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Re: Non-Fiction survey Jonielle Send a noteboard - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 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.

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?!"

(Thinking back, it's still not as bad as having wasted an entire weekend watching TV Land's Benson marathon, as TMJ astutely pointed out to me at wotmania once)

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.

So...my survey is as follows:

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


It has been a while.

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

- religion

- philosophy

- art and architecture (including film and TV)

- psychology


These I enjoy reading at times. Religion, philosophy and psychology I really started to enjoy in high school. And architecture I like because I was thinking about going that direction at university after my basic year.

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

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


Maybe some of them.

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


Nope

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) ?


Not really. I usually have my views pretty set and if they change it is so slowly I don't really notice.

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


I'm not sure. If it comes to rites etc used in mythology I'd say non-fiction. People writing about haunted houses and so on I think many who write them think they are non-fiction because they believe what they write. But I don't think I would consider it non-fiction unless there was more to it.

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


Maybe 15%. Mostly old school books.

That's it...for now.
Formerly known as Jojjo.
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Non-Fiction survey Tom - 14/09/2009 05:38:04 PM 1096 Views
Heh. jh - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 787 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 609 Views
Nah... jh - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 634 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 797 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 696 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1233 Views
Fun. Legolas - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 883 Views
Machiavelli is a good case study for translation vs. original language Tom - 14/09/2009 06:48:46 PM 640 Views
Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 826 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Tom - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 700 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Rebekah - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 726 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 638 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 694 Views
This is pretty much it. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 691 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 742 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 638 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 593 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey mapthis - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 624 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting Tom - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 642 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting mapthis - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 647 Views
So nossy - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 614 Views
Re: So mapthis - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 596 Views
I do read sometimes. Craig - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 824 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... Tom - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 687 Views
Added to The List. *NM* Craig - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 287 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. Camilla - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 721 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Tom - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 666 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Camilla - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 730 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey random thoughts - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 831 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 316 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson random thoughts - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 698 Views
Thanks! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 322 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ranagrande - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 630 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 305 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! ranagrande - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 855 Views
Sweet nossy - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 791 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete Tom - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 677 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... Legolas - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 788 Views
I need to read more American Indian books random thoughts - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 630 Views
Good survey! smaug - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 783 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? Tom - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 619 Views
Intent. Craig - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 652 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. smaug - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 679 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Chas - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 664 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 334 Views
It's under consideration. Chas - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 543 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 709 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 645 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 309 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 578 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Vodalus - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 692 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... Tom - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 657 Views
great survey. Avendesora - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 843 Views
Re: great survey. Tom - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 692 Views
Interesting questions! Sophy - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 796 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but Tom - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 737 Views
That's the English titel yes! Sophy - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 911 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Jonielle - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 878 Views
Try reading something new you think you'd like and post a review! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:11:47 PM 273 Views
Books on Napoleon.... Napoleon62 - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 675 Views
Narcissist. *NM* Craig - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 275 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 272 Views
i like non-fiction! temeraire - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 714 Views
Lots of people have recommended The Omnivore's Dilemma to me *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:14:09 PM 317 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 920 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ajah - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 701 Views
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