There are ‘best books’ lists, and ‘top 100 books’ lists, and ‘Best selling books’ lists, and so on and so forth. There is no limit to the sheer number of articles detailing what books are good and which ones you should read. So, one more list shouldn’t hurt anything.
As someone who reads, probably, more than average and, definitely, not as much as I think I should, I feel qualified to selfishly declare the books I like are the best (until I read new books and the list changes). This particular list is about my favorite non-fiction books because, while I love fiction, I think non-fiction doesn’t get enough love – as much as I would enjoy being the ten millionth person to tell you the Lord of The Rings is worth reading.
Additionally, this list can double as a place for me to source new reading recommendations. If you have books, of any genre, you believe are worth reading then please comment them below. They can be added to my ever growing, 400+ as of posting this article, list of books I need to get to. With that being said, this list is in no particular order so don’t worry about judging me too hard. I tried to trim my recommendations down to a ‘top-five’ but simply couldn’t, in good conscious, exclude any of the books I have listed, so this is a ‘top-six.’ I hope you enjoy, let me know if you disagree with any of my entries.
The Serpent and the Rainbow
The Serpent and the Rainbow by Anthropologist Wade Davis is a stunning ethnographic investigation into Haitian culture and voodoo. Davis is sent to Haiti to investigate the potential realities of zombification after a man returns to his home years after being declared dead and buried. I discovered Davis early into my college career. His stories were the spring board for my interest in anthropology and worldly adventures. The Serpent and the Rainbow is a real anthropological investigation but is written so eloquently, and covers such incredible events, that is reads like a timeless fiction classic.
You may be familiar with the movie The Serpent and the Rainbow, which is based loosely on the books. Fair warning, the movie inserts certain dramatic and supernatural elements for entertainment purposes. It is much different than the book.
I cannot fully recommend the Serpent and the Rainbow without making it clear that, while it is a fantastic read, its relevance and ethics are debated in the anthropological community. Davis has received criticisms for the sensationalized way the book is written as well as, most importantly, Davis illegally exhuming the body of a child for investigative purposes.
Life Beside Itself
Life Beside Itself by Anthropologist Lisa Stevenson is the second, and the last, ethnographic journey on this list. Whereas the Serpent and the Rainbow is an adventurous investigation into a seemingly supernatural mystery, Life Beside Itself is the opposite. Its a cold, heartfelt, and haunting story about the Inuit people, healthcare inequality, tragedy, and perspectives on life and suicide that defy typical western belief.
I read Life Beside Itself on a whim in college for a book report in an introductory cultural anthropology class. Stevenson’s presentation of Inuit belief systems and the raw way she thrusts the harsh truths of systemic inequality towards the reader has remained with me for years. This is one of the few books to make me cry.
I put a great deal of effort into the report I wrote for this book, but I became so captivated by the book I neglected some of the instructions. I still remember the feedback my professors gave me – “Beautifully written, it was a pleasure to read. Made no meaningful connection to the content.” Reading Life Beside Itself was the best B+ I ever earned.
A Sand Country Almanac: And Sketches Here and There
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There by environmentalist Aldo Leopold is a foundational work in conservation literature and an incredible passion piece from someone who loves nature. The book includes a compilation of Leopold’s essays and thoughts put together by his family after his death. Leopold observes the natural world around him and dictates what he sees with immense and poetic passion.
Leopold’s work includes more than just beautiful writing, it presents his views on conservation and his wisdoms on how we should navigate the natural world. An example comes to mind, In Leopold’s essay ‘Thinking Like a Mountain’ he describes the impact of a ‘wolfless America’ and the importance of wolves to an ecosystem. Ironically, half a century later such sentiments would be the driving force behind the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone, a landmark event in conservation history.
The Four Loves
The Four Loves by C.S Lewis is a short, informative, and ultimately fascinating take on the nature and diversity of affection. Lewis, most known for authoring the Chronicles of Narnia, describes four kinds of live:
- Storgé – the foundational love of fondness and familiarity
- Philia – the love of friendship, based on shared interests and experiences
- Eros – the love of romance, a selfless adoration
- Agape – the love of charity, unconditional love
I would recommend The Four Loves, if for no other reason, to learn about a nuanced view of love and affection that could inform the way you see the world, the things you care about, and the people you care about. Like with much of C.S Lewis’ non-fiction that I have read, I believe it is best read with a critical mind, a willingness to view the world from a new perspective, and the readiness to dismiss Lewis’ assertations that don’t amend well to a modern world view.
In particular, I really enjoyed the way Lewis describes Philia. I agree that classic concepts of friendship, especially between men, have been lost. In an increasingly disconnected and commodified world, genuine reliable friends are a rarity.
Man’s Search For Meaning
Man’s Search for Meaning by Psychiatrist and holocaust survivor Victor Frankl may be the most moving and motivating book I have ever read. It’s a haunting account of his experiences in Nazi concentrations camps paired with a detailed personal philosophy about the human ability to choose and live a purposeful life. I think often about Frankl’s story, about what it means to choose, about how he describes suffering to be like gas in an empty room. Ultimately, Frankl asserts that even when all freedoms and liberties are stripped from you, you still maintain the ability to choose how you react to hardship. Frankl discusses the power of having something to live for, a purpose, and how the writing of this book was a driving force behind his will to survive. If you read any book from this list, I would recommend this one.
Everything is Tuberculosis
Everything is Tuberculosis is the newest book on this list, and the one I have read most recently. Green, most known for writing the fault in our stars, deviates from the young adult fiction that brought him notoriety to tell a haunting yet crucial story about healthcare inequality in Sierra Leone. Ultimately, Green describes Tuberculosis and how intricately it connects to human history, poverty, and systemic cruelties often unseen in the west.
Green describes how he came to learn about tuberculosis, his surprise when finding out a disease that has been curable for decades still kills over a million people a year, and the story of his friend Henry Reider – who suffered from tuberculosis throughout much of his youth.
And that concludes the short list of my favorite non-fiction books. I hope you found something worth reading here, or, at least, got the satisfaction of seeing a book you love be recognized.
That’s all for now,
-Wyatt