Best nonfiction books on Reddit
326 reviews from r/suggestmeabook, r/booksuggestions, r/Kenya and 5 more subreddits
326 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Jon Krakauer
5.0
(23)
"Anything by Jon Kraukaer, he makes everything interesting"
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer."
"I recently finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Highly recommend."
"Missoula by Jon Krakauer: investigative nonfiction that looks at rape cases."
"Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: kid travels alone into Alaskan interior."
"Under the Banner of Heaven - Jon Krakauer."
"I love Jon Krakauer's books, *Into Thin Air, Into the Wild*, and especially *Under the Banner of Heaven*."
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer"
"Into Thin Air by Krakauer"
#2
Erik Larson
4.9
(17)
"I also love anything by Erik Larson (*Devil in the White City, Dead Wake, Isaac's Storm, the Splendid and the Vile*, etc)."
"Dead Wake by Erik Larson. Gripping from start to finish."
"Is an excellent telling of the sinking of the Lusitania."
"First, I’ll start by seconding those recommending Erik Larson, he is great."
"The Devil In the White City is also very good."
"Anything written by Erik Larson. Dead Wake is good."
"His narrative nonfiction is unsurpassed."
"His most popular."
"*Dead Wake* by Erik Larson"
"Devil in the White City"
#3
Bill Bryson
5.0
(14)
"Anything by Bill Bryson (his info not travel ones especially) , Mary Roach or Ben McIntyre is worth a read."
"At home by bill Bryson is my favorite most quoted non fiction book of all time"
"Short history of nearly Everything by Bill Bryson."
"Anything by Bill Bryson. He’s so insightful and funny."
"I really enjoyed "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson."
"Both about hiking and way different in tone but both great."
"A short history of nearly everything- I am a therapist, I never thought that I would understand and enjoy pure sciences so thoroughly, this book is really really good!"
"At Home by Bill Bryson."
"In a Sunburned Country - Australian travels and humor"
"A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson."
#4
Tara Westover
5.0
(10)
"A memoir - Educated by Tara Westover."
"Educated Tara Westover"
"Educated by Tara Westover."
"Educated"
"Educated by Tara Westover"
"Educated - by Tara Westover."
"Is a very enjoyable read."
"Non fiction: check out Educated, The Glass Castle, Monsoon Mansion."
#5
Patrick Radden Keefe
5.0
(9)
"Say Nothing - Patrick Radden Keefe"
"This reads like a story and if you enjoy audiobooks, it’s read by the author and is very easy and enjoyable to listen to!"
"About the Sackler family and their relentless pursuit of money via the marketing and sales of OxyContin."
"Great, empathetic writing."
"Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe is a fascinating (and highly readable) history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland."
"Empire of Pain; Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe."
"**Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland** by Patrick Radden Keefe"
#6
Truman Capote
5.0
(8)
"In Cold Blood by Truman Capote."
"Considered the first “true crime” book."
"[In Cold Blood] by Truman Capote (It is nonfiction written in a novel style of a family murder)"
"[In Cold Blood](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5096865) by Truman Capote (It is nonfiction written in a novel style of a family murder)"
"In Cold Blood by Truman Capote."
"In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote."
"In Cold Blood by Truman Capote"
#7
Laura Hillenbrand
5.0
(8)
"Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand"
"Biography of WWII veteran & Olympic runner Louis Zamperini."
"But unless I missed it, I can’t believe no one mentioned Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand."
"Just finished this absolute fantastic book."
"WWII POW story in the Pacific, so much adversity to overcome in this one"
"{{Unbroken}} by Laura Hillenbrand"
"Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand"
"Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand"
#8
Rebecca Skloot
5.0
(7)
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, was one of those books that was so fascinating I couldn’t put it down."
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - gripping read not a dry biography."
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot"
"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot"
"From this past year:"
#9
Oliver Sacks
5.0
(7)
"Basically every book by Oliver Sacks."
"Anything by Oliver Sacks."
"Recounts the stories of patients lost in the bizarre."
"Will change your world view for the better."
"Anything by the neurologist Oliver Sacks, particularly The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat."
"*The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat* by Oliver Sacks."
"My non-fiction recommendations are: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat"
#10
Daniel James Brown
5.0
(7)
"*The Boys in the Boat* by Daniel James Brown"
"Really good in audiobook too."
"It’s about the Donner party and it is fascinating and tragic."
"The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics."
"The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown."
"The Indifferent Stars Above - Daniel brown (about the Donner party)"
"{{The Boys in the Boat}} by Daniel James Brown"
#11
David Grann
5.0
(5)
"If you like history, check out THE WAGER by David Grann."
"The Wager by David Grann."
"I'm currently reading The Wager and I am really enjoying it."
"The Wager by David Grann."
"The Wager by David Grann"
#12
Trevor Noah
5.0
(5)
"Born a Crime by Trevor Noah — the audiobook experience makes it even better."
"I was pleasantly surprised by Born A Crime by Trevor Noah."
"Born a Crime - Trevor Noah's autobiography"
"Born a crime by Trevor Noah. Funny, relatively short, interesting."
"Trevor Noah's Born a Crime."
#13
Viktor Frankl
5.0
(5)
"Man's search for meaning by Viktore Frankl"
"Man's search for meaning by Viktor Frankl"
"It’s about a man’s experience at a Holocaust concentration camp."
#14
Yuval Noah Harari
5.0
(5)
"You might enjoy Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari or The Body by Bill Bryson."
"Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is very interesting."
"Sapiens by Yovah Hahari."
#15
Jeannette Walls
5.0
(5)
"The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls."
"I think anyone who grew up with selfish or irresponsible parents sees themselves in this book a lot"
"Non fiction: check out Educated, The Glass Castle, Monsoon Mansion."
#16
Dava Sobel
5.0
(5)
"**Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time** by Dave Sobel. Absolutely fascinating story of how the longitude problem was solved."
"Longitude - Dava Sobel"
"Longitude Dava Sobel."
"Longitude by Dava Sobel is good."
#17
Ben Macintyre
5.0
(5)
"The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre"
"You have to checkout Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre."
"The Spy and the traitor: The greatest espionage story of the cold war (Ben Macintyre)."
"The following are all by Ben Macintyre:"
"Ben MacIntyre has written several books about WWII espionage. Agent Zigzag is a fun read!"
#18
Nando Parrado
4.8
(5)
"Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado! One of my favorites!"
"Miracle in the Andes."
"Is best of the best in the survival non-fiction genre."
"Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado; is best of the best in the survival non-fiction genre."
#19
Rachel Maddow
4.6
(5)
"Drift by Rachel Maddow."
"Drift by Rachel Maddow"
"Drift by Rachel Maddow"
"Drift by Rachel Maddow."
#20
Bryan Stevenson
5.0
(4)
"Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson."
"Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson."
#21
Matthew Desmond
5.0
(4)
"Evicted by Matthew Desmond."
"Evicted by Matthew Desmond - Follows eight families, both Black and white, who were struggling with housing insecurity."
"Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond."
#22
John Carreyrou
5.0
(4)
"It’s a great investigative journalism read."
"Bad Blood by John Carreyrou."
"Bad Blood (about Theranos)"
"Bad Blood by John Carreyrou."
#23
Carl Sagan
5.0
(4)
"Cosmos by Carl sagan"
"Cosmos by Carl Sagan."
"Cosmos by Carl Sagan."
#24
Barbara Demick
5.0
(4)
"Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick (about life in North Korea)"
"Nothing to envy: Ordinary lives in North Korea (Barbara Demick)."
#25
Michael Finkel
5.0
(3)
"The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, about the world's most prolific art thief."
"The Art Thief by Michael Finkel."
"The Art Thief by Michael Finkel."
#26
Anne Fadiman
5.0
(3)
"**The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down** by Anne Fadiman."
"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down"
"It's super well written and incredibly powerful."
#27
Jon Ronson
5.0
(3)
"The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson"
"The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson"
"From this past year:"
#28
Jonathan Harr
5.0
(3)
"A Civil Action by Johnathan Harr it's a book about the first environmental civil action in North America."
"A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr"
#29
Peter Wohlleben
5.0
(3)
"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."
"It’s so interesting and like nothing I have ever read before."
#30
Richard Preston
5.0
(3)
"All three books were simply horrifying."
"The Hot Zone by Richard Preston"
"My non-fiction recommendations are: The Hot Zone"
#31
Tom Wolfe
5.0
(3)
"The Right Stuff - Tom Wolfe, never has a tome contained more testosterone."
"Both are incredibly fun reads."
"The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe"
#32
Sonia Purnell
5.0
(3)
"A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win WWII by Sonia Purnell."
"Spies! Resistance!:"
#33
Doug Stanton
5.0
(3)
"In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton (about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis)"
"For an prologue, see Jaws, Captain Quint."
"In Harm’s Way by Doug Stanton"
#34
Ed Yong
5.0
(3)
"An Immense World, Ed Yong"
"Makes taking my dog for a walk a whole new adventure."
"An Immense World by Ed Yong. All about how animals perceive the world."
#35
Tracy Kidder
5.0
(3)
"Is stunning"
"I really loved Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder."
"Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains is wonderful."
#36
Alfred Lansing
5.0
(3)
"Endurance by Alfred Lansing."
"About Shackleton's voyage to the South Pole that got stuck in the ice"
"One of the most incredible and inspiring survival stories I've read."
#37
Nathaniel Philbrick
5.0
(3)
"It is completely fascinating."
"In the Heart of the Sea - by Nathaniel Philbrick."
"In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. Fascinating book about the true situation Moby Dick was based on."
#38
Mark Kurlansky
5.0
(3)
"Salt by Mark Kurlansky. I read this book over 20 years ago and still think about it weekly."
"Another book I enjoyed is *Salt*, by Mark Kurlansky."
"Was delightful!"
#39
David Graeber
5.0
(3)
"* Graeber, 'Debt'."
"Debt the First 5000 Years, Trade Wars Are Class Wars, Black Swan"
#40
Ben Mezrich
5.0
(3)
"Lastly, Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich is intriguing."
"Sex on the moon Ben Mezrich."
#41
Steve Brusatte
5.0
(3)
"I'm currently enjoying "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" by Steve Brusatte."
"The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte is a pretty awesome book."
#42
Into Thin Air
5.0
(3)
"Into thin air: the 1996 Everest disaster told from someone on the trip."
"Into Thin Air."
"You’ve already read the best imo. Into Thin Air."
#43
Cheryl Strayed
5.0
(3)
"Both about hiking and way different in tone but both great."
"I haven’t seen anyone mention it but Wild by Cheryl Strayed!! One of my top 3 favorite books ever!!"
"One of my top 3 favorite books ever!!"
#44
John Green
5.0
(3)
"I loved The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green."
"I love the way he provides research and thinks on the page."
"The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green."
#45
Christopher McDougall
5.0
(3)
"Born to Run (Christopher McDougall)."
"Born to Run: a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen."
"I thought *Born to Run* by Christopher McDougall was in the same vein."
#46
Robert Caro
4.7
(3)
"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 by Robert Caro."
"Sounds boring, is actually kindaboring, can't put it down."
#47
Christopher Hitchens
4.7
(3)
"God is not Great - Christopher Hitchens."
#48
Malcolm Gladwell
4.7
(3)
"Try Malcolm Gladwell’s books."
"Anything by Malcolm Gladwell."
"Is super easy to read."
#49
Marcus Aurelius
4.7
(3)
"That book is a must read for any MAN."
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius."
#50
Mary Roach
4.7
(3)
"If you're interested in science at all anything by Mary Roach is a must read."
"Is great with interesting pop sci."
#51
Midnight in Chernobyl
4.7
(3)
"Midnight in Chernobyl is fantastic!"
"Delved into the political mishandling of the disaster. Fascinating."
"It was quite good. A bit like reading a thriller."
#52
Elie Wiesel
5.0
(2)
"Night by Elie Wiesel. Short book, very good."
"Night by Elie Wiesel"
#53
Amanda Montell
5.0
(2)
"Cultish by Amanda Montell"
"Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell"
#54
Kate Moore
5.0
(2)
"Radium Girls: America’s Dark Story of its Shining Women by Kate Moore."
"Just finished Radium Girls by Kate Moore - what an incredible story."
#55
Anne Lamott
5.0
(2)
"[Bird by Bird] by Anne Lamott"
"Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott."
#56
Randall Munroe
5.0
(2)
"What If by Randall Monroe (or xkcd fame) might be a good book for someone who isn’t really into nonfiction."
"What If? by Randall Munroe"
#57
Paul Kalanithi
5.0
(2)
"When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a great one."
"When Breath Becomes Air."
#58
Ann Rule
5.0
(2)
"The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule."
"The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule."
#59
Michael Lewis
5.0
(2)
"The Big Short , Michael Lewis."
"Is about shorting stocks."
#60
Suleika Jaouad
5.0
(2)
"Memoir about the authors journey through a cancer diagnosis and her struggles to rejoin the land of the living/healthy after she is cancer-free."
"Between Two Kingdoms - Suleika Jaouad."
#61
Mari Okada
5.0
(2)
"*From Truant to Anime Screenwriter* by Mari Okada."
"The author’s memoir from how they became a truant in high school to becoming the screenwriter for hit anime."
#62
Tom Standage
5.0
(2)
"A world history through the dominant beverage."
#63
Siddhartha Mukherjee
5.0
(2)
"Honestly one of the most phenomenal non-fiction books I have read and a very deserving winner of the Pulitzer."
"The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddharta Mukherjee. It's about the history of cancer, and how we treat it."
#64
Hallie Rubenhold
5.0
(2)
"The Five: The untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold."
"The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold."
#65
Jung Chang
5.0
(2)
"Wild Swans by Jung Chang tells the story of three generations of women in her family."
"I’ve reread this book so many times."
#66
Judy Batalion
5.0
(2)
"Spies! Resistance!:"
#67
Eric Larson
5.0
(2)
"Anything by Eric Larson."
#68
Betty Medsger
5.0
(2)
"Is about the break-in at the Media, PA FBI office."
#69
Hampton Sides
5.0
(2)
"Hellhound on his Trail by Hampton Sides (about MLK Jr. and the hunt for James Earl Ray)"
"Hellhound on his trail by Hampton sides is about stalking and assassination of MLK jr."
#70
Riley Black
5.0
(2)
"The Last Days of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black"
"The last days of the dinosaurs by riley black."
#71
Maya Angelou
5.0
(2)
"Phenomenal piece of narrative nonfiction."
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou"
#72
Roald Dahl
5.0
(2)
"Going Solo by Roald Dahl."
"Roald Dahl's autobiography Going Solo is great."
#73
Behrouz Boochani
5.0
(2)
"I always recommend No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani."
"No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani is a very interesting and moving novel."
#74
Phil Knight
5.0
(2)
"*Shoe Dog* by Phil Knight"
"Shoe dog: A memoir by the creator of Nike (Phil Knight)."
#75
Richard Dawkins
5.0
(2)
#76
Ghost Soldiers
5.0
(2)
"N/A"
"Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides"
#77
Naomi Klein
5.0
(2)
"Is very good."
"These are two books that so could not put down."
#78
Isabel Wilkerson
5.0
(2)
"*The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of the Great Migration* by Isabel Wilkerson."
"The Warmth of Other Suns; Rancher Farmer Fisherman."
#79
Richard Rhodes
5.0
(2)
"I was captivated by The Making of The Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes."
#80
Neil deGrasse Tyson
5.0
(2)
#81
Max Tegmark
4.5
(2)
"I suggest **Life 3.0** by Max Tegmark."
"I 'loved it' in the sense it brings out issues every thinking person should be aware of."
#82
Anna Kendrick
4.5
(2)
"Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick"
"Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick (light and funny)."
#83
Jeff Pearlman
4.5
(2)
"If you like sports any Jeff Pearlman book. Fantastic writer. The Bad Guys Won was my favorite."
"About the 1986 Mets."
#84
Vincent Bugliosi
4.5
(2)
"Helter Skelter is excellent non-fiction, although intense."
"Helter Skelter, about the Manson family murders, is pretty dark but very readable."
#85
Evan Wright
4.5
(2)
"Generation Kill - Evan Wright."
#86
Frank McCourt
4.5
(2)
"Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt."
"My mom read and loved."
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
