Have you ever been stuck on a non-fiction book? Do you struggle to finish reading it and perhaps give up and abandon it at some point? I must admit, it takes me quite a while to get through my non-fiction reads compared to the fiction ones. Why is that and how do we read non-fiction books effectively? This article will explore the various different types of non-fiction works, the best non-fiction books of all time, and the best approach to take when tackling a non-fiction read.
What defines non-fiction?
Firstly, for any young readers wondering “Is non-fiction real or fake?”, let me tell you that non-fiction is literally the opposite of fiction and therefore it is absolutely real. There are various types of non-fiction books that can be classed into their own genres. These include memoirs, autobiographies and biographies, self-help and instructional books, guides and how-to manuals, academic texts, philosophy, history, journalism, travel guides and travelogues, humor, and commentary.
Top 10 non-fiction books
Without further ado, I bring to you ten of the best non-fiction books from lists compiled by prominent sources such as Goodreads, Time magazine, Reader’s Digest, and The Guardian:
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (1988)
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1965)
- Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser (2001)
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan (2006)
- The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014)
- All the President’s Men: The Greatest Reporting Story of All Time by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (1974)
- The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (1976)
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (1929)
- The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963)
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (1936)
No doubt these are just a few great samples from the amazing non-fiction lists but I’ll make one more honorable mention: The Elements of Style by William Strunk and EB White (1959). Some of the greatest writers, including Stephen King, in his non-fiction book On Writing: A Memoir of the craft, have mentioned this book as an excellent guide for aspiring writers.
Tips On How To Read Non-fiction?
Now for the nitty gritty on how to effectively read that non-fiction you’ve been meaning to get to:
1. Get in the right mood
Find a nice relaxing spot, set the mood with a cup of tea or coffee, grab a notebook, pen, and highlighter if it’s a book you’d like to take notes from. The right mindset will definitely help you concentrate.
2. Look through the table of contents
Reading the headings and subheadings will give you an excellent overview of the contents and are also a great tool to use if you’d like to make quick notes or summarize the contents using the same headings and subheadings. This will also allow you to pick and choose from content that is of interest to you rather than the entire book. Don’t feel pressured to read every chapter if you’re not into it.
3. Feel free to have a fiction book on the go at the same time
Don’t feel like you have to finish one book before you start another. Fiction and non-fiction are quite different. So if you’re feeling tired of one, you can switch to the other.
Final thoughts
Why do we lack motivation to keep going with a non-fiction book? Its because we lack a good strategy when approaching a non-fiction read. Hopefully you find my top 3 tips useful for the next time you hope to get stuck into that non-fiction book on your to-be-read list. Happy reading!
