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Old 09-19-2012, 01:54 AM   #16
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Hi all,

Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost is, I believe also a work of fiction.

Two of my favourite books not on the list are:

The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski, and
The Last Place on Earth, Roland Huntford. (The race to the south Pole between Scott and Amundsen.)

But... what a great list. Many thanks for the compilation. (Should keep me going till the end of the year. )

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Old 09-19-2012, 06:39 AM   #17
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I am also looking forward to reading these lectures:

The Tanner Lectures on Human Values

These are manuscripts in PDF format. I will personally be converting all PDFs in one epub file for my convenience. I don't know if I can share them here. (Are they free to distribute? Public domain? Only for individual reading?) It would be nice to know.
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Old 09-28-2012, 05:01 PM   #18
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The Right Stuff - by Tom Wolfe. All about NASA's Mercury program
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Old 10-05-2012, 12:58 AM   #19
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A couple of others worth considering:

The Story of English, by McCrum, Cran, et al. literally, the hostroy of our great language.
Out of the Fiery Furnace, by Raymond. The impact of metal on humanity's development.

Cheers,
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Old 10-05-2012, 05:21 PM   #20
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Thanks for this list! Been wanting to read some non-fiction, and learn something new, but had no idea of what's good and what's not. Now I know! Cheers!
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Old 10-05-2012, 05:25 PM   #21
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The Best American Nature and Science Writing 2012 and The Best American Essays 2012 were just published if anyone is looking for shorter/varied great writing in those areas.
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Old 10-05-2012, 05:41 PM   #22
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I had Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down by J.E. Gordon as a textbook in college. It was a good read, not typical textbook material.
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Old 10-06-2012, 12:24 PM   #23
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I always enjoyed Stephen Jay Gould's collection of essays on natural history and would like to add a few to the already great list posted here.

Bully for Brontosaurus
Eight Little Piggies
Dinosaur in a Haystack
Hen's Teeth and Horses' Toes

Time's Arrow - Time's Cycle was pretty good, too.

Another author I enjoy is William H. Calvin:
How the Shaman Stole the Moon
Ice Age Climates and the Evolution of Intelligence

This is stuff from the 90ies, but it should still be very readable.
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Old 11-29-2012, 11:22 PM   #24
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I didn't see this one among those listed: Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light by Jane Brox.

I've been reading Northanger Abbey, and thought of this one with the mentions of candles going out at all the wrong moments!
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Old 11-30-2012, 01:24 AM   #25
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Another of note
Hi all,

I'd like to suggest Ricky Jay's fascinating Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women for consideration. It is a history/compilation of unusual acts dating back to the middle of the 1800's. It includes a man who could make himself taller (by 4"!) and the incomparable Pujol, whose ability to play a tune without using his mouth is yet to be surpassed.

(In case I'm being a little vague he attached a megaphone to the opposite end of his body and umm... let rip.)

Cheers,

Michael P
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Old 03-18-2013, 12:28 PM   #26
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Can I add Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage to the list please?

It's an excellently written account of the journeys of Lewis and Clark in the new America in the early 19th Century. Extremely interesting and wonderfully written (IMHO).
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Old 03-18-2013, 12:51 PM   #27
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The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Old 03-18-2013, 01:52 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by pidgeon92 View Post
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee
+1 for this.
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Old 03-18-2013, 03:06 PM   #29
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"The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years" - Sonia Shah
"The Man Who Never Died" - William M. Adler
"Triangle: The Fire That Changed America" - David Von Drehle
"Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball and America Forever" - Tim Wendel
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