The list starts with author, then typical subjects and style, and then a good starter title.
| Diane Ackerman | Philosophy and physiology examined in sensual detail | A Natural History of the Senses |
| Peter Ackroyd | Biographies of English subjects, particularly writers | Chaucer |
| Amir D. Aczel | Popularized treatments of the history of science | Pendulum: Leon Foucault and the Triumph of Science |
| Noah Adams | NPR host continues to consider all things | Piano Lessons |
| Scott Adams | A humorous take on office and workplace culture | The Dilbert Principle |
| Mortimer Adler | Philosophy, great books, and how to educate yourself | How to Think About the Great Ideas |
| Stephen Ambrose | American history focusing on the brotherhood of men | Citizen Soldiers |
| Maya Angelou | Spirited autobiographies from a resilient black woman | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
| Karen Armstrong | History of religion or the writer’s spiritual journey | The Spiral Staircase |
|
Peter Atkins |
Popular science with a focus on chemistry |
Galileo’s Finger: Ten Great Ideas of Science |
| Rick Atkinson | Modern military history | An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa |
| David Attenborough | The natural world, generously illustrated | The Private Life of Plants |
| Edward Ball | History of American race relations in investigative style | Slaves in the Family |
| Phillip Ball | The human side of science and its history | The Devil’s Doctor: Paracelsus and the |
| World of Renaissance Magic and Science | ||
| Richard Barber | Medieval history, particularly of England and knights | The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief |
| Burl Barer | Tragic tales of true crime | Body Count |
| Dave Barry | Wacky, sometimes sarcastic humor on many topics | Dave Barry Slept Here |
| Jacques Barzun | Surprisingly accessible criticism of Western culture | A Jacques Barzun Reader |
| Nicholas Basbanes | Books and the people who love them | A Gentle Madness |
| Rick Bass | Animals and environment of the American West | Caribou Rising |
| John Baxter | Film directors and other cultural topics | Woody Allen: a Biography |
| Wendy Beckett | Sister Wendy makes art charming and approachable | The Story of Painting |
| Laurence Bergreen | Biography and popular history from a variety of fields | Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe |
| Ira Berlin | African-American slavery and its aftermath | Many Thousands Gone: the First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America |
| Wendell Berry | Farmer poet writes on community, simplicity & more | What Are People For?: Essays |
| Michael Beschloss | American presidents, particularly in the 20th Century | The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman, and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany |
| Stanley Bing | Sarcastic business humor and career advice | The Big Bing |
| Edwin Black | An investigative approach to historical topics | IBM and the Holocaust |
| Jerry Bledsoe | True crime with strong feel for criminal’s background | Bitter Blood |
| Harold Bloom | Yale academic is controversial dean of literary criticism | The Western Canon |
| Benson Bobrick | Accessible history on a broad range of subjects | Wide as the Waters: the Story of the English Bible and the Revolution it Inspired |
| David Bodanis | Popular science, heavy on historical/social background | Electric Universe |
| Erma Bombeck | Earthy humor about families and the domestic life | The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank |
| Jan Bondeson | Historical curiosities and exotica | The Great Pretenders: the True Stories Behind Famous Historical Mysteries |
| Daniel Boorstin | History with an upbeat focus on human achievement | The Creators |
| Anthony Bourdain | The culinary life, especially the unusual underside | Kitchen Confidential |
| Mark Bowden | Recent history told through detailed life accounts | Black Hawk Down |
| Rick Bragg | Memoirs of the rural poor in the American South | All Over But the Shoutin’ |
| Taylor Branch | Vivid, definitive histories of the Civil Rights movement | Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-1963 |
| H.W. Brands | Densely-detailed but readable American history | The Age of Gold: the California Gold Rush and the New American Dream |
| Dee Brown | History of the American West, esp. Native Americans | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee |
| Sylvia Browne | One-woman cottage industry for psychics & afterlife | Phenomenon: Everything You Need to Know About the Paranormal |
| Bill Bryson | Mostly travel narratives told with sarcastic humor | A Walk in the Woods |
| Vincent Bugliosi | True crime and courts coverage | Helter Skelter |
| Elinor Burkett | Journalist immerses herself in socio-political groups | Another Planet: a Year in the Life of a Suburban High School |
| Augusten Burroughs | Humorous memoirs of dysfunctional life | Running with Scissors |
| Deborah Cadbury | Science history with a flare for human drama | The Lost King of France: a True Story of Revolution, Revenge, and DNA |
| Thomas Cahill | Long-lasting contributions of early civilizations | How the Irish Saved Civilization |
| Tim Cahill | Adventure travel with dollops of humor and insight | Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered |
| James Carroll | Humanistic Catholicism or recent American policy | House of War: the Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power |
| Bruce Catton | Classic histories of the American Civil War | The Coming Fury |
| Iris Chang | Dramatic histories of China and Chinese Americans | The Rape of Nanking |
| Bruce Chatwin | The iconoclastic travels of a great writer and wanderer | The Songlines |
| Ron Chernow | Biographies of historical giants of the business world | Titan: the Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. |
| Deepak Chopra | Spiritual approach to daily life from Eastern perspective | The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success |
| Catherine Clinton | Lives of women and African-Americans in Old South | Harriet Tubman: the Road to Freedom |
| Andrei Codrescu | Quirky essays by Transylvania-born NPR commentator | New Orleans, Mon Amour |
| Rich Cohen | The Jewish-American story told from many angles | Sweet and Low: a Family Story |
| Robert Coles | Moral behavior and the mental life of children | The Call of Service: A Witness to Idealism |
| Jill Ker Conway | Memoirs of a woman finding her place in the world | The Road from Coorain |
| John Cornwell | Investigative history, particularly about the popes | Hitler’s Pope: the Secret History of Pius XII |
| Miles Corwin | Up-close portrayals of the people of urban Los Angeles | Homicide Special: on the Streets with the LAPD’s Elite Detective Unit |
| Stephen R. Covey | Wisdom from the guru of ‘highly effective’ behavior | The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People |
| Richard Ben Cramer | Portraits of sports figures and political reporting | Joe DiMaggio: the Hero’s Life |
| The Dalai Lama | How to live happily, ethically, and with tranquility | Ethics for the New Millennium |
| Robert Dallek | Biographies of the Presidents of the sixties | An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy |
| Mike Dash | Socio-historical looks at behaviors on society’s edge | Batavia’s Graveyard |
| Richard Dawkins | Biology writing and the clash of science and religion | A Devil’s Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science and Love |
| Alain de Botton | Sophisticated, philosophical works of ‘literary self-help’ | The Consolations of Philosophy |
|
Marq de Villiers |
Natural history, weather, and the environment |
Water: the Fate of Our Most Precious Resource |
| Daniel Dennett | Philosophy of mind and neuroscience | Consciousness Explained |
| Jared Diamond | Explores big questions of anthropology & geography | Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies |
| Joan Didion | All things considered: especially U.S. politics & culture | Slouching Towards Bethlehem |
| Annie Dillard | Personal metaphysics grounded in the natural world | Pilgrim at Tinker Creek |
|
Michael Dirda |
The life of a reader and book critic |
Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments |
|
James Dodson |
Golf, family, and travel in inspirational blends |
Final Rounds: A Father, A Son, The Golf Journey of a Lifetime |
| David Herbert Donald | Abraham Lincoln (and other great Americans) | Lincoln |
| John E. Douglas | Serial killers from point of view of former FBI profiler | Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit |
| Wayne Dyer | Positive, spiritual approaches to self-actualization | Your Erroneous Zones |
| Pete Earley | Insider looks at prisons, casinos & mental institutions | The Hot House: Life Inside Leavenworth |
| David Edmonds & John Eidinow | Meetings of great minds & the ideas that underlie them | Wittgenstein’s Poker |
| Barbara Ehrenreich | The difficulties of getting by in modern America | Nickel and Dimed |
| Gretel Ehrlich | Lyrical looks at natural environments | The Solace of Open Spaces |
| Paul & Anne Ehrlich | Warnings about overpopulation & overconsumption | One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future |
| Benita Eisler | Biographies of romantic historical figures | Chopin’s Funeral |
| Marc Eliot | Show business biographies, often as ghostwriter | Cary Grant: a Biography |
| Joseph J. Ellis | Accessible, relatively short looks at Founding Fathers | His Excellency: George Washington |
| Richard Ellis | Marine life, from the fantastic to the realistic | Singing Whales and Flying Squid |
| John Emsley | Popular science with emphasis on chemistry | Nature’s Building Blocks: an A-Z Guide to the Elements |
| Joseph Epstein | Erudite personal essays spiced with a dash of wit | Narcissus Leaves the Pool: Familiar Essays |
| Carolly Erickson | Biographies of royalty that read like novels | The First Elizabeth |
| Bruce Feiler | A mix of theology, history, and geographic exploration | Walking the Bible |
| John Feinstein | Sports books, particularly about golf and basketball | Caddy for Life: the Bruce Edwards Story |
| Niall Ferguson | Economic and military history on a global scale | The House of Rothschild, Vols. 1 & 2 |
| Timothy Ferris | Astronomy and the universe | The Whole Shebang: a State-of-the- Universe(s) Report |
| Richard P. Feynman | Physics with a hearty dose of rebellious humor | Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! |
| David Hackett Fischer | American history, mostly of the Revolutionary era | Washington’s Crossing |
| M.F.K. Fisher | Memoirs and food writing from a master stylist | The Art of Eating |
| Fergus Fleming | Stirring stories of exploration and adventure | Barrow’s Boys |
| Al Franken | Absurd humor used to skewer right-wing politicians | Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them |
| Antonia Fraser | Histories and biographies of royals, mainly the English | The Wives of Henry VIII |
| Ian Frazier | Edgy, anecdote-filled humorous travel essays | On the Rez |
| Thomas Friedman | Analysis of global political and business trends | The World is Flat |
| Paul Fussell | Contrarian views of history, particularly of WWI & II | The Great War and Modern Memory |
| Henry Louis Gates | African-American society, history & literary criticism | The Future of the Race |
| Martin Gilbert | 20th century history, particularly of Churchill & WWII | Churchill and America |
| Debra Ginsberg | Thematic memoirs about aspects of the author’s life | About My Sisters |
| Todd Gitlin | Activism and the media, from the sixties to today | The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage |
| Malcolm Gladwell | Sociological patterns underlying behavior and thought | The Tipping Point |
| John Glatt | Sensational topics: true crime & celebrity biographies | Blind Passion |
| James Gleick | Science writing & biographies with stylistic flair | Genius: the Life and Science of Richard Feynman |
| Bernard Goldberg | Media analysis and politics from rightist perspective | Arrogance: Rescuing America from the Media Elite |
| Natalie Goldberg | Advice to unlock self-expression and creativity | Writing Down the Bones |
| Peter Golenbock | Athlete and team biographies that go behind the scenes | Bums: an Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers |
| Larry Gonick | Witty and educational cartoon primes for adults | The Cartoon History of the Universe |
| Jane Goodall | Chimpanzees, and a life spent protecting them | Reason for Hope: a Spiritual Journey |
| Doris Kearns Goodwin | American history emphasizing personality & character | Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln |
| John Steele Gordon | The history of American economics and business | The Great Game: a History of Wall Street |
| Karen Elizabeth Gordon | Playful, practical guides to grammar and punctuation | The Deluxe Transitive Vampire |
| Stephen Jay Gould | Evolution & natural history written by master stylist | The Lying Stones of Marrakech |
| Brian Greene | Elegant explanations of complex astrophysics concepts | The Elegant Universe |
| Linda Greenlaw | All things oceanic by captain from The Perfect Storm | All Fisherman are Liars |
| John Gribbin | Another great science writer, especially on physics | The Scientists |
| Peter Guralnick | The roots of American rock music | Last Train to Memphis: the Rise of Elvis |
| David Halberstam | American history and sports events since 1950 | Firehouse |
| Paul Halpern | Yet another excellent physics writer | The Great Beyond |
| Pete Hamill | A variety of subjects in New York settings | Why Sinatra Matters |
| Eric Hansen | Thematic travel with natural history or anthropology | Orchid Fever |
| Stephen Hawking | Astrophysics, cosmology, relativity, and mathematics | A Briefer History of Time |
| William Least Heat Moon | Epic and atmospheric travels across America | Blue Highways: a Journey Into America |
| Bernd Heinrich | Zoology and other natural science in woodlands | The Trees in my Forest |
| James Herriot | All creatures great and small: the life of a country vet | All Creatures Great and Small |
| Seymour M. Hersh | An investigative journalist looks at American politics | Chain of Command |
| Homer Hickam | Memoirs of young adulthood in West Virginia | Rocket Boys |
| James S. Hirsch | Modern history with an eye to black/white relations | Riot and Remembrance: the Tulsa Race War |
| Christopher Hitchens | Political polemics taking on both left and right | Love, Poverty, and War |
| bell hooks | Cultural criticism taking aim at racism and sexism | All About Love: New Visions |
| John Horgan | The edges, future, and limitations of science | Rational Mysticism: Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality |
| David Horowitz | Attacks on a variety of liberal political positions | Radical Son: a Generational Odyssey |
| Tony Horwitz | World journalism, sometimes with a personal slant | Confederates in the Attic |
| Sue Hubbell | Natural history with sense of place and personal touch | A Country Year: Living the Questions |
| Peter Huchthausen | Exciting military history, particularly at sea | Hostile Waters |
| Robert Hughes | Some art criticism, some world history | Fatal Shore: the Epic of Australia’s Founding |
| Edward Humes | Insider journalistic accounts of many settings | School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School |
| Walter Isaacson | Political biographies of figures from all eras | Benjamin Franklin: an American Life |
| Molly Ivins | Humorous political essays from a liberal perspective | Bushwhacked |
| Pico Iyer | International travel writing with strong flair for culture | Sun After Dark: Flights Into the Foreign |
| T.D. Jakes | Bible-based inspirational self-help | Maximize the Moment: God’s Action Plan for Your Life |
| Kay R. Jamison | Matters of personality, especially mood disorders | Exuberance: the Passion for Life |
| H. Paul Jeffers | History, especially biographies of 20th-century figures | Ace of Aces: the Life of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker |
| Peter Jenkins | Long, slow American travels from introspective writer | A Walk Across America |
| Sally Jenkins | Sports biographies, often as a ghostwriter | It’s Not About the Bike |
| Sebastian Junger | True-life adventure, particularly disasters | The Perfect Storm |
| Michio Kaku | Cutting edge physics and cosmology for a lay audience | Parallel Worlds |
| Robert D. Kaplan | Travelogues from tough places & military journalism | Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus |
| Sam Kashner | Anecdotes of life among Hollywood stars and writers | The Bad and the Beautiful: Hollywood in the 50s |
| Jon Katz | Katz does dogs…and their place in the family | A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me |
| Alfred Kazin | Memoirs of life among writers and literary criticism | Writing Was Everything |
| John Keegan | Scholarly and thorough military history | The Second World War |
| Kitty Kelley | Controversial and gossipy ‘unauthorized’ biographies | The Royals |
| Alex Kershaw | World War II and biographies of the adventurous | The Bedford Boys |
| Ronald Kessler | Pulpy political writing from a partisan of the right | The Bureau: the Secret History of the FBI |
| Russell Kick | Muckraking anti-establishment ‘disinformation’ | Abuse Your Illusions |
| Tracy Kidder | High-caliber narrative nonfiction on many subjects | Among Schoolchildren |
| Dean King | Sea adventures and the writer Patrick O’Brian | Skeletons on the Zahara |
| Ross King | Art history brought to life and relevance | Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling |
| Barbara Kingsolver | Essays about ecology, species diversity and biology | High Tide in Tucson |
| Chuck Klosterman | Gonzo essays on pop culture, especially rock and roll | Chuck Klosterman IV: a Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas |
|
Jeffrey Kluger |
Space, disease control and other exciting science topics |
Lost Moon: the Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 |
| Gina Kolata | Science investigation & history with focus on biology | Flu: the Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 |
| Jonathan Kozol | Social issues, especially inequities in education | The Shame of the Nation: the Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America |
| Jon Krakauer | Extremes: Everest, Alaska and religious fanatics | Into Thin Air |
| Mark Kurlansky | Microhistories: history seen through a particular lens | Cod: a Biography of the Fish that Changed the World |
| Harold S. Kushner | Self-help and reassurance from a rabbi’s perspective | When Bad Things Happen to Good People |
| Anne Lamott | Spirituality, family & writing approached with humor | Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith |
| William Langewiesche | Musings expanded from Atlantic Monthly articles | Sahara Unveiled: a Journey Across the Desert |
| Erik Larson | Little known historical events brought to life | The Devil in the White City |
| Elizabeth Lawrence | The joys of creating and maintaining a garden | A Garden of One’s Own |
| Harriet Lerner | Emotional patterns that govern women’s relationships | The Dance of Anger |
| Primo Levi | The history of the Holocaust | The Periodic Table |
| Bernard Lewis | Scholarly looks at the Middle East past and present | From Babel to Dragomans |
| C.S. Lewis | Eloquent arguments for the principles of Christianity | The Screwtape Letters |
| Michael M. Lewis | Business, sports, and trends in both | Moneyball |
| Michael Lind | Centrist but opinionated looks at US political values | What Lincoln Believed |
| Herbert R. Lottman | Biographies of famous French folks | The Michelin Men: Driving an Empire |
| Max Lucado | Upbeat life advice from Christian religious perspective | Traveling Light |
| Peter Maas | True crime and other real-life adventures | Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano’s Story of Life in the Mafia |
| Ben Macintyre | Biographies of adventurous lives | The Man Who Would Be King: the First American in Afghanistan |
| William Manchester | History and biography, particularly of the 20th century | The Last Lion: Winston Churchill |
| Alberto Manguel | The history of reading and books | A History of Reading |
| Richard Manning | Ecology, particularly as related to food production | Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization |
| David Maraniss | Biographies of 20th century heroes | Clemente: the Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero |
| Robert K. Massie | Two specialties: the Russian czars and war at sea | The Romanovs: the Final Chapter |
| Jeffrey M. Masson | The emotional life of animals from wild to domestic | When Elephants Weep |
| Peter Matthiessen | Endangered animals, people and places | The Peter Matthiessen Reader |
| Frances Mayes | American woman summers in Tuscany | Under the Tuscan Sun |
| Peter Mayle | British man summers in Provence | A Year in Provence |
| Frank McCourt | Memoirs of Ireland and Irish immigrants in America | Angela’s Ashes |
| Malachy McCourt | Roguish brother tells his own Irish stories | Singing My Him Song |
| David McCullough | Anecdote-filled American history from all eras | 1776 |
| Joe McGinniss | True crime and other subjects with gift for storytelling | Fatal Vision |
| Dr. Phil McGraw | Strategies for life from the TV personality | Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out |
| Bill McKibben | Living “green” in a world of overconsumption | Wandering Home: a Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape |
| Patrick McManus | Humorous treatment of the outdoor life | The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw |
| John McPhee | Hands-on journalism about many places and people | The Second John McPhee Reader |
| James McPherson | The history of the American Civil War | Battle Cry of Freedom: the Civil War Era |
| Jon Meacham | Detailed, well-researched analysis of history | Franklin and Winston: an Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship |
| Ved Mehta | Memoirs from a blind New Yorker journalist | Remembering Mr. Shawn’s New Yorker |
| Thomas Merton | Spirituality of the simple life from poet turned monk | The Seven Storey Mountain |
| Jeffrey Meyers | Biographies of writers, artists, and actors | Somerset Maugham: A Life |
| Nathan Miller | History, particularly of 20th century America | New World Coming: the 1920s and the Making of Modern America |
| Sy Montgomery | Animals, from exotic wildlife to her own pets | The Good Good Pig: the Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood |
| Leigh Montville | Sports biographies, particularly of baseball stars | Big Bam: the Life and Times of Babe Ruth |
| Michael Moore | Political commentary and humor with a liberal slant | Stupid White Men…and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation |
| Thomas Moore | Cultivation and feeding of the human soul | Care of the Soul |
| Tim Moore | Comic adventures of a pretentious English traveler | Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago |
| Edmund Morris | Biographies, especially of American presidents | The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt |
| Jan Morris | Descriptive travel accounts from around the world | The World: Travels 1950-2000 |
| Farley Mowat | Adventure in the natural world, particularly the Arctic | Never Cry Wolf |
| Bill Moyers | PBS journalist considers all things | Moyers on America |
| V.S. Naipaul | Memoirs, international travel, and literary criticism | Between Father and Son: Family Letters |
| Kathleen Norris | Poetic view of spirituality from Benedictine monastic | The Cloister Walk |
| Laurie Notaro | Chick-lit as nonfiction: humorous personal essays | I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl |
| Stephen B. Oates | 19th century American historical figures | With Malice Toward None: the Life of Abraham Lincoln |
| Nuala O’Faolain | The memoirs of an Irishwoman | Are You Somebody: the Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman |
| Redmond O'Hanlon | Adventure travels to the world’s wildest places | In Trouble Again: a Journey Between Orinoco and the Amazon |
| Jack Olsen | One of the best of the true crime writers | Predator: Rape, Madness, and Injustice in Seattle |
| Susan Orlean | Unusual travels and personal encounters | My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere |
| P.J. O’Rourke | Sarcastic political humor with conservative slant | Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut |
| David Owen | Home repair & golf with practical but humorous touch | Sheetrock & Shellac |
| Cynthia Ozick | Essays on literature intersecting with other subjects | Quarrel & Quandary: Essays |
| Elaine Pagels | Gnostic religion: the origins of Christianity | The Gnostic Gospels |
| James M. Perry | Military history, mostly of the American Civil War | Touched With Fire: Five Presidents and the Civil War Battles That Made Them |
| Henry Petroski | Engineering and design of objects from small to large | Invention by Design; How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing |
| Nathaniel Philbrick | Historical adventures on the high seas | In the Heart of the Sea: the Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex |
| Steven Pinker | Evolutionary psychology and neuroscience | How the Mind Works |
| George Plimpton | Humor & adventure through participatory journalism | The Best of Plimpton |
| Michael Pollan | The boundaries of the natural and human worlds | The Botany of Desire: a Plant’s-Eye View of the World |
| Gerald L. Posner | Assassinations, terrorist acts, & historical investigations | Killing the Dream: James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Neil Postman | The limitations and dangers of technology | Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business |
| Diana Preston | Nuclear weapons, the Lusitania, & explorers | Before the Fallout: from Marie Curie to Hiroshima |
| Richard Preston | Popular science, particularly of medical dangers | The Demon in the Freezer: a True Story |
| Heather Pringle | The history of scientists on the fringe | The Master Plan: Himmler’s Scholars and the Holocaust |
| Francine Prose | All around the humanities: writing, reading, the arts | Reading Like a Writer |
| David Quammen | Natural history and ‘ecojournalism’ | Monster of God: the Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind |
| Joe Queenan | Sarcastic humor on popular culture subjects | True Believers: the Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans |
| Anna Quindlen | Essays on everything from geopolitics to domestic life | Loud and Clear |
| Jonathan Raban | History, adventure, and travel think pieces | Bad Land: an American Romance |
|
Ray Raphael |
The role of the individual in the American Revolution |
A People’s History of the American Revolution |
| Janisse Ray | The landscape and life of the rural South | Ecology of a Cracker Childhood |
| Chet Raymo | Popular science, especially astronomy | 365 Starry Nights |
| Piers Paul Read | A grab bag: disasters, religion, biographies | Alive: the Story of the Andes Survivors |
| Ruth Reichl | Culinary memoirs: the life of a foodie | Tender at the Bone |
| Robert V. Remini | American history between Revolution and Civil War | The Battle of New Orleans |
| Richard M. Restak | Neurosurgeon writes about the science of the brain | The Naked Brain |
| Gordon Rhea | The Civil War, battle by battle | The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864 |
| Richard Rhodes | Historian takes on a variety of subjects | Audubon: the Making of an American |
| Cheryl Richardson | Personal coach shows how to take control of your life | Stand Up for Your Life |
| Matt Ridley | Genetics and human behavior | Genome: the Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters |
| Jeremy Rifkin | The future of business and environment on Earth | The Biotech Century |
| Cokie Roberts | Lives of American women past and present | Founding Mothers |
| Michael Ruhlman | Insider looks at careers, particularly at chefs | The Soul of a Chef |
| Ann Rule | The reigning queen of true crime stories | The Stranger Beside Me |
| Sharman Apt Russell | Microhistories, particularly about natural topics | Hunger: an Unnatural History |
| Witold Rybczynski | Graceful writing about architecture and the home | Home: a Short History of an Idea |
| Oliver Sacks | Tales of clinical neurobiology told with humor & pathos | The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat |
| Carl Sagan | Space, the brain, evolution, and other science topics | Cosmos |
| May Sarton | One of the great memoirists, especially of later years | The Journal of a Solitude |
| Simon Schama | Sprawling histories by a great humanities scholar | Citizens |
| Harold Schechter | Serial killers and violence in America | Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho |
| Eric Schlosser | Opinionated, muckraking exposes of business practices | Fast Food Nation |
| Juliet Schor | Commercialization and loss of leisure time | Born to Buy |
| Stephen Sears | Military history, especially the American Civil War | To the Gates of Richmond: the Peninsula Campaign |
| David Sedaris | Snide, bittersweet humor with a biographical base | Naked |
| Charles Seife | The mathematics that underlie existence | Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea |
| Richard Selzer | Detailed essays about life & death by a surgeon writer | The Exact Location of the Soul |
| Tahir Shah | Afghani-English writer travels in Southern hemisphere | The Caliph’s House: a Year in Casablanca |
| David W. Shaw | Nautical adventures in Atlantic from maritime historian | The Sea Shall Embrace Them: the Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic |
| Gail Sheehy | Psychological and social changes experienced by adults | New Passages |
| Michael Shermer | Meeting points of science and human behavior | The Science of Good and Evil |
| David K. Shipler | Effects of race & class on society, especially in America | The Working Poor: Invisible in America |
| Hampton Sides | Novel-like accounts of historical events | Blood and Thunder: an Epic of the American West |
| Dava Sobel | The history of scientific discovery | Longitude |
| Rebecca Solnit | Essays of cultural history, linked in thematic chains | A Field Guide to Getting Lost |
| Anne Somerset | Lively, readable biographies of French & British royals | The Affair of the Poisons |
| Donald Spoto | Psychological biographies of the rich & famous | Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn |
| Tom Standage | Obscure but fascinating episodes of world history | A History of the World in 6 Glasses |
| David Starkey | Another fine biographer of the Tudor royalty | Elizabeth: the Struggle for the Throne |
| Rick Steves | A readable line of European travel guides | Rick Steves’ Postcards from Europe |
| James B. Stewart | Fast-paced narratives of business, politics & crime | Disney War |
| Studs Terkel | Oral social history through groups of themed interviews | Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times |
| Paul Theroux | Curmudgeonly travel to every corner of the world | Fresh Air Fiend: Travel Writings |
| Elizabeth Marshall Thomas | Anthropology in Africa and the social lives of animals | The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Their Culture |
| Evan Thomas | Personalities and events from American history | Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945 |
| Hunter S. Thompson | Anti-authority gonzo adventures | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas |
| James Thurber | One of the great American wits, with illustrations | Writing and Drawings |
| James Tobin | Engineering, economics & wartime reporting | To Conquer the Air: the Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight |
| Alvin Toffler | Forecasting the future for almost forty years | Powershift |
| Eckhart Tolle | How to live spiritually in the ‘now’ | The Power of Now |
| Nick Tosches | Musicians, underworld figures, & gritty journalism | The Nick Tosches Reader |
| Susan Allen Toth | Homely memoirs and personalized travel sketches | England for All Seasons |
| Calvin Trillin | Food, family life & travel with a sense of humor | The Tummy Trilogy |
| Lynne Truss | Humor about, of all subjects, punctuation & grammar | Eats, Shoots & Leaves |
| Barbara Tuchman | One of the all-time great historians | A Distant Mirror |
| Mark Twain | His travel tales are his best nonfiction | Innocents Abroad; Roughing It |
| Sarah Vowell | American history, politics & the author’s quirks | Assassination Vacation |
| Elijah Wald | Adventurous travel in pursuit of legendary journeys | Riding with Strangers |
| David Foster Wallace | Witty essays (don’t skip the footnotes!) | Consider the Lobster and Other Essays |
| Joseph Wambaugh | True crime tales, usually set in Southern California | Fire Lover: a True Story |
| Peter D. Ward | Evolution and life on this planet (and others) | Life as We Do Not Know It: the NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life |
| Jack Weatherford | Historian debunks myths of ‘savage’ peoples | Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World |
| Scott Weidensaul | Natural history on the American continent | Return to Wild America |
| Alison Weir | Famous royals, particularly the English | The Six Wives of Henry VIII |
| Cornel West | Essays about ideals of democracy (and their betrayal) | Democracy Matters |
| E.B. White | Classics of satirical humor | Writings from the New Yorker: 1927-1976 |
| Elie Wiesel | Holocaust memoirs and Jewish faith | Night |
| Terry Tempest Williams | The connection of personal life with the natural world | Refuge: an Unnatural History of Family and Place |
| Marianne Williamson | Finding serenity & spirituality in everyday life | Everyday Grace |
| Garry Wills | Two main subjects: American history and Catholicism | Lincoln at Gettysburg |
| A.N. Wilson | Revisionist religious works and English history | Paul: the Mind of the Apostle |
| Derek Wilson | European history from the Middle Ages | Charlemagne |
| Edward O. Wilson | Sociobiology and the power of natural selection | The Diversity of Life |
| Simon Winchester | Historic curiosities, natural disasters, and world travel | The Professor and the Madman |
| Jon Winokur | Sarcastic, curmudgeonly humor & quotation collections | The Portable Curmudgeon |
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David Wise |
Espionage: the world of the FBI and CIA |
Cassidy’s Run: the Secret Spy War over Nerve Gas |
| Tom Wolfe | The world of the 60s and 70s in highly stylized prose | The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test |
| Gordon S. Wood | The history of the American Revolution | Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different |
| Bob Woodward | Behind the scenes of American politics | The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court |
| David Yeadon | Off-the-beaten-path world travels | Seasons on Harris: A Year in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides |
| Bill Zehme | Celebrity biographies, sometimes as a ghostwriter | The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’ |