growing child.
Amazon Description
1997
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jean-Dominique Bauby
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A man paralysed by a stroke writes a book by blinking one eye
What you get: A luminous, brief book that shows what the imagination and spirit can do.
Amazon Description
1995
The Expectant Father
Armin A. Brott
Nonfiction · Warm
A guide for dads-to-be, from the first news to the first weeks at home
What you get: Calm, practical advice and reassurance for each stage of pregnancy, so you feel ready and involved.
Amazon Description
1995
The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy
Vicki Iovine
Nonfiction · Light
A frank, funny pregnancy guide that talks like a friend
What you get: A friendly, humorous guide that feels like talking to a good friend.
Amazon Description
1993
Operating Instructions
Anne Lamott
Nonfiction · Warm
Anne Lamott's journal of her son's first year, told with humor and honesty
What you get: A warm, witty and truthful look at life with a newborn.
Amazon Description
1992
Women Who Run with the Wolves
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
Clarissa Pinkola Estés reads old myths and fairy tales for the wild woman within
What you get: A rich, inspiring collection that helps you reconnect with your instincts.
Amazon Description
1989
A Year in Provence
Peter Mayle
Nonfiction · Light
A year in a farmhouse in Provence
What you get: A charming, funny and delicious escape into village life and good food.
Amazon Description
1989
The Birth Partner
Penny Simkin
Nonfiction · Warm
Everything a partner, friend or doula needs to know to support a woman in labor
What you get: Practical guidance that helps you be a calm, helpful presence in the delivery room.
Amazon Description
1984
What to Expect When You're Expecting
Heidi Murkoff
Nonfiction · Warm
The best-known month-by-month pregnancy guide, with answers to everyday questions
What you get: Clear answers to everyday questions that make pregnancy feel more manageable.
Amazon Description
1980
Catch Me If You Can
Frank Abagnale
Nonfiction · Light
A teenage con man forges cheques and poses as a pilot
What you get: A fast, entertaining story of boldness and charm.
Amazon Description
1970
If Only They Could Talk
James Herriot
Nonfiction · Warm
A young vet in the Yorkshire Dales
What you get: A cheerful, charming story of life in the Yorkshire Dales.
Amazon Description
Father and Son
1907
Father and Son
Edmund Gosse
Nonfiction · Melancholic
A son remembers his strict father
What you get: A classic memoir of a boy and his strict father.
Amazon Description
1859
Notes on Nursing
Florence Nightingale
Nonfiction · Thoughtful
Florence Nightingale's 1859 notes on caring for the sick
What you get: A short, clear classic about caring for people well.
Amazon Description