ally Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Hi All, As part of my new years resolutions (yes, I’m a little late) to level up my life, one of my goals is to read 12 non-fiction books over the year. I read a fair bit of fiction, but would like to expand my horizons more. So 12 non-fiction books over a year should be easy I was looking, in particular, for some suggestions about books that helped you within your career, about interpersonal relationships or leadership to add to my little list, but I’m open to most books So far I have - Half the Sky - apparently pretty inspiring (Just about to start it)- The Power of Habit - The Paleo solution - because I eat mostly paleo and I want to learn more- I was considering starting strength but am not sure about this one - seems a bit dry - The Millionaire next door- MAYBE - the emotional eaters repair guide (because lets be honest, I emotionally eat sometimes) Anyone know any really good non-fiction? Lots of Love xxxx Link to comment
CalvinHobbes Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 For any non-fiction books...Devil in the White City. SO GOOD. For my career, I am reading The Emperor of all Maladies...but it's kind of career specific. I also liked How to Win Friends and Influence People for interpersonal relationships. The Paleo Solution and The Power of Habit were both really good. I am probably going to re-read each this year. Link to comment
sericite Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 I read two books last year that I really enjoyed and think might fit into your criteria: Switch by Chip Heath & Dan HeathWillpower by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierny Both are about why change is so hard based on how our brains work and what we can do to reframe things to make change easier. Outside of the personal improvement, etc area, I always recommend Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything....it's a general science book written by the travel writer Bill Bryson & he does such a wonderful job. It's a really entertaining read. P.S. I read Emperor of Maladies as well - really great, really fascinating book. Sericite----Current Challenge, Twitter, Fitocracy, Goodreads Main Quest: To lose 100 pounds 3%3% Link to comment
BeckyBuckeye Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 Not personal improvement at all, but an interesting read is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Some interesting medical, science, ethics, and race history in it. Link to comment
Elenea Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 A whole book about HeLa cells? That sounds awesome! Such an interesting and tragic story, but what a huge role they've played in science experiments. I have two more non-personal improvement suggestions for you. I highly highly recommend the Etymologicon and the Horologicon by Mark Forsyth. They are both really interesting looks into words and Forsyth is a really amusing writer. The Horologicon looks at all sorts of underused, forgotten, or highly specific words for all sorts of situations, broken down by the hours of the day when you need them most. The Etymologicon looks at the different etymological connections between tons of words and works circularly. Love them. Got them for Christmas, and I've flown through them. If you are a word nerd, you'll love it. If not, there are lots of other non-fiction books. Level 4 Ranger, Former Hero of RivertownSTR 7.75 | DEX 8 | STA 8.25 | CON 9.75 | WIS 14 | CHA 8First ChallengeSecond Challenge (Reboot!)Third ChallengeCurrent Challenge Inventory: 5 silver pieces, a steel schiavona, a dented Roman helmet, and a Fire Flower power up Link to comment
Shoshie Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 If you're into pop-sci, I'm a fan of "How to Build a Time Machine" and "What Einstein Told His Cook". I forget the authors for both of those, but they're great books. I also love "Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched" and "Farm City". That last one's by Novella Carpenter-- I'm terrible at remembering author names! And, if you like comics (or even if you don't), "Persepolis" is a great one. Selkie WarriorLevel 2, STR: 6.5 | DEX: 4.5 | STA: 2.8 | CON: 4 | WIS: 7 | CHA: 2.5 Shoshie's "Getting Awesome" Challenge Shoshie's "Just Hanging Around" Challenge Link to comment
Maris Stella Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 Oh Lord, maybe reading this wasn't such a good idea. My book list is growing by the minute... Level 2 Half-elf DruidSTR: 3 | DEX: 6.5 | STA: 1 | CON: 6.5 | WIS: 4.5 | CHA: 3 If you do not change where you are headed, you will end up where you are going. Link to comment
OrangeJorwell Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 I have two more non-personal improvement suggestions for you. I highly highly recommend the Etymologicon and the Horologicon by Mark Forsyth. They are both really interesting looks into words and Forsyth is a really amusing writer. The Horologicon looks at all sorts of underused, forgotten, or highly specific words for all sorts of situations, broken down by the hours of the day when you need them most. The Etymologicon looks at the different etymological connections between tons of words and works circularly. Love them. Got them for Christmas, and I've flown through them. If you are a word nerd, you'll love it. If not, there are lots of other non-fiction books. Those both sound awesome. *Sigh* And I was trying not to buy more books until I've read the ones I have... Level 3 RangerSTR: 6 | DEX: 3 | STA: 9 | CON: 4 | WIS: 6 | CHA: 5 Current Challenge Link to comment
Elenea Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 Zebarah, I highly recommend getting them if you don't mind adding to your reading list. The nice thing is that they're written in small sections. You can easily read 2 pages, set it down for a bit and come back to it. Or, if you can prefer, you can devour it in a few days, as I chose to do. Level 4 Ranger, Former Hero of RivertownSTR 7.75 | DEX 8 | STA 8.25 | CON 9.75 | WIS 14 | CHA 8First ChallengeSecond Challenge (Reboot!)Third ChallengeCurrent Challenge Inventory: 5 silver pieces, a steel schiavona, a dented Roman helmet, and a Fire Flower power up Link to comment
guest439437484421 Posted January 14, 2013 Report Share Posted January 14, 2013 The Tim Ferriss 4 hour books get pretty good reviews:Four hour chefFour hour workweekFour hour body Lvl 5 Penguin Warrior: 10 Str, 3.5 Dex, 6.5 STA, 23.5 CON, 12.25 WIS, 5.75 CHAIntro | Current Challenge Thread | Character sheetMy Personal Blog | My Food Blog There are no failures, only learning pains Link to comment
RyanTheReal Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 I can't recommend The Power of Habit enough. It's probably my favorite non-fiction book. Another that had a huge impact on me is The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. It's all about managing your energy in its different forms- physical, emotional, intellectual/mental, and (general) spiritual. I probably learned more from this book than any of the other ~30 books I read in 2012. Level 2 Half-Elf Adventurer STR:4 | DEX:4 | STA:6 | CON:2 | WIS:5 | CHA:2Personal Blog | Twitter Link to comment
Oogiem Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 Good ones I've read in the last year all highly recommended Longitude - True Story of the Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time Dava SobelPower of Habit Charles DuhiggHacker Crackdown Bruce SterlingHouse of Rain Craig ChildsApocalyptic Planet Craig ChildsTake Back Your Government Robert A. HeinleinThe First 20 MInutes Gretchen Reynolds Oogie McGuire Black Sheep Shepherdess STR 4.25 | DEX 4.5 | STA 3.75 | CON 3 | WIS 4.75 | CHA 1 Link to comment
18ck Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 Getting Things Done by David Allen for personal work advancement surely has to take the cake. It's not a book, it's a frickin' religion. I don't do it all by any means but there are enough tricks in there to change the way you do things forever! Level 20 Ferret Demon Scout STR 43 | DEX 21 | STA 49 | CON 30 | WIS 45 | CHA 21 Challenges: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 #25 Instagram | Wordpress | Twitter | Linkedin | Goodreads | Facebook: *spits* I despise facebook! Valeu a pena? Tudo vale a pena Se a alma não é pequena. Link to comment
SpiralGalaxy Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Packing for Mars by Mary Roach--best look at the space program that I've read. Actually, all of her books are 100% awesome, I love her style. SpiralGalaxy, Level 9 Halfling Elf AssassinSTR 17|DEX 13|STA 20|CON 13|WIS 21|CHA 15Electromagnetics Engineer, Freelance sci-fi critic in Maryland"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." Link to comment
Nomad Jay Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 I read a good deal of non-fiction. In lieu of any specific topic requests, I recommend the following: The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power by Max Boot is an interesting look at the historical use of American military interventions from 1776 onward. Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos is an solid conceptual introduction to modern cosmology and particle physics. In the same vein Stephen Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time are equally intriguing and solid books. "If you would improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus "You just gotta listen to your body, unless it's saying anything about stopping, pain, your joints, or needing water." Level 20 Pilgrim (Adventurer 7, Assassin 3, Druid 2, Monk 10, Ranger 5, Rebel 9, Scout 10, Warrior 4) Link to comment
Lyra Rigby Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Non-fiction is what I love. I'd recommend checking out at least one book by Jared Diamond. I love his style and his take on history. His latest book looks good; unfortunately I've not had the chance to read it due to being wait-listed at ye olde library. I also enjoy Graham Hancock's work, although it may not be the average non-history nerd's cup of tea, I'm afraid. If you're into punk/indie music, check out Our Band Could Be Your Life. Please Kill Me is another decent punk-ography. Get In The Van is Henry Rollin's baby, if you will...a first hand account of the real meat of the punk scene. If you're into heavy metal, I'd suggest Precious Metal. Choosing Death is a book about death metal and grindcore...the hard, hard shit. Dave Mustaine's Memoir was a decent read as well. If you admire great beards, then you may like Jim Marrs' books. They are paranoid diatribes about government secrecy. I can't really tell you where to start here, although The Trillon Dollar Conspiracy was a good read, imho. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is another solid read if you're into conspiracy, economics or white collar crime type books. The Secret History of the American Empire is a follow-up to Confessions and is actually a great intro to this whole "hidden history" theory angle. Hope this helps. Link to comment
Grendelsfork Posted March 15, 2013 Report Share Posted March 15, 2013 Im a writer which mans I'm a huge reader. Anything by Mary Roach......hey, science can be kinky tooCarl Sagan's Demon Haunted WorldRock and a Hard Place. For those who feel their workout is tough. Try cutting your own hand off and pushing through it to get bak to your car. Link to comment
BarefootViking Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Lots of good books mentioned already, but the book that that changed my perspective on how and why we humans (and other critters) do things was The Red Queen Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature. It explains the genetic arms race that is running in the background of our behavior pulling our strings like silent puppeteers. Beyond that I will have to go back through the last few dozen books I have read and see what stood out. [ Level 2 ] 1/2 Ogre Viking Adventurer <Current Challenge> Str 6 / Dex 3 / Sta 2 / Con 4.5 / Wis 6 / Int 5 / Cha 4 In My Backpack: Fire Flower Power Up, Link to comment
steamymuffin Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Hi Ally- you have so many suggestions on here already (many of which I am going to check out) but I am compelled to add one or two of mine. These books have changed my life permanently and I am re-reading the first one. Amazing insight... for me atleast. The Road Less Travelled- Scott PeckAnxious to Please- James Rapson/Craig EnglishAs Man Thinketh and 7 Pillars of Success- James Allen I don't know if these are what you're looking for but I'm glad I found them. Colin Ogre (because I'm tall, a bit overweight, kinda hairy and I don't have much fasion sense)AdventurerSTR- 3DEX- 1STA- 4CON- 2WIS- 3CHA- 2 Quote- 'What progress, you ask, have I made? I have begun to be a friend to myself.'- Hecato, Greek philosopher Link to comment
Maj. Bloodnok Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 "Predictably Irrational" and "The Upside of Irrationality" by Dan Ariely. Great books about how we make decisions, especailly when it comes to how we spend money, and how our decisions can be influenced by all sorts of factors. "If you get into trouble, you can always eat something, blow something up, or throw penguins." - Jim Henson Link to comment
Timmy M Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 'pegasus bridge' by 'stephen e ambrose' is a pretty decent read, it's about the first people to see action on d day and how they essentially stopped d day from being a disaster (you can narrow it down to a single shot on a tank that destroyed it thereby preventing a battalion of tanks from mowing down everyone on all the beaches) interesting stuff Link to comment
Elder Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Gee Whiz! My book list also growing! I am going to have to re-arrange my days so that I can get in some more reading time! . I am Elder . Woosah . Sunshine . Plants . Fur babies . New book smell . Cinnamon . Pepperoni Pizza . Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.