Best non-fiction books on Reddit
363 reviews from r/suggestmeabook, r/nonfictionbookclub, r/booksuggestions and 8 more subreddits
363 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Jon Krakauer
4.9
(23)
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer."
"Washington : A Life - Chernow"
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer"
"Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer"
"N/A"
"Phenomenally written but heavy content for sure."
"As others have said, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer."
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer"
#2
Erik Larson
5.0
(21)
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson."
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Honestly anything by Larson."
"Anything by Erik Larson."
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson."
"Come for the serial killer, stay for the World's Fair."
"Devil in the white city, by Eric Larson"
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson"
"The devil in white city
Killer of the flower moon
The deficit Myth
Prequel
How to say Babylon"
"The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson"
"The Devil the White City by Erik Larson"
#3
Tara Westover
4.9
(19)
"Educated by Tara Westover."
"I would suggest Educated by Tara Westover."
"Educated is excellent"
"And “The Glass Castle” are both memoirs."
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated- Tara Westover."
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"*Educated* by Tara Westover."
#4
Bill Bryson
4.9
(17)
"Or A Walk In The Wood by Bill Bryson"
"And you never go wrong with anything by Bill Bryson."
"A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson"
"N/A"
"Anything by Bill Bryson but especially Down Under, The Thunderbolt Kid, The Mother Tongue and A Short History of Nearly Everything."
"Is about the various significant events in the summer of 1927."
"A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson."
"Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and One Summer by Bill Bryson."
"The first two are the answers I always give as the actual best of the best, but listing a few others that are 8/10+ for me."
"A Short History of Nearly Everything
Fun read about subjects that bore me to death in school."
#5
Rebecca Skloot
4.8
(16)
"It's my favourite non-fiction book of all time."
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot."
"Equal parts scientific history and personal memoir of Skloot uncovering the story."
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot"
"N/A"
"These have been some of my favourites lately that I would recommend to most people."
"Blend of science, history, and personal narrative about Henrietta and her cells."
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It is a non-fiction book but has a very easy to read, digestible style."
"Was fascinating!"
"It was quite different from anything I had read before but it was very well-written and kept me engaged without being too science-y."
#6
Patrick Radden Keefe
5.0
(12)
"Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"A true story or murder and memory in Northern Ireland."
"Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe is by far the best nonfiction book I've read in years."
"“Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keefe. I couldn’t put it down!"
"Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland."
"Is phenomenal and reads like a novel."
#7
David Grann
5.0
(12)
"My recent favourite non-fiction."
"The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann."
"The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann."
"The Lost City of Z by David Grann"
"Is amazing and definitely worth the read."
"Adventure biography about a lost Amazonian city."
"The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann."
"The lost city of Z by David Grann reads like a novel."
"**Killers of the Flower Moon** by ***David Grann***"
"Killers of the flower moon was a great non fiction novel"
#8
Trevor Noah
4.9
(11)
"Born a Crime by Trevor Noah"
"Especially the audiobook!!"
"Born a Crime by Trevor Noah."
"Incredible account of Churchill’s first year as prime minister."
"Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and One Summer by Bill Bryson."
"If u want to try a autobiography which is funny and simple to read "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah."
"Check out Trevor Noah's memoir "Born A Crime" and William Kamkwamba's "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.""
"Born a Crime by Noah Trevor"
"*Born a Crime* by Trevor Noah was what convinced me non-fiction can be fun, too."
"For memoirs, try Trevor Noah's Born a Crime or Tara Westover's Educated."
#9
Ed Yong
4.8
(9)
"An immense world. Ed Yong."
"*An Immense World* by Ed Yong."
"An Immense World by Ed Yong"
"An Immense World by Ed Yong (nature; wildlife)"
"Definitely Ed Yong. Both his books - I Contain Multitudes and An Immense World!"
"An Immense World by Ed Yong was great."
"An Immense World by Ed Jong."
#10
James Clear
4.9
(8)
"Atomic Habits is a must read for everyone"
"Atomic Habits by James Clear."
"Atomic Habits by James Clear"
"Atomic Habits - James Clear."
"Atomic habits by James clear is wild"
"Atomic Habits."
"For Self Improvement."
#11
Alfred Lansing
5.0
(7)
"*Endurance* by Alfred Lansing (Shackleton's Trans Arctic Expedition)"
"N/A"
"True story about Ernest Shackleton"
"It’s about Ernest Shackleton’s shipwreck in Antarctica and it’s such a wild ride."
"Endurance by Alfred Lansing is a great account on Shackleton!"
"Is a very good book about Shackleton."
"The first two are the answers I always give as the actual best of the best, but listing a few others that are 8/10+ for me."
#12
Yuval Noah Harari
5.0
(7)
"Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari."
"And Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari"
"Left me pondering the evolution of humankind."
"About how ancient man started living as hunters."
"I am currently reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I can definitely see it will become my favourite."
"Sapiens, Homo Deus and 21 lessons for 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari, in the same order."
"Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harrari."
#13
Mary Roach
5.0
(7)
"Anything by Mary Roach, Gretchen Rubin, or Samantha Irby"
"Mary Roach! Mary Roach! You can thank me later."
"The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor"
"Anything by Mary Roach"
"Anything by."
"Are easy and fun to read."
#14
Truman Capote
5.0
(6)
"In Cold Blood by Truman Capote."
"Killers of the flower moon."
"In cold blood - Truman Capote."
"In Cold Blood by Truman Capote"
"Is a perfect bridge book to get you from fiction to non-fiction."
"Also In cold blood by Truman Capote."
#15
Daniel James Brown
5.0
(6)
"The Harrowing Story of the Donner Party."
"The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown."
"The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown"
"The first two are the answers I always give as the actual best of the best, but listing a few others that are 8/10+ for me."
"It’s about the I’ll-fated Donner Party."
"Great read about the Donner party"
#16
Timothy Egan
5.0
(6)
"The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan."
"The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan."
"A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan"
"The KKK's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them"
"The worst hard time: The untold story of those who survived the great American dust bowl by Timothy Egan."
"The Immortal Irishman or Dark Nights of the Shadow Catcher, both by Timothy Egan."
#17
Richard Preston
4.5
(6)
"*The Hot Zone* by Richard Preston"
"The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston..."
"*The Hot Zone* by Richard Preston"
"Very engaging (about ebola)"
"The Hot Zone by Richard Preston"
#18
Carl Sagan
5.0
(5)
"Cosmos by Carl Sagan"
"His love of space and our planet and the universe is so apparent in his writing."
"Cosmos by Carl Sagan."
"Its an old book now but Cosmos by Carl Sagan is still an awesome read."
"Sagan makes science accessible, putting it into historical and cultural context."
#19
Kate Moore
5.0
(5)
"Radium Girls, by Kate Moore."
"Radium Girls by Kate Moore."
"Radium Girls by Kate Moore"
"Radium Girls- Kate Moore."
"The Dark Story of America's Shining Women"
#20
Caitlin Doughty
5.0
(5)
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Caitlin Doughty"
"Smoke gets in your eyes- Caitlin Doughty."
"- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty: A memoir about a young woman working in a crematory."
"Another one that’s on my tbr."
#21
Isabel Wilkerson
5.0
(5)
"Amazing stories and I learned a ton"
"Also Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson."
"Caste- Isabel Wilkerson."
"The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabelle Wilkerson."
"Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and One Summer by Bill Bryson."
#22
Merlin Sheldrake
4.8
(5)
"*Entangled Life* by Merlin Sheldrake - all about fungi, every chapter blows my mind."
"Blood and Thunder."
"Literally changed the way I look at nature."
"Another favourite is Entagled Life by Merlin Sheldrake."
"Haven’t read it yet but from what I’ve heard it’s a good fit for what you’re looking for!"
#23
Vaclav Smil
5.0
(4)
"The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going."
"Currently reading Vaclav Smil's How the World Really Works."
"The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going."
"How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going --Vaclav Smil"
#24
Laura Hillenbrand
5.0
(4)
"Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand"
"Or any book by Erik Larson, he’s a great author."
"**Unbroken** by Laura Hillenbrand, a biography of World War II veteran Louis Zamperini."
#25
Daniel Kahneman
5.0
(4)
"Out of all of these, I would most strongly recommend, "the courage to be disliked"."
"N/A"
"Thinking, fast and slow. So good"
"Thinking fast and slow - Daniel Kahneman"
#26
Richard Dawkins
5.0
(4)
"*The Selfish Gene* will remake your whole worldview."
"The Selfish Gene and The Extended Phenotype by Richard Dawkins."
"The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins)"
"I’ll also throw in the Selfish gene and the god delusion by Dawkins."
#27
Marcus Aurelius
5.0
(4)
"I am a big fan of Epictetus' Enchiridion and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations."
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius"
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius"
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius."
#28
Adam Higginbotham
5.0
(4)
"Is so, so good and incredibly accessible for such a complicated topic."
"Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham."
"It was probably the best written nonfiction book I've read that almost flowed like a fiction."
#29
Oliver Sacks
5.0
(4)
"I really liked Oliver Sacks' *Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain*."
"Is about how the brain processes or doesn't process music."
"Compulsively readable and also gives you a whole new perspective on the human mind."
#30
Lindsey Fitzharris
5.0
(4)
"The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris."
"• The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris"
"N/A"
"N/A"
#31
Colin Woodard
5.0
(3)
"American Nations by Colin Woodard"
"Super interesting analysis of American culture and impact through the lens of American history."
"Excellent and fun."
#32
Nick Bilton
5.0
(3)
"American Kingpin by Nick Bilton."
"American Kingpin is one of my favorites."
"Very good narrative non-fiction style that makes it a page turner."
#33
John Carreyrou
5.0
(3)
"These are some of the best ones I have read."
"Bad Blood- John Carreryrou."
"Bad Blood by John Carreyrou"
#34
Javier Zamora
5.0
(3)
"Solito by Javier Zamora"
"The narrative of the life of Frederick douglas by himself."
"A memoir."
#35
Stephen King
5.0
(3)
"On Writing, Stephen King"
"How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell."
"N/A"
#36
George Orwell
5.0
(3)
"Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell"
"Homage to Catalonia is a non-fiction book I enjoyed a lot."
#37
Dava Sobel
5.0
(3)
"Why Fish Don’t Exist."
"Longitude: A True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time—Dava Sorbel."
"N/A"
#38
Matthew Desmond
5.0
(3)
"Amazing book about the cycle of poverty."
"Evicted by Matthew Desmond."
"**Evicted** by ***Matthew Desmond***"
#39
John Vaillant
5.0
(3)
"Best book I’ve read in years."
"“Fire Weather” by John Vaillant."
"5-star books include: Anything by John Vaillant for some excellent nature-themed story telling: Fire Weather."
#40
Jon Ronson
5.0
(3)
"Godel Esher bach by Douglas Hoffsteader"
"The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson."
"Are both great listens."
#41
Nando Parrado
4.7
(3)
"Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado."
"Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado"
"Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parredo"
#42
Michelle Zauner
4.7
(3)
"Crying in H Mart ❤️"
"I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner are both really good"
"It was great, but deals with cancer/loss of a parent/grief."
#43
Max Tegmark
4.7
(3)
"Max Tegmark's speculative non-fiction **Life 3.0** presents the spectrum of futures mankind is facing due to the ascent of artificial intelligence."
"Max Tegmark's **Life 3.0** is speculative non-fiction showing the spectrum of futures mankind is facing."
"Is speculative non-fiction."
#44
David Graeber and David Wengrow
5.0
(2)
"*The Dawn of Everything* by David Graeber and David Wengrow - seeing human history through a different perspective."
"Highly recommend"
#45
Bessel van der Kolk
5.0
(2)
"The Body Keeps the Score, B van der Kolk"
"Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma."
#46
Chanel Miller
5.0
(2)
"Know My Name by Chanel Miller"
"Know My Name by Chanel Miller"
#47
David Graeber
5.0
(2)
"The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber"
#48
Robert Moor
5.0
(2)
#49
Anthony Bourdain
5.0
(2)
"(memoir)."
"Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain"
#50
Sebastian Junger
5.0
(2)
"The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger"
#51
Edward Humes
5.0
(2)
"I loved the audiobook!"
"My fave NF of 2023 was The Forever Witness, which is about how genetic genealogy is now allowing cold cases to be solved."
#52
Jeannette Walls
5.0
(2)
"The Glass Castle"
"I recently read and enjoyed."
#53
Ronan Farrow
5.0
(2)
"Is about Harvey Weinstein."
"Ben Mcintyre specializes in espionage in WWII with a little Cold War thrown in and his books are terrific."
#54
Peter Matthiessen
5.0
(2)
"The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen."
#55
Stefan Zweig
5.0
(2)
"Might be the best book I've read."
"Provides a very interesting perspective."
#56
Deborah Blum
5.0
(2)
"It's a history of the NYPD Forensics Department, but don't let that throw you off."
"The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum."
#57
Mark Kurlansky
5.0
(2)
"Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky"
"Are also very informative."
#58
Sonia Purnell
5.0
(2)
"Ben Mcintyre specializes in espionage in WWII with a little Cold War thrown in and his books are terrific."
"The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win WWII"
#59
Aubrey de Grey
5.0
(2)
"Ending Aging by Aubrey de Grey."
"Ending Aging by Aubrey de Grey."
#60
Mary Beard
5.0
(2)
"SPQR by Mary Beard."
"If you like Roman history Mary Beard's SPQR is a good place to start."
#61
Andre Agassi
5.0
(2)
"Open by Andre Agassi"
"Open by Andre Agassi"
#62
Tom Wolfe
5.0
(2)
"The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe"
"The first two are the answers I always give as the actual best of the best, but listing a few others that are 8/10+ for me."
#63
Jack Kerouac
5.0
(2)
"On the Road by Jack Kerouac."
"On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a bit more challenging but a great story."
#64
Joe Simpson
5.0
(2)
"Touching the Void by Joe Simpson"
"Touching the Void by Joe Simpson seems indicated."
#65
Steve Pinker
5.0
(2)
"Enlightenment Now --Steve Pinker"
#66
James Bradley
5.0
(2)
"Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley"
"*Flags of Our Fathers* by James Bradley"
#67
Michael Lewis
5.0
(2)
"I liked Michael Lewis, and would still recommend all his earlier books."
"Books by Michael Lewis."
#68
Temple Grandin
5.0
(2)
"Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions --Temple Grandin"
"Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions --Temple Grandin"
#69
Candice Millard
5.0
(2)
"River of Doubt re Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon Expedition"
"Finally Candice Millard’s River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic tell amazing stories that almost seem to be fictional at times."
#70
Phil Knight
5.0
(2)
"Shoe Dog by Phil Knight."
"(memoir)."
#71
Robert K. Massie
5.0
(2)
"Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War by Robert K. Massie."
"Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War by Robert K. Massie."
#72
David Epstein
5.0
(2)
"Range by David Epstein"
"The first two are the answers I always give as the actual best of the best, but listing a few others that are 8/10+ for me."
#73
Tom O'Neill
5.0
(2)
"Chaos by Tom Oneill."
"Best I've read this year and would recommend."
#74
Yuval Harari
5.0
(2)
"N/A"
"Sapiens by yuval Harari"
#75
John Green
5.0
(2)
"The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green."
"I listened to John Green’s collection of essays called “The Anthropocene Reviewed” two years ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since."
#76
Viktor Frankl
5.0
(2)
"Helped me figure out what our actual purpose in life is."
"Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl."
#77
Siddharth Kara
4.5
(2)
"Siddharth Kara, *Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives*"
"It’s about cobalt mining in the Congo."
#78
Jason Hickel
4.5
(2)
"*the divide* by jason hickel"
"The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions by Jason Hickel."
#79
Lee Kuan Yew
4.5
(2)
"Try Lee Kuan Yew's books ( The Singapore Story, From Third World to First)."
"2. The Singapore Story by Lee Kuan Yew"
#80
Matthew McConaughey
4.5
(2)
"Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights."
"For Pure Entertainment."
Discover your audience
GummySearch is an audience research toolkit for 130,000 unique communities on Reddit.
If you are looking for startup problems to solve, want to validate your idea or find your first customers online, GummySearch is for you.
Sign up for free, get community insights in minutes.
Tell me more
Get started
