Beyond Reality discussion

What's something that you've recently learned while reading? Or has there been something in a book lately that's driven you to do extra research on a specific topic? (All genres, fiction & nonfiction, are OK here.)

I'd say about a quarter to a third of my reading is nonfiction. My most recent nonfiction read that taught me something new was The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy - I'd not know a lot about the disorder and it was both fascinating and disturbing.

I also learned from John Green's Turtles All the Way Down - I'd heard a podcast interview of an expert on OCD who has OCD herself, and she'd said that it was the only piece of fiction she ever read that portrayed the disorder accurately.

I guess I'm on an abnormal psychology kick?

Too many to list.

For example, just now I learned how Sojourner Truth chose her name (from Smithsonian Magazine). And it rekindled my interest in why the descendants of enslaved people still use their owners' surnames. I don't know why, but I'd love to read something by someone who did do the research.

The big one from not too long ago is Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life. Rethinking Linnaeus's taxonomy is important.

More recently I enjoyed The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning because I don't read much history and yet I feel like I should, given current affairs. That book gave me several for my to-read lists.

Today I added to my wishlist Painted Love: Prostitution and French Art of the Impressionist Era because I wanted to know if I'd be comfortable recommending Dancing with Degas to young families.

In the Children's Books group we have at least one topic of non-fiction every month and it's fun to get bite-sized bits of information. This month, for example, in the Picture-Book Club we're studying Wolves, Foxes, & Coyotes and their reputations in children's lit., both fiction and non-fiction. (Lots of books about big, bad wolves that turn out to be vegetarians are available.)

Newbery books are usually educational, too. Including the very recent Across So Many Seas, The First State of Being, and One Big Open Sky. I do admit that I don't usually do further research after reading them, though.

I spend the beginning of this year reading a whole lot about investments, retirement, pensions, RRSPs, TFSAs (canadian accounts), ETFs, stocks.......and then decided to learn about DIY investing. It was a whole thing but I feel much better informed now.

I also am always learning about nutrition and health. Usually more geared toward heart disease causes and lifestyle changes because of heart disease. I often end up learning about some stuff that seems really woo, woo. But it ends up not being quite so far fetched as I would like. Currently reading Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You Sick―and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health because of a podcast. I don't think he's quite as out to lunch as I'd like him to be.

Unlike many of you, I read very little nonfiction. I do, however, read National Geographic magazine & that often sends me to the internet to learn more about a specific topic or to read more about some of the writers & photographers. I’ve had the privilege of traveling with some of the NG photographers on Lindblad expeditions, so I often check out more informations about them when their photos pop up in the magazine.

I read some news online & then check out various sources to get a fuller picture of a certain story or issue.