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Best 21st century non-fiction
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items Chronicles humanity's story from ancient times to the present, highlighting major events, cultures, and advancements.
This is an excellent book about the history of humans, covering all aspects; evolution, anthropology, geography, psychology, religion, ideologies, and the future of humans. Physically, the book is beautiful; the glossy paper makes it heavy as well. W...
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind a book by Yuval Noah Harari
“This is the best reason to learn history: not in order to predict the future, but to free yourself of the past and imagine alternative destinies. Of course this is not total freedom – we cannot avoid being shaped by the past.”
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow a book by Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century is yet another seminal work by Yuval Noah Harari, which deals with the challenges facing us here and now. He tackles different topics from varying perspectives. Even if you do not agree with everything he says, one thi...
21 Lessons for the 21st Century a book by Yuval Noah Harari
This book explains why some countries became more powerful than others. The author says that it had to do with things like geography and the environment. Some places had more animals and plants to help people to survive and made them stronger.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (Anniversary) a book by Jared Diamond
"A rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world." --The Wall Street Journal
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World a book by Peter Frankopan
Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller, but even when he stays safely at home he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him. "A Short History of Nearly Everything" is his quest to understand everything that has happened fr...
A Short History of Nearly Everything a book by Bill Bryson
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Cho...
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking a book by Susan Cain
Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a univer...
Educated: A Memoir a book by Tara Westover
The book is a lengthy, self-conscious and a challenging read but highly recommended if you're interested in why human beings behave the way they behave. It's given me so much 'oh snap, so that's why we're so dumb' moments that at this point I don't e...
Thinking, Fast and Slow a book by Daniel Kahneman
Einstein was a rebel and nonconformist from boyhood days, and these character traits drove both his life and his science. In this narrative, Walter Isaacson explains how his mind worked and the mysteries of the universe that he discovered.
Einstein: His Life and Universe a book by Walter Isaacson
This is such an important story. HeLa cells were a miracle to humanity and all thanks to Hernietta Lacks and the doctor.
It is a must-read.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a book by Rebecca Skloot
A very well-written book full of facts that were presented in a humane way. The author put a lot of effort into this and I learned some very interesting facts. And like I said in the beginning of this review: while the writing style was respectful, s...
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers a book by Mary Roach
Isn't it amazing that a person can read a book like A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking and come away feeling both smarter and dumber than before he started? What a universe we live in!
A Brief History of Time a book by Stephen Hawking
That said, this is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. I'm guessing I've brought it up hundreds of times in conversation. Amazing book. Can't recommend it highly enough...
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales a book by Oliver Sacks
Color me very impressed. I can now see why this is considered to be one of those hugely popular science books I keep hearing about and the reason why Dawkins has become so widely known and/or respected with or without his notoriety.
The Selfish Gene: 40th Anniversary Edition a book by Richard Dawkins
This has to be one of my favorite books of the last few years. It's non-fiction, but it reads like a thrilling adventure, complete with a high-octane conclusion, all with a bit of science thrown in. It's a fantastic look at the sport of ultra-distanc...
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen a book by Christopher McDougall