Nonfiction Boot Camp discussion

Hi everyone. I'm looking for some suggestions of non-fiction that reads like fiction. What makes it good? How do you know when an author is trying too hard?

Thanks for all the suggestions. Can't wait to dive in!

Holly
http://wondersandmarvels.blogspot.com

You know, the last nonfiction book I read that was a really compelling story was Flu by Gina Kolata, the science writer from the New York Times. It was about the flu epidemic of 1918. It's kind of a detective story, heavy on narrative.

I'm taking a science and medical writing class this semester, and I'm finding that science writing makes for a really good read--kind of process/explanation added to a human story, trying to answer very basic questions about the world.

Oooooh, there are some goodies out there! Here's three:

1. The Devil and the White City (Eric Larsen) - about a serial killer during the Chicago World's Fair

2. Big Bang OR The Code Book by Simon Singh -- the first about the universe; the second about the history of code-making and code-breaking

3. My Family and Other Animals - Gerald Durrell -
funny memoir about a famous conservationist's childhood in 1930s Corfu, Greece

4. King Solomon's Ring - Konrad Lorenz - scientist studying animal behavior and his relationship with animals -- a book which helped me choose biology as a career

All the books except #1 have a sense of humor. #1,2 are written like mysteries. #3,4 are older books although I think you can still get from Amazon. Good reading!