Non-Fiction
You don’t have to be serious to enjoy non-fiction books. Contrary to popular belief, non-fiction can be as fascinating and scintillating as a good thriller or mystery (like true crime) or as suspenseful as a Dean Koontz or Stephen King novel (as is the case with books like “The Perfect Storm”). Plus, there are lots of great non-fiction books worth reading because you’ll learn something.If you have someone on your list and you’re not sure what kind of book to get them, I’d always suggest starting with non-fiction that reads like fiction. Here are my faves:
- “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer
- “Fatal Vision” by Joe McGinnis is the ultimate true crime novel sure to satisfy anyone who loves a good mystery. My favorite thing about “Fatal Vision” is the way that McGinnis tells the story of a Green Beret accused of murdering his wife and children from alternate viewpoints. Every other chapter I was convinced the guy was innocent, no guilty, no innocent, no guilty. It’s rare to find a book that’s so convincing. If you like “Fatal Vision”, check out another of his books “Cruel Doubt” or go with Ann Rule’s book about Ted Bundy, “Stranger Beside Me”. Or for an overview of how the FBI began profiling (for all you CSI fanatics out there), check out “Mindhunter” by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.
- Know someone that loves kids (or dogs) and an exciting story? “The Cruelest Miles” is the perfect book for them! Unlike some of the true crime above, “The Cruelest Miles” by Gay and Laney Salisbury is more of a heart-warming tale (with plenty of suspense mixed in) about a diptheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska and the dog-sled mushers who raced medicine across Alaska in the harshest of winter to save the lives of sick children. You will never think the same of the Balto story again.
- Unless you’re terrified of boats and the ocean, you’ll find something to love about “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger. Please note - if you’re not afraid of drowning, you will be by the time you finish this book. But it’s so good that it’s worth it. Seen the movie? No matter what you thought of it, the book is better! If you love books about the sea, check out “Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea” by Gary Kinder about the discovery of a boat carrying gold that laid on the bottom of the ocean for 132 years before discovery. This is a slower moving tale, but a must for treasure seekers or boat lovers.
- “102 Minutes: the untold story of the fight to survive inside the twin towers” by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn is NOT a book for the faint of heart. This book will make you feel sick, angry and sad throughout. But it’s a good read for those who want to understand what the people in World Trade Center went through on 9/11. There are some heroic stories in here that remind us of what’s redeeming about humanity and it shines through the horror of the rest of the book.
- “Freakanomics” by Levitt and Dubner is the most fun that you’ll ever have with economics (unless you’re an economist in which case you, presumably, have fun with economics all the time). Your assumptions will be challenged about everything from broken windows to baby girl names. This is the perfect book for the analytical member of your family.
- Malcolm Gladwell’s books “Blink” and “Tipping Point” are both excellent and will keep you reading page after page. “Blink” is about the decisions that we make within a split second. It explains a few things for those of us that hate hearing the stats about how a recruiter decides within the first 15 seconds of an interview whether they’ll hire you or not. “Tipping Point” covers how a product (or idea) goes from a twinkle in someone’s eye to being wildly popular. This is the perfect book for those of you in marketing or sales.