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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 1251 Views
Heh. - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 969 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 797 Views
Nah... - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 815 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 995 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 870 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1403 Views
Fun. - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 1068 Views
Fact not fiction. - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 999 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 892 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 900 Views
You're going to force me to start a Dan Brown discussion in a different thread. - 14/09/2009 09:00:32 PM 826 Views
Well, I can do it here, no worries, just think of it as non-non-fiction. - 14/09/2009 09:06:34 PM 879 Views
This is pretty much it. - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 874 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 918 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 827 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 769 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 809 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 823 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 834 Views
So - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 792 Views
Re: So - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 779 Views
I do read sometimes. - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 1020 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 894 Views
Added to The List. *NM* - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 365 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 909 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 840 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 893 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 1024 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 394 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 880 Views
Thanks! *NM* - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 399 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 815 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 386 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 1029 Views
Sweet - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 972 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 819 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 963 Views
I need to read more American Indian books - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 805 Views
Good survey! - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 963 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 790 Views
Intent. - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 826 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 860 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 845 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 411 Views
It's under consideration. - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 724 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 944 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 832 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 386 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 760 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 887 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 837 Views
great survey. - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 1097 Views
Re: great survey. - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 883 Views
Interesting questions! - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 999 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 913 Views
That's the English titel yes! - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 1109 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 1139 Views
Books on Napoleon.... - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 850 Views
Narcissist. *NM* - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 352 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 342 Views
i like non-fiction! - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 903 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 1112 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 877 Views

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