No.842: Five Nonfiction Books I Think Everyone Should Read

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Recently, Shelly and I had a mini conversation in the comments about five star reads and some of our favorite titles.  Today, I thought I would share five non-fiction books that have had an impact on my worldview and life in general.  None of these are perfect, but I still found them to be valuable and incredibly thought-provoking.  I’d love to hear about books that have been influential for you as well!

1 // The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence by Gavin de Becker

From the blurb: “True fear is a gift.  Unwarranted fear is a curse.  Learn how to tell the difference.”  If you tend to second guess your instincts, this is a good book for you.  de Becker describes a handful of violent crimes and ultimately argues that crimes don’t just happen out of nowhere.  There are always signs and predictions, most of which we intuitively recognize.  I found this book to be empowering and it challenged me to let go of unnecessary anxiety/fear.  Call it what you will – your gut, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, etc. – but you can trust that in true emergencies, your body will tell you.

2 // Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

Spoiler alert: we’re all going to die some day.  This book tackles the uncomfortable reality of mortality and what it means to live and die well in our last moments.  I have been deeply impacted by this book and think about it often.  Highly recommend.

3 // You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy

From the blurb: “Despite living in a world where technology allows constant digital communication and opportunities to connect, it seems no one is really listening or even knows how. And it’s making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before. A listener by trade, Murphy wanted to know how we got here.”  Such an important topic for our times.  One takeaway from this book that I loved was the idea that good listening is driven by curiosity: I want to know your story and why you came to the conclusions that you did.

4 // Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan Southard

This book is a powerful account of the lasting impact of nuclear war, told through the stories of the survivors.  Everyone who flippantly supports this type of warfare should read this book.  Absolutely devastating, especially for the innocent.

5 // Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids – and How to Break the Trance by Nicholas Kardaras

From the blurb: “In Glow Kids, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras will examine how technology―more specifically, age-inappropriate screen tech, with all of its glowing ubiquity―has profoundly affected the brains of an entire generation. Brain imaging research is showing that stimulating glowing screens are as dopaminergic (dopamine activating) to the brain’s pleasure center as sex. And a growing mountain of clinical research correlates screen tech with disorders like ADHD, addiction, anxiety, depression, increased aggression, and even psychosis. Most shocking of all, recent brain imaging studies conclusively show that excessive screen exposure can neurologically damage a young person’s developing brain in the same way that cocaine addiction can.”  Kardaras uses some extreme anecdotes in this book, but the overarching themes definitely influenced my decisions on when/what/how to introduce screens and video games into our home.

And one bonus title: Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America by Annie Jacobsen

If you believe that the government would never lie to its people, this book will sadly prove otherwise.