Looking for a book about...? > Likes and Comments

This thread for you to ask members if they know of a great book about a topic you are interested in.

I am looking for a book about...?

Ask us here, and we will help if we can.

I'm looking for what might be an unusual gift for a Christmas present to a family member. I need a book that looks at all the major social, economical, and cultural issues of the day and then breaks down the Conservative view (what would a conservative say about this) and then show the Liberal view (what would a liberal say about this).

Does anyone know of a book like this? I am not sure where to even begin, but I would think it was out there--preferable written by an Independent. :) Kidding.

I am also looking for what you consider the best biography about Ronald Reagan . I tend to like presidential biographies best that also cover much of the intellectual and cultural life at the time of the presidency versus a biography focused heavily on just their policies.

There are many Reagan biographies, but I am not sure what to try. Thanks!

I have not made it to Reagan, but my go to source for presidential biographies is Steve Floyd. He has read and reviewed multiple biographies of all the presidents.

Here is his best of Reagan page.
https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2018...
Looks like Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz might be your best bet.

Thanks Jeffrey. Good to see you here too. The Spitz bio is new to me, and I will check out Floyd's list now. Thanks again---

Spitz sure had a wide range, with his highly acclaimed biography of the Beatles and one also of Julia Child.

First an apology, I am English! That being the case my education was light on any colony which dared to leave the British Empire. Could anyone suggest a history of what is now the USA as far back as is known written in a manner for it to be a pleasure?

Jeffrey wrote: "First an apology, I am English! That being the case my education was light on any colony which dared to leave the British Empire. Could anyone suggest a history of what is now the USA as far back a..."


Jeffrey, my own apology in the delay in getting back to you.

One fairly recent book is by Jill Lepore's These Truths: A History of the United States.

A frequently cited work is Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States

A very recent book by an Oxford University professor is perhaps the best book I've ever read on the earliest days of encounters between Native Americans and colonists (Spanish, French, Dutch, and English) and how the Native Americans for the fisrst centures actually held the upper hand. This is Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hämäläinen.

Jill Lepore is a great writer and a great historian. I have read several of her books and they were history made fascinating and lively.

John, I agree. She’s amazing in her specific interests (Native Americans, Wonder Woman, computer technology, etc.) and her knowledge of general history also.

I liked this one as well. Less academic, but informative and entertaining.

Wilderness at Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent by Ted Morgan

Jeff W

Jeffrey wrote: "First an apology, I am English! That being the case my education was light on any colony which dared to leave the British Empire. Could anyone suggest a history of what is now the USA as far back a..."

Jeffrey, I just ordered a copy of the Ted Morgan book. I had never heard of it. Morgan is such a good author and the book has a number of good reviews.

Hello y'all! I'm a freshman in the non-fiction and I was wondering if you could have suggestions about which books should I read first. I was thinking maybe something easy and funny and (maybe?) related to people in their 20s or 30s..or idk some interesting manuals I could learn from

Saby glad you're here. I hope to help you. What have you tried when reading nonfiction at school or on own that you have enjoued? Do you have any questions that you want answered that a book or ten might help you answer? Are there any documentary programs or movies that have sparked your interests? Do you have a pet/animal companion that you want to know more about, then about their ancestors? Do you have medocal conditions in your family that concern you? This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but a list to spark your own thoughts.

Use your local library or their eservices to start seeing what is most easily available to you.

Cynda wrote: "Saby glad you're here. I hope to help you. What have you tried when reading nonfiction at school or on own that you have enjoued? Do you have any questions that you want answered that a book or ten..."

Hi Cynda! Well I did try to read non fictional books before. Most were about psychology or neuroscience, because I'm really interested in those themes, but I found myself not holding that interest for long. I do have different interest in different topics, but I mostly get answeared by different articles from different universities or scientists. I even tryed with short books under 100pages, but they don't hold my interest! I usually forget they are there and don't get motivated to continue. So I thought maybe something, short and funny and easy to read would motivate me. And if related to my age, would motivate me even more because is related to me.

Saby, if articles both hold your interest and help you learn, then that sounds like one right option for you as reader of nonfiction. Another might be to start out reading young adult nonfiction books which tend to toward a lighter discussion of facts. Occasionally I see books that bridge the gap between young adult and adult nonfiction books. To find those books, a librarian might be in the best.position to help you. The only such book.that quickly comes to mind is The Electric War: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Light the World by Mike Winchell.

Saby,

This book club Nonfiction Reading - Only the Best may not be the best starting place for reading nonfiction. I suggest Non Fiction Book Club because it is a nonfiction group geared toward general nonfiction readers. In that group, you will find a section of threads where you can mention and make quick comment about an article you read and where you can find other sources for nonfiction information: Non Fiction -- but not a Book.

I am a member there too. I hope to see you there.

Cynda wrote: "Saby,

This book club Nonfiction Reading - Only the Best may not be the best starting place for reading nonfiction. I suggest Non Fiction Book Club because it is a nonfiction group geared toward ge..."

Cynda,

I think you give good advice here. We're happy to have Saby here, but if you haven't read read a good bit of nonfiction it may not be the best place to start.

I don't participate much in the Non Fiction Book Club these days, but I actually started that thread, "Non Fiction -- but not a Book" when I was a moderator there.

Larry

Thank you Larry. I was concerned about saying these things here, yet I wanted to honor Saby's goals and questions.

Cynda, I just made a comment after a very long time in that "Non Fiction -- but not a Book" thread. I'm glad you made me think of it.

Cynda and Larry,
thank you both. I'll try joining the book club you suggested. Hopefully, I'll find a topic of interest. Again, thank you very much for your help!

I have a personal thread there: Cynda Reads On. Stop by to ask a question, make a comment.

Saby~ wrote: "Cynda and Larry,
thank you both. I'll try joining the book club you suggested. Hopefully, I'll find a topic of interest. Again, thank you very much for your help!"

Saby, one other suggestion is to start with books like the Little History books. The first one, E.H. Gombrich's original one on World History, was written for children. But I can recommend it and really all the others ... like these A Little History of the World, A Little History of Philosophy, A Little History of Science, and especially A Little History of Art. These books can help you discover what you might want to pursue in more detail. There are similar books like A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Pithy Chapters and the seemingly hundreds of book in the Very Short Introduction series, e.g. The Holy Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction. Take a look at Oxford University Press' page devoted to this series: https://global.oup.com/academic/conte...

And Saby, another entry point into nonfiction is through the various annual collections of short form pieces. One like these: The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022, The Best American Essays 2022, The Best American Travel Writing 2021, The Best American Food Writing 2022, etc. Even as periodicals struggle, there is great nonfiction writing to be found in them.

Good reminder, Larry. There are several of these at local libraries. I see them from time to time. I might want to pick one up to borrow. I just never want to actually buy one as space in an apartment is always an issue.

Next month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and Mental Health Awareness month.

I'm curious if anyone has any recs in these fields?

Mental Health is a wide topic, very wide, but I am curious as to what you all may suggest.

Ron wrote: "Next month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month and Mental Health Awareness month.

I'm curious if anyone has any recs in these fields?

Mental Health is a wide topic, very wide, but I am c..."

Ron, in terms of mental health, a book I found helpful was The Four Agreements. It is not lengthy and offers the most basic of advice for a better way of handling things.

The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.

There are two books that I would recommend about Mental Health :

- The Body Never Lies by Alice Miller
- Alla ricerca delle coccole perdute by Giulio Cesare Giacobbe

For the second one, I do not think there is an English translation yet, so if you can read italian, it should not bother you. It talks about identity, misconception of it and differences between three distinct personnalities the author describe, as : The parent, the kid and the adult. In sum words, it is a cheat sheet on growing up, knowing when to be one of the three personalities according to situations, in order to be a fulfilled human being, understanding behaviors and languages (the author gives some examples on sentences spoken by the three personalities).

For the first one, it talks about child parenting, abusing, how it change the development of oneself. That the early ages of growing up for a child are particularly vulnerable, ends up internalizing psycho-logic wounds, traumas. I am sorry to be unable for precise information about this book, I do not remember it quite well.

That is to say, I am looking for non-fiction books about whistleblowers, mass-surveillance and government wrongdoing. Not into politics, but rather into an anthology, history, recap chart, memoir. Rather a list of events that are not being interpreted.

Permanent Record is the greatest in term of information, facts, pedagogy and writing. Biographies written by others, about Snowden are not what I am looking for, from what I have seen, it is more of interpreted facts, "thriller writing style" of things that I am not looking for.

Yes, there is No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State but I am skeptic about it, skeptic about the writing style, viewing style, given by a journalist point of view, even if he was "in the know".

Also, When Google Met Wikileaks but as already said, skeptic about the writing style. Unfortunately because of a childish conception given by myself that the author might have a manipulative speaking "for the Good", I am not keen on "Machiavelli" ideas.

Chelsea Manning has written her autobiography, I may give it a try but also skeptic about it. She has been through atrocious things, her mental health may have an importance in her writing style.

Aaron Swartz's manifesto is on my tbr.

That are all the books I know about the subject, if anyone knows any other book about this subject, answering on what I am looking for as I have written. It would be my pleasure to discover it. And for the last word, the book does not have to be recent, just accurate.

Have a good day!

Lately, I have been looking to read something that would be considered Caribbean Literature.

I do think of Derek Walcott. And also Jamaica Kincaid when I consider a Caribbean Literature. Perhaps there is something else?

I am opening to any suggestions — novels, stories, studies, or poetry.

John wrote: "Lately, I have been looking to read something that would be considered Caribbean Literature.

I do think of Derek Walcott. And also Jamaica Kincaid when I consider a Caribbean Literature. Perhaps ..."

John, have you read Beyond A Boundary by C.L.R. James? Not just about cricket as played in the Caribbean. The GoodReads review catches some of it: "C L R James, one of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth century, was devoted to the game of cricket. In this classic summation of half a lifetime spent playing, watching and writing about the sport, he recounts the story of his overriding passion and tells us of the players whom he knew and loved, exploring the game's psychology and aesthetics, and the issues of class, race and politics that surround it."

John excellent advice. The Four Agreements are great take-yourself-outta-personal-H--- concepts to incorporate. Jesus may have saved my soul, but my thinking and understanding are mine to save.

John ... and this: "“Wen mi jus come to Landan toun / mi use to work pan di andah­groun / but wor­kin pan di andah­groun / yu dont get fi know your way aroun,” says the deep­voiced man. “Inglan is a bitch / dere’s no escapin it.”

Thus was the dis­sent­ing verse of Lin­ton Kwesi John­son broad­cast from the heart of the Brit­ish estab­lish­ment. His poetry’s fusion of the rhythms of reg­gae and the sounds of patois, its cri­tique of police bru­tal­ity and advocacy of mul­ti­cul­tural polit­ics res­on­ated with dis­af­fected black and white youth in the 1970s and 1980s, win­ning the Jamaica-born LKJ a large fol­low­ing and that pithy moniker."

The quote is from an article in last weekend's Financial Times [6 May 2023], which reviews Time Come: Selected Prose by Linton Kwesi Johnson, only the second liv­ing author to be pub­lished in the Pen­guin Mod­ern Clas­sics series.

I also like his quote in the FT article here: " “Poetry began as a need to artic­u­late the exper­i­ences of my gen­er­a­tion, and for me it is more to do with self-expres­sion, whereas writ­ing prose is mostly about learn­ing,” he says.

“By writ­ing, I’m edu­cat­ing myself. I’m leap­ing from gath­er­ing inform­a­tion to mak­ing sense of it . . . Something that stirs my curi­os­ity will spur me on. I’ll try to arrive at a bet­ter under­stand­ing of it by writ­ing about it.”

Diane wrote: "There are two books that I would recommend about Mental Health :

- The Body Never Lies by Alice Miller
- Alla ricerca delle coccole perdute by Giulio Cesare Giacobbe

For the second one, I do not ..."

Diane, I won't quote or comment on all your suggestions but just note that I think that your own comments are valuable. I will also mention Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website by Daniel Domscheit-Berg. I do think that the author, who was one of the founders of Wikileaks, successfully recounts some of the good that Wikileaks did in its early days ... and then argues that the sociopathy and paranoia of Assange really took over and put those good things to an end.

Larry wrote: "John wrote: "Lately, I have been looking to read something that would be considered Caribbean Literature.

I do think of Derek Walcott. And also Jamaica Kincaid when I consider a Caribbean Literat..."

Larry, I am not familiar with this writer, but the book looks intriguing. I have put it on my list.

John wrote: "Lately, I have been looking to read something that would be considered Caribbean Literature.

I do think of Derek Walcott. And also Jamaica Kincaid when I consider a Caribbean Literature. Perhaps ..."

John, although Caribbean non-fiction vs. fiction, I am currently reading Goldeneye by Matthew Parker which you might like if you are a Bond fan. I am not sure yet how much content there will be about Jamaica but I will see. I did try A Small Place, the most popular G.R. book by Jamaica Kincaid, but unfortunately could not get past Chapter 2.

Larry wrote: "I will also mention..."

That is what I am looking for, thanks !

Was wondering if someone might be able to help me out.

I'm currently going through a type of poetry phase and I was wondering if any of you could recommend not just some poetry, but also short essay collections as well, yes, particularly ones with short essays.

Ron wrote: "Was wondering if someone might be able to help me out.

I'm currently going through a type of poetry phase and I was wondering if any of you could recommend not just some poetry, but also short ess..."

I enjoy essays. Some of my favorites who have written well in that form that I would recommend are:

Joan Didion
Gore Vidal
Jill Lepore
John McPhee
John Updike
Christopher Hitchens
Martin Amis
Roger Angell
E.B. White

From a poetry or literary perspective, Adam Kirsch, Brad Leithauser, and Clive James are very good.

Thanks, John. I'll certainly look into those.

Ron, I have found a number of essays that are shorter and about current or even popular topics among the educated urbans in The New Yorker. I may have had a subscription. I also may have just signed up for a access to a certain number of articles per month.

With magazine subscriptions now part of some paid eservice, you might look there.

If you have not read Walden and Other Writings and Civil Disobedience all by Henry David Thoreau, I strongly suggest these essays.

I am looking some good overviews about the Battle of Trafalgar. Any suggestions?

Cynda, this one is one that I recommend: Trafalgar by Nicholas Best. I asked the Bing A.I. and got the following answer:

"There are many books about the Battle of Trafalgar, but here are some of the most popular ones:

Nelson: Britannia’s God of War by Andrew Lambert: This book is a great place to start if you want to understand the man himself and his enduring celebrity status. It is up-to-date, easy to read, and short compared to many of the other biographies 1.

The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson by Roger Knight: This is one of the heavyweight biographies of the vice-admiral. It employs the latest research to provide a detailed analysis of the man and his place in history, backed up by many pages of references and notes, as well as a section of biographical sketches of people who interacted with Nelson 1.

Nelson’s Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World by Roy Adkins: This book presents the definitive blow-by-blow account of the world’s most famous naval battle, when the British Royal Navy under Lord Horatio Nelson dealt a decisive blow to the forces of Napoleon 2.

Trafalgar: The Biography of a Battle by Roy Adkins: This book tells the story of the war at sea in Napoleonic times. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and is a great read for anyone interested in naval history 3.

Nelson: A Dream of Glory by John Sugden: This book covers Nelson’s early life and career, from his birth in 1758 to the disastrous, failed attack on Tenerife in 1797, in which he lost his right arm. These years are presented in great detail in the 788 pages; publication of the second volume was expected this spring, and its delay is a huge disappointment to Nelson enthusiasts 1.

"

And then I wondered what would happen if I asked Bing for the 10 best books on Trafalgar. Would it start with the five it told the first time and then list five more ... or something else? Here's that result:

"Here are some of the best books on the Battle of Trafalgar:

Nelson: Britannia’s God of War by Andrew Lambert 1: This book is a great place to start if you want to understand the man himself and his enduring celebrity status.

The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson by Roger Knight 1: This is one of the heavyweight biographies of the vice-admiral. It employs the latest research to provide a detailed analysis of the man and his place in history.

Nelson: A Dream of Glory by John Sugden 1: This book covers Nelson’s early life and career, from his birth in 1758 to the disastrous, failed attack on Tenerife in 1797, in which he lost his right arm.

Nelson’s Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World by Roy Adkins 23: This book presents the definitive blow-by-blow account of the world’s most famous naval battle, when the British Royal Navy under Lord Horatio Nelson dealt a decisive blow to the forces of Napoleon.

Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar by Adam Nicolson 2: This book provides a vivid and visceral account of the battle, drawing on first-hand accounts from sailors and marines who fought on both sides.

Trafalgar: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sea Battle in History by Nicholas Best 2: This book provides a comprehensive account of the battle, including the political and social context in which it took place.

Voices from the Battle of Trafalgar by Peter Warwick 2: This book provides a unique perspective on the battle, drawing on first-hand accounts from sailors and marines who fought on both sides.

The Battle of Trafalgar by Geoffrey Bennett 2: This book provides a detailed account of the battle, including the tactics used by both sides and the key events that led to the British victory.

The Trafalgar Companion by Mark Adkin 4: This book provides a comprehensive guide to the battle, including detailed maps, diagrams, and illustrations.

The Campaign of Trafalgar by Julian S. Corbett 4: This book provides a detailed analysis of the battle, including the political and strategic context in which it took place."

Thank you Larry. You have been generous. Here is my reading list largely based on what I have access to for free/no or little extra cost.

Trafalgar by Nicholas Best

Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World by Roy A. Adkins

Nelson: A Dream of Glory, 1758-1797 by John Sugden

The Campaign of Trafalgar by Julian Stafford Corbett

These are books with different focuses, or mostly so, so I am content with this list. Thank you.

Cynda, I think I will move the Nicholas Best book up onto my TBR list and try to get to it soon.

Larry that book is immediately available to me through Kindle Unlimited. Try to give me a couple of days' notice if you want to buddy read.

Cynda, I’ll do that … maybe beginning in mid January if that works for you?

Yes. That is good. Mid-January then.

Geopolitics, particular cold war era. Russia, USA. Any other fascinating geopolitics' reads. Just trying to educate myself on the world more. Recommendations with authors center - unbiased, known for true journalism with straight facts and great story-telling skills would be great. Thanks!