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great survey. Avendesora Send a noteboard - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM
Over half of the books I own are non-fiction. When one walks into bookstores (if anyone does that anymore), fiction usually accounts for half to a bit less than half of the store. Sure, some of the books are self-help crap and how-to books, but there is a significant volume of histories, biographies, books on philosophy and political theory, books on current events and topics and books on world cultures and religions.


By the way, I wanted to tell you that you're a very high-quality contributor to this section of our new home. The only other thing guess I could say here is, "Damn you read a lot".

I think it is worthwhile to post a survey to start people talking more about non-fiction on this website as well. To me, reading fantasy and science fiction all the time is a bit like eating junk food or playing computer games - it's fun and entertaining, but when you're done and look back on the time spent you sometimes sit there and say, "What have I done?!"

Heh, nice. I agree.

Non-fiction can be written in such a way that it is stimulating and exciting to read as well as useful for understanding points of view, historical events or current world problems.

I read non-fiction for the same reason I watch geeky shows on PBS.


1. Do you read non-fiction on a regular basis? If so, what do you typically read?
Funny thing, and some will think it's a bit silly... But I read whatever my father has on his bookshelf. Some are books that I bought for him, some are history or womens studies books that I shelved there before I moved out after college. MOST of them have been gifts he has received from friends throughout the years. He was a history major in college before he was drafted, and people usually give him books (or borders gift cards )as gifts. Well, that and bottles of "Jim Beam" bourbon, but let's not go there. He doesn't read anything other than nonfiction. Wait- he read Shogun a LONG time ago, but that's the only other genre of book I ever remember him reading.

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

- history

Yes
- biography

yes
- religion

meh. If religion is mentioned as part of a cultural tutorial, yes. But I don't like books about religion per say.

- world cultures

Yes, yes, Yeeeeeeees!

- science and mathematics

em, no. Except for archaeology or any sort of anthropology.

- political theory

I have to be in the mood.

- philosophy

No. *gags*

- art and architecture (including film and TV)
Yes.

- psychology

Yes.

- literary criticism

no.
3. What is your favorite work of non-fiction (please exclude religious/devotional works from this question)?
I don't know. I have learned a lot from so many books, I have to think. Either "Before Freedom Came" or "So Much To Be Done". The Writings and Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thos have stuck with me for a long time. Somehow, I have not read "guns germs and steel" and it's been on my shelf forever. I saw that they've made a program about it on pbs, so I'm reading it.

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

Abso-freakin-lutely!

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

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) ?
the above books.

7. Do you consider books about the occult to be non-fiction or fiction? Why?
Heh. Are we talking "Time Life Books: Crop Circles" type stuff here? Astrology books? defintely fiction.

8. In your personal library at home, what percentage of your books are non-fiction?
Hm. maybe a third? Some of those have been simply "not yet returned" to my Dad.

That's it...for now.

good survey.
*MySmiley*

I believe all news and research that supports my opinion, and dismiss the rest as conspiracy and lies.
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Non-Fiction survey Tom - 14/09/2009 05:38:04 PM 1093 Views
Heh. jh - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 784 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 606 Views
Nah... jh - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 631 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 794 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 693 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1230 Views
Fun. Legolas - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 880 Views
Machiavelli is a good case study for translation vs. original language Tom - 14/09/2009 06:48:46 PM 637 Views
Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 823 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Tom - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 697 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Rebekah - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 723 Views
You're going to force me to start a Dan Brown discussion in a different thread. Tom - 14/09/2009 09:00:32 PM 635 Views
Well, I can do it here, no worries, just think of it as non-non-fiction. jh - 14/09/2009 09:06:34 PM 691 Views
This is pretty much it. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 688 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 739 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 635 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 590 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey mapthis - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 620 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting Tom - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 639 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting mapthis - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 643 Views
So nossy - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 611 Views
Re: So mapthis - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 592 Views
I do read sometimes. Craig - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 821 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... Tom - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 684 Views
Added to The List. *NM* Craig - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 286 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. Camilla - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 717 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Tom - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 663 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Camilla - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 727 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey random thoughts - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 828 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 315 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson random thoughts - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 695 Views
Thanks! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 321 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ranagrande - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 627 Views
I'm sorry. I just can't take "pro wrestling" seriously enough to comment on it beyond this. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:15:13 AM 304 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! ranagrande - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 852 Views
Sweet nossy - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 788 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete Tom - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 674 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... Legolas - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 785 Views
I need to read more American Indian books random thoughts - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 627 Views
Good survey! smaug - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 780 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? Tom - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 616 Views
Intent. Craig - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 649 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. smaug - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 676 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Chas - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 661 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 333 Views
It's under consideration. Chas - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 538 Views
I read a lot of it for my classes, so I read very little of it for leisure. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 12:46:23 AM 706 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 642 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 308 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 575 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Vodalus - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 689 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... Tom - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 654 Views
great survey. Avendesora - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 840 Views
Re: great survey. Tom - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 689 Views
Interesting questions! Sophy - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 793 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but Tom - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 734 Views
That's the English titel yes! Sophy - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 908 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Jonielle - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 874 Views
Try reading something new you think you'd like and post a review! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:11:47 PM 272 Views
Books on Napoleon.... Napoleon62 - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 672 Views
Narcissist. *NM* Craig - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 274 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 271 Views
i like non-fiction! temeraire - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 711 Views
Lots of people have recommended The Omnivore's Dilemma to me *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:14:09 PM 316 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 916 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ajah - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 698 Views
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