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Non-Fiction

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DisgustipatedinCA

(12,530 posts)
Wed Dec 21, 2011, 02:16 PM Dec 2011

What's the best nonfiction you've read this year? (bonus if it was published in 2011) [View all]

I mostly read fiction, so I don't have an entry that was actually published in 2011, but I read a 2007 book called Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James Swanson. I found out lots of neat stuff about John Wilkes Booth, and about Lincoln's assassination in general, that I never knew before. The book was written in the style of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City--it's nonfiction, but written in the style of a novel. The only real problem I have with this is when the narrative becomes too speculative, e.g., ...Booth must have been thinking about freedom being only a river crossing away (that's not a quote, but there are several passages in the book along these lines). Other than that, everything in the book came from direct quotes attributed to the people involved. I recommend the book. 4 stars out of 5.

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America's Quarterback: Bart Starr and the Rise of the National Football League ScreamingMeemie Dec 2011 #1
Cool. I'm not much of a sports book reader, so the disclaimer... DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #2
Justice for Hedgehogs - Ronald Dworkin. Jim__ Dec 2011 #3
that's really interesting DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #6
Dance of Dragons Viva_La_Revolution Dec 2011 #4
You know what makes me happy? DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #7
"The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom" eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #5
this is now on my Goodreads list of books to read DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #8
I have been wanting to purchase a book like this truedelphi Dec 2011 #21
It's much more of a biography than a physics book, so it probably won't anwer your questions. eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #22
2 titles: Green is the New Red and Black Flags and Windmills idiotgardener Dec 2011 #9
John Dos Passos "The Americans" jerseyjack Dec 2011 #10
"Life" by Keith Richards... RevStPatrick Dec 2011 #11
Unbroken mgc1961 Dec 2011 #12
Yep, Unbroken iamjoy Dec 2011 #44
Vultures picnic by Greg Palast... prairierose Dec 2011 #13
Sounds like a good read. And did you know that truedelphi Dec 2011 #25
+1 RoccoR5955 Dec 2011 #28
I tried to read Vulture's Picnic NJCher Dec 2011 #30
Yes, I found his style in this book annoying but... prairierose Dec 2011 #40
"With Liberty and Justice For Some", by Glenn Greenwald. russspeakeasy Dec 2011 #14
The Disappearing Spoon (nt) usrname Dec 2011 #15
I read that, too secondvariety Dec 2011 #24
Jeffrey Sachs - Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet Lucky 13 Dec 2011 #16
Also Lester Brown - Plan B 4.0 Lucky 13 Dec 2011 #17
I am reading The Price of Civilization ashling Dec 2011 #46
Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack the Software of Life. That young jtuck004 Dec 2011 #18
History of the Alphabet zipplewrath Dec 2011 #19
Who is the author, pls? dixiegrrrrl Aug 2012 #54
Sorry zipplewrath Aug 2012 #55
you might like Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea dixiegrrrrl Sep 2012 #58
Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker mainer Dec 2011 #20
Isaacson's "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life." MADem Dec 2011 #23
The only other book I have read here. It was very infomative. What a diverse and talented person. efhmc Dec 2011 #27
I enjoyed it immensely--was sad to have it end! MADem Dec 2011 #42
Making Haste from of Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World: A New History by Nick Bunker efhmc Dec 2011 #26
The Information by James Gleick pscot Dec 2011 #29
Chaos chervilant Dec 2011 #33
It's on my list pscot Dec 2011 #41
Stauffenberg, by Peter Hoffman. provis99 Dec 2011 #31
I'm working on the Steve Jobs bio DissedByBush Dec 2011 #32
Richard Hofstadter chervilant Dec 2011 #34
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks hoosierspud Dec 2011 #35
A good one. man4allcats Dec 2011 #37
I first read about HeLa cells in the 1970's when I was going through training for my job. hoosierspud Dec 2011 #43
A People's History Of The United States man4allcats Dec 2011 #36
"Crazy Like Us: the globalization of the american psyche" tomp Dec 2011 #38
I'm mostly through "The Crash Course", scary stuff... drynberg Dec 2011 #39
A Primate's Memoir by Robert M. Sapolsky Neoma Dec 2011 #45
23 things they don't tell you lwo Jan 2012 #47
Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class by Owen Jones TomClash Jan 2012 #48
Wrongfully accused and the reality of prison life xrayvision2005 May 2012 #49
interesting post... fe6252fes Jun 2012 #50
"Life" by Keith Richards Teamster Jeff Jun 2012 #51
Willful Blindness by Margaret Hefferman. PDJane Jul 2012 #52
Incognito: The secret lives of the brain. Yavapai Jul 2012 #53
One I just started reading that seems like it will be interesting is white_wolf Aug 2012 #56
The Goldilocks Planet: The 4 Billion Year Story of Earth's Climate Odin2005 Sep 2012 #57
Treasure Islands, by Nicholas Shaxson - closeupready Oct 2012 #59
Le Freak, Nile Rodgers trailmonkee Nov 2012 #60
A Journey In to Divine Love Michelle311 Nov 2012 #61
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