Nonfiction Book reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 200 Reddit reviews across 10 subreddits and 18 posts to rank the best Nonfiction Book brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/booksuggestions, r/suggestmeabook, r/IrishHistory, r/blankies, r/union. Top-rated brands include Erik Larson (4.9/5), Tara Westover (4.9/5), Mary Roach (4.6/5).
Stats
Reviews200
Subreddits10
Posts18
Brands91
Products95
200 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Erik Larson
4.9
(14)
"I like Erik Larson. He has multiple books."
"If you like Erik Larson, have you read his other work? I particularly liked Dead Wake, Devil in the White City, and Thunderstruck"
"Dead Wake by Larsen, about the sinking of the Lusitania"
"Highly recommend In The Garden of Beasts (1930’s Berlin) as a this moment cautionary tale for America."
"Came here to recommend Devil in the White City"
"Anything by Erik Larson, but specifically Dead Wake and The Devil in White City"
"The Devil in the White City also by Erik Larson"
"Devil in the white city"
"In the garden of beasts"
"Or, anything by Erik Larson."
#2
Tara Westover
4.9
(9)
"Educated by Westover"
"A memoir - Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated was so compelling!!"
"Educated was incredible. Ugh the rage I felt for her."
"Educated."
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated Tara Westover"
"Loved Educated."
#3
Mary Roach
4.6
(9)
"Any of Mary Roach's books. If she's obsessed, so will you become. But I think Stiff is still my favorite...morbid but fascinating!"
"Any of Mary Roaches book - especially if you’d like some humor thrown in."
"Mary Roach - Stiff on what happens to your body after you donate it to s"
"Everything written by Mary Roach"
"One of my all time favorite nonfiction book, hilarious but gross at the same time"
"Mary Roach: “Stiff, the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers”"
"Anything by Mary roach. Stiff was really good."
"Stiff by Mary Roach"
"Stiff by Mary Roach. It's about human cadavers, but written in a fun/approachable way."
#4
David Grann
4.9
(8)
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Most highly recommended The Wager also by David grann. Scorsese and DiCaprio are turning into a film like KOTFM. It was amazing"
"Killers of the Flower Moon was fantastic"
"The Killers of the Flower Moon by the same author"
"The Wager by David Grann"
"If you like history, check out THE WAGER by David Grann."
"I'm currently listening to Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann."
"The Wager by David Grann"
#5
Patrick Radden Keefe
5.0
(7)
"Say Nothing by Keefe is fantastically written"
"Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe. It’s about The Troubles in Northern Ireland during the 70s, 80s and 90s and the aftermath. I was awestruck by it. A masterpiece."
"Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe - superb"
"I just read Say Nothing and it’s been my favorite read in some time."
"Say nothing by by Patrick Radden Keefe is not just a a book with stories around the IRA, but an unbelievable book in general."
"*Say Nothing* is a great book. ... the book is near-unputdownable."
"For recent(ish) IRA: Say Nothing hy Patrick Radden Keefe"
#6
Jon Krakauer
4.9
(7)
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"Into Thin Air was great."
"I read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and really loved it"
"Into thin air: the 1996 Everest disaster told from someone on the trip."
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"I recently finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Highly recommend."
"Into Thin Air by Krakauer?"
#7
Yuval Noah Harari
5.0
(5)
"Sapiens by Harari"
"All high school kids should be reading Sapiens"
"Sapiens, Siddhartha and the new earth really changed my outlook."
"Sapiens and Behave"
"One of the best nonfiction books I've ever read is Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari."
#8
Robert Caro
5.0
(4)
"I also really like Robert Caro's writing style"
"Pulitzer prize winner The Power Broker by Robert Caro, a biography of Robert Moses that is really the story of 20th century American cities and politics."
"The Power Broker. Robert Caro"
"All four (so far) about LBJ were intense"
#9
David Graeber and David Wengrow
4.5
(4)
"The dawn of everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow (About history, ancient history, democracy, enlightenment, indigenous critique)"
"The dawn of everything by Davids Graeber and Wengrow"
""The Dawn of Everything" by Graeber and Wengrow - My last deep TOME into the latest understanding of the earliest societies around the world."
"The dawn of everything by Davids Graeber and Wengrow"
#10
Rachel Maddow
4.5
(4)
"Drift by Rachel Maddow."
"Blowout by Rachel Maddow."
"Drift by Rachel Maddow"
"Blowout by Rachel Maddow"
#11
Dave Cullen
5.0
(3)
"Columbine by Dave Cullen. One of my favourites of all time"
"Columbine was so good!"
"Columbine by Dave Cullen"
#12
Robin Wall Kimmerer
5.0
(3)
"Another for Braiding Sweetgrass"
"Braiding sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer"
"Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer"
#13
Toby Harnden
5.0
(3)
"Bandit country - Toby Harnden"
"I concur. Bandit Country is an amazing insight."
"Bandit Country - The IRA and South Armagh"
#14
Viktor Frankl
5.0
(3)
"I also love Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl and Educated by Tara Westover."
"Powerful book! Amazing how he formed those concepts whilst imprisoned by the Germans during the Holocaust."
"Victor Frankl, Man's Search For Meaning."
#15
Merlin Sheldrake
4.7
(3)
"Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake"
"Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake"
"Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (About fungi)"
#16
Alfred Lansing
4.7
(3)
"Endurance by Alfred Lansing"
"*Endurance*, Alfred Lansing"
""Endurance" by Alfred Lansing"
#17
Bill Bryson
4.7
(3)
"I also second Bill Bryson."
"Every Bill Bryson book I've read has been fascinating."
"In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson"
#18
David Graeber
4.3
(3)
"A profound book for me was David Graeber's Debt: The First 5000 years."
"Debt. By David Graeber"
"Graeber's Debt is also great."
#19
Mark Kurlansky
4.3
(3)
"Salt by Mark Kurlansky. I read this book over 20 years ago and still think about it weekly."
"Salt by Mark Kurlansky"
"Salt, by Mark Kurlansky. It's an interesting look at the history of salt, from prehistoric times to th"
#20
Tom Barry
4.0
(3)
"A book that is not "on the IRA," in that sense, but is about the War of Independence (and that IRA) is Tom Barry's book Guerrilla Days in Ireland."
"For old IRA: Tom Barry - Guerilla Days in Ireland"
"Tom Barry - Guerrilla days in Ireland"
#21
Bryan Stevenson
5.0
(2)
"Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson"
"Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. — an excellent read"
#22
Cynthia Barnett
5.0
(2)
"Rain by Cynthia Barnett. Literally just about rain. So calming and surprisingly poetic."
"Rain by Cynthia Barnett- I love rain and everything associated with it so it was nice to read about who everyone else looks at it."
#23
Rebecca Skloot
5.0
(2)
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot"
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot."
#24
Ed Moloney
5.0
(2)
"A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney Excellent look at the history of the modern IRA."
"A Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney Excellent look at the history of the "new" IRA."
#25
Ed Yong
5.0
(2)
"An immense world by Ed Yong (animal senses)"
"An immense world by Ed Yong"
#26
Elie Wiesel
5.0
(2)
"Night by Elie Wiesel is one of the first nonfiction books I’ve ever read!"
"It really stuck with me after I read it."
#27
John Carreyrou
5.0
(2)
"Bad Blood by John Carreyrou"
"Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou. The book reads like a thriller! It’s filled with fraud, deception and suspense."
#28
Nathaniel Philbrick
5.0
(2)
"*In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex* [1820] by Nathaniel Philbrick."
"In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick. Both are unputdownable."
#29
Paul Kalanithi
5.0
(2)
"When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi"
"When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a great one"
#30
Malcolm X
5.0
(2)
"Autobiography of Malcolm X was superb. What a voice."
"Fabulous— especially the audiobook which was read by him"
#31
Andre Agassi
4.5
(2)
"Open by Andre Agassi (with assistance from J. R. Moehringer). Amazing book — and I care nothing about tennis!"
"Open by Andre Agassi"
#32
Norman Mailer
4.5
(2)
"The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer is unlike anything I’ve read"
"Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer.pure nonfiction. Reads like a good novel."
#33
Michael Pollan
4.5
(2)
"Anything by Michael Pollan"
"If you like plants or food, check out Michael Pollan."
#34
Kate Moore
4.5
(2)
"The Radium Girls by Kate Moore"
"Radium Girls: America’s Dark Story of its Shining Women by Kate Moore — fascinating story of the women who used to paint the faces of watches and later dials on planes for the war and their tragic downfall from no fault of their own."
#35
Caitlin Doughty
4.5
(2)
"An in depth and personal look of cremation"
"Caitlin Doughty: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons From the Crematory”"
#36
Thomas Halliday
4.5
(2)
"Otherlands by Thomas Halliday"
"Otherlands by Thomas Halliday (past ecosystems)"
#37
Daniel James Brown
4.5
(2)
"The only book I’ve been able to re-read in my life was his “The Indifferent Stars Above”. Couldn’t more highly recommend."
"I like weird stuff. The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel Brown"
#38
Michael Lewis
4.5
(2)
"Moneyball by Michael Lewis."
"Moneyball by Michael Lewis"
#39
Tim Pat Coogan
4.0
(2)
"Well, with those parameters, the best bet would be The IRA, by Tim Pat Coogan."
"Tim Pat Coogan - The IRA"
#40
Dave Goulson
4.0
(2)
"Silent earth by Dave Goulson (About extinction of insects)"
"Silent earth by Dave Goulson"
#41
Erik Loomis
4.0
(2)
"A History of America in Ten Strikes- Erik Loomis"
"I also read "a history of america in ten strikes" by erik loomis and that was very good."
#42
Vincent Bevins
4.0
(2)
"The Jakarta method by Vincent Bevins"
"The Jakarta method by Vincent Bevins"
#43
Peter Wohlleben
4.0
(2)
"The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. Made me look at nature in new, unexpected ways."
"The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben"
#44
Philip Dray
4.0
(2)
"Ive been reading "there is power in a union" by Philip Dray."
"There is Power in a Union by Philip Dray"
#45
William Goldman
4.0
(2)
"Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman"
"William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade is good too."
#46
Zoe Schlanger
4.0
(2)
"The light eaters by Zoe Schlanger (plant intelligence)"
"The light eaters by Zoe Schlanger"
#47
Bill Browder
4.0
(2)
"Red Notice by Bill Browder"
"Red Notice by Bill Browder"
#48
Richard English
4.0
(2)
"As of now, in my opinion, the best (or least bad) book on the Troubles is Armed Struggle, by Richard English."
"Armed Struggle by Richard English is quite good."
#49
Benjamin Wallace
5.0
(1)
"Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace about the history of the wine industry. It's very well written, almost novelesque."
#50
Quentin Tarantino
5.0
(1)
"I loved Tarantino’s Cinema Speculation."
#51
Caroline Criado-Perez
5.0
(1)
"Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez (I was so angry while reading it- should be mandatory)"
#52
Ben Goldfarb
5.0
(1)
"Crossings by Ben Goldfarb, I talk about this book probably once a week. It’s about road ecology and it’s fascinating."
#53
Dara McAnulty
5.0
(1)
"A fascinating book about one year in the life of a teenager who (along with his parents and sibs) is wildly enthusiastic about everything in nature - from bugs to mountains."
#54
Mark Harris
5.0
(1)
"Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris. They are both excellent books."
#55
Tom Holland
5.0
(1)
"Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind by Tom Holland"
#56
Pete Biskind
5.0
(1)
"Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Pete Biskind is the Bible of American cinema in the 60s-70s."
#57
David Quammen
5.0
(1)
"If you want accurate information, read "ebola" by David Quammen"
#58
Michael Palin
5.0
(1)
"{{Erebus by Michael Palin}} Absolutely superb book"
#59
Carl Sagan
5.0
(1)
"The demon haunted world by Carl sagan"
#60
Sebastian Junger
5.0
(1)
"Sebastian Junger's work may be of interest. I really enjoyed *Fire* and *The Perfect Storm*."
#61
Thomas Morris
4.0
(1)
"The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine by Thomas Morris - funny, weird m"
#62
Jennifer O'Leary
4.0
(1)
"Another book about the more modern IRA is 'The Padre' by Jennifer O leary."
#63
David Niven
4.0
(1)
"The Moon's A Balloon by David Niven. Chatty, dirt-dishing memoir of old Hollywood."
#64
Bill Carter
4.0
(1)
"The Late Shift by Bill Carter"
#65
Niccolò Machiavelli
4.0
(1)
"The prince"
#66
Philippe Sands
4.0
(1)
"The Ratline by Philippe Sands. How top level Nazis escaped after the war."
#67
Steve Brusatte
4.0
(1)
"The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte. I don't really know much about paleontology, but this book is an easy and enjoyable read."
#68
J. Maarten Troost
4.0
(1)
"The Sex Lives Of Cannibals by J Maarten Troost"
#69
Jeff Hobbs
4.0
(1)
"The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs"
#70
Sy Montgomery
4.0
(1)
"The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (I didn’t know octopuses did anything cool!)"
#71
T Ryle Dwery
4.0
(1)
"The Squad by T Ryle Dwery"
#72
Ian Mortimer
4.0
(1)
"The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer. Written as a (very comp"
#73
Kevin Dutton
4.0
(1)
"The Wisdom of psychopaths by Kevin Dutton"
#74
AJ Jacobs
4.0
(1)
"The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs (I was lol’ing often)"
#75
Mitch Albom
4.0
(1)
"Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. The easiest book to read :)"
#76
Klaus Theweleit
4.0
(1)
"A two volume read but I highly recommend the first. It focuses on journals and memoirs written by men in the Freikorps."
#77
Montague Summers
4.0
(1)
"Montague Summers' book can be read here as an abridged version by Nigel Suckling"
#78
Henry David Thoreau
4.0
(1)
"Walden by Henry David Thoreau"
#79
Marcus Aurelius
4.0
(1)
"Meditations (a little hard to read book but worth it)"
#80
Wendy Dickenson
4.0
(1)
"Wedlock: How Georgian Britain's Worst Husband Met His Match by Wendy Dickenson. It's funny, sad, and fascinating."
#81
Ben Wilson
4.0
(1)
"Metropolis! By Ben Wilson the history of human kinds greatest invention the city"
#82
Dan Breen
4.0
(1)
"Dan Breen - My fight for Irish freedom"
#83
Rusty Young
4.0
(1)
"Rusty Young, a twenty-four-year-old law graduate, was backpacking in South America when he heard about Thomas McFadden, a convicted English drug trafficker who ran tours inside Bolivia’s famous San Pedro Prison."
#84
Julia Lovell
4.0
(1)
"Two recent Non fiction books that have really captivated me have been Maoism A Global History by Julia Lovell"
#85
James Swanson
4.0
(1)
"Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. It was the book that got me into reading."
#86
Beryl Markham
4.0
(1)
"West with the Night, by Beryl Markham"
#87
Sidney Lumet
4.0
(1)
"Making Movies - Sidney Lumet"
#88
Rebecca Sykes
4.0
(1)
"Kindred by Rebecca Sykes (Neanderthal)"
#89
Rory Carroll
4.0
(1)
"Killing Thatcher (published as There Will Be Fire in some countries) by Rory Carroll is excellent"
#90
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
4.0
(1)
"Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez"
#91
Giles Milton
4.0
(1)
"Nathaniel’s Nutmeg by Giles Milton."
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