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I do read sometimes. Craig Send a noteboard - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM
Every once in a while something non-fictional catches my eye - much like fiction. I just spend more time in the fiction section, so my reading list tends to self-select.

1. Do you read non-fiction on a regular basis? If so, what do you typically read?

I wouldn't really say "regular basis." More occasionally. And I read anything and anything that actually captures my interest - though it's not always easy to predict what that will be...

2. Do you enjoy (whether you have read it recently or not) any of the following categories of books?

- history

If it's really long ago, then sometimes. I've always been fascinated by the history of Ancient Egypt, for example.

- biography

Don't think I've read too terribly many biographies, actually.

- religion

Religion can be quite fun to read about. Recently finished Jesus, Interrupted, which is about some of the contradictions in and misapprehensions about the Bible.

- world cultures

As with history, it's more the ancient cultures that interest me.

- science and mathematics

Math, not at all. Science, mostly astronomy and the like. Occasionally wacky physics stuff, but not the really technical parts - just the general overview.

- political theory

Nah. I'm probably too cynical for such things.

- philosophy

I can read a little bit, but eventually I get bored.

- art and architecture (including film and TV)

Not particularly.

- psychology

Absolutely. I'm a psych major. Oliver Sacks is one of my favorite non-fiction writers - he writes books and short stories about very unusual patients. You may have heard of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat," for instance?

- literary criticism

Blaaaaah.

I'm not entirely certain where on this list you would put it, but I also greatly enjoy reading about pseudoscience and conspiracy theories and the like. Mostly debunking them, but sometimes I like to read books by authors who really really believe in this sort of stuff. Graham Hancock and Erich von Däniken are two of my particular favorites. It's entertainment, for me - and that probably means that I'm a horrible and condescending person.

3. What is your favorite work of non-fiction (please exclude religious/devotional works from this question)?

Don't think I really have one. I don't own much non-fiction at all, I just pick it up every now and again.

4. Would you be interested in reviews of non-fiction books on this site?

I don't see the harm. I like books.

5. Have you read any non-fiction book recently that was terrible? If so, what?

No, not really. I've only read a few this year, and they were all pretty good.

6. Was there a non-fiction book that you read that changed the way you thought or felt about world issues (again, please exclude religious and devotional works from this question) ?

I don't know if it really changed the way I thought about things (I'm really very cynical), but We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: stories from Rwanda was very affecting.

7. Do you consider books about the occult to be non-fiction or fiction? Why?

I assume you mean books that talk about supposed "real-life" experiences with the occult? Honestly I think it's all about intent. If it's written by a person who clearly believes (or at least is very good at pretending they believe) in the subject, then I would categorize it as "non-fiction."

8. In your personal library at home, what percentage of your books are non-fiction?

Well, I kept several of my textbooks from school, but I have barely anything else that would qualify. So, let's look... appears to be approximately 9%. Huh, that's better than I thought.

That's it...for now.

That's... an awfully sinister ending...
I am made of poison.
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Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 05:38:04 PM 1225 Views
Heh. - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 938 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 776 Views
Nah... - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 790 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 957 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 852 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1387 Views
Fun. - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 1034 Views
Fact not fiction. - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 969 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 858 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 881 Views
You're going to force me to start a Dan Brown discussion in a different thread. - 14/09/2009 09:00:32 PM 799 Views
Well, I can do it here, no worries, just think of it as non-non-fiction. - 14/09/2009 09:06:34 PM 853 Views
This is pretty much it. - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 851 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 900 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 805 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 749 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 782 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 802 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 813 Views
So - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 768 Views
Re: So - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 758 Views
I do read sometimes. - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 984 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 850 Views
Added to The List. *NM* - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 356 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 881 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 822 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 870 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 994 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 383 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 855 Views
Thanks! *NM* - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 388 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 796 Views
I'm sorry. I just can't take "pro wrestling" seriously enough to comment on it beyond this. *NM* - 15/09/2009 05:15:13 AM 376 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 1009 Views
Sweet - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 938 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 796 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 938 Views
I need to read more American Indian books - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 783 Views
Good survey! - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 931 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 768 Views
Intent. - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 799 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 841 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 820 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 402 Views
It's under consideration. - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 703 Views
I read a lot of it for my classes, so I read very little of it for leisure. - 15/09/2009 12:46:23 AM 909 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 813 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 377 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 729 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 843 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 810 Views
great survey. - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 1063 Views
Re: great survey. - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 846 Views
Interesting questions! - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 962 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 896 Views
That's the English titel yes! - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 1087 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 1108 Views
Books on Napoleon.... - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 829 Views
Narcissist. *NM* - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 344 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 332 Views
i like non-fiction! - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 878 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 1079 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 857 Views

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