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Best Nonfiction Books About Niche Subjects: My Top Recommendations to Learn Something New About Your World
17
items These are my top recommendations for non fiction books to learn more about the world around you. Well written and thoroughly fascinating!
Sections
4
Art
History
Science
Museums
Art
Each chapter is a different color, in which St. Clair delves into the history and impact of each particular hue. A fascinating study of art and color
The Secret Lives of Color - Kassia St. Clair
Delve into the architectural, artistic, and engineering genius of Filippo Brunelleschi in this phenomenal study of his renowned dome
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture - Ross King
A wonderful history of Rome told through the lens of maps, particularly those from the Baroque era
The Eternal City: A History of Rome in Maps - Jessica Maier
A collection of thought-provoking essays about what it is to be human. A lovely work that will have you looking at the world around you in a new light
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet - John Green
Great book recommendations (and books that didn’t hit) by a librarian who has spent much of her life amongst books
Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life - Annie Spence
History
A fascinating history of the murders in Osage County for oil rights and how it spurred the creation of the FBI. Now a major movie featuring Leonardo DeCaprio
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - David Grann
An incredibly thorough yet easy to understand history of the Roman Empire, written by well-known Classicist Mary Beard
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard
A detailed history of King Leopold of Belgium’s 19th century plundering and brutalization of the Congo
King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa - Adam Hochschild
A great biography of a fascinating but under-studied character of Roman history
Cornelia: Mother of the Gracchi - Susanne Dixon
Delve into Egyptology and archaeology with this biography on one of the most influential archaeologists of the 20th century, Christian Desroches-Noblecourt
Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction - Lynne Olson
Science
An incredible and succinct exploration of the history and impact of Tuberculosis juxtaposed against its still widespread prevalence today, despite being largely preventable and curable
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection - John Green
Such a morbid subject approached in such a funny voice - Roach will have you rolling with laughter and learning new facts about the body after life that you’ll remember for years to come
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach
While primarily an autobiography of the author, known for his achievement in discovering the Titanic wreckage, this book is an in-depth dive into a lifetime exploring under the sea, and is an excellent way to learn more about marine science
Into the Deep: A Memoir From the Man Who Found Titanic - Robert Ballard
Can evolution ever be compatible with Christian beliefs? Miller, a scientist who is also a devout believer explores this topic and explains how he has aligned his two belief systems on this divisive topic
Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution - Kenneth Miller
Museums
Interviewing different employees at the Met Museum, from curators to janitors and everything in between, this book explores the inner workings of one of the world’s most well-known art museums
Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Danny Danziger
A book about what makes great museums great - exploring all the ways they interact the communities around them
Magnetic: The Art and Science of Engagement - Ann Bergeron & Beth Tuttle
This book explores how self concepts of identity intersect with why museum patrons frequent these institutions. A must read for anyone interested in museum studies
Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience - John Falk