My Favorite NON-FICTION Books of All-Time
Drum roll please. Announcing my favorite non-fiction books of all time!
In my last post, I shared my favorite fiction books. I started reading more non-fiction in 2022. When I look at my reading stats from last year, it’s close to 50% non-fiction. I was really surprised to see this since I’ve been such a fiction lover since I was a kid.
I dipped my toes in the water of non-fiction through memoirs, motivational books, and personal finance books. Then I started branching out into history, books on writing, and spiritual books. Non-fiction is just as varied as fiction, and even if you’re a fiction lover, I’d encourage you to give some of these a try!
My Favorite Non-Fiction Books:
1. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi
The story follows a young student talking to his older master about philosophy and life. One of the main maxims is: “all problems are interpersonal problems,” which I’ve found to be the truth time and time again. My whole family has read this book and we quote it often.
2. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
History was never my favorite subject. Only after I read this book did I begin to appreciate it. It spans the entire history of civilization in a relatively short book, told in an engaging storytelling format. My favorite chapters were on the concept of money and getting a better sense of the timelines of certain periods of human life— for example, just how long of a time we were hunters and gatherers.
3. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
From the author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” the main takeaway I had from this book was to “take 100% responsibility for your own life.” It’s heavy but true, and my life hasn’t been the same since I made this mindset shift.
4. The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
The defining book on wealth strategy. Collins’ approach is timeless and packed with wisdom. He wrote it for his daughter who was uninterested in finances just in case one day she became interested, then almost to his surprise he was able to turn it into a book.
5. A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
I recommend this to anyone interested in storytelling or writing. Saunders holds your hand through classic short stories, pointing out how the writer did this and that. It’s educational, yes, but Saunders’ commentary is also playful and hilarious.
6. Just Kids by Patti Smith
A memoir of Smith’s life with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe in 1970’s NYC. She has an incredibly interesting life and I am not sure how to do this book justice in a review. Just read it!
7. Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
This is a challenging one, but if you’re willing to take it on, it’s only 160 pages. It retells a Greek myth as a modern coming-of-age story. I drew parallels to one of my other favorite books (“Grendel” by John Gardner) where the main character self-identifies as monstrous. It’s a villain story, yet his loneliness and isolation is relatable and sort of endearing.
8. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
No introduction needed! The classic spiritual book. This changed my perspective and my life.