What one non-fiction book would you love people to read?

Wild Swans

But more recently The Age of Diagnosis by Suzanne O’Sullivan - fascinating on whether we are overdiagnosing pretty much any condition you can think of

I've read a fictional version of that story. IE based on the real people. But I'll look out for the non fiction one. Thanks.

A first aid manual that's endorsed by a relevant organisation. Any current edition will do.

Honourable mentions for The Highway Code (most recent edition), Invisible Women, and the old but still relevant Fat is a Feminist Issue.

If anyone is looking for an autobiography then Irish Olympic athlete Sonia O Sullivan’s Sonia My Story is very no bells and whistles and I read it in hours!!

Atomic Habits by James Clear, really about how you can get good habits into your life, and how the brain works, sometimes stopping this, motivated me and got me back to being a bit energised.

Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy for anyone who needs training help and is starting to hate their puppy 😅

Great thread op!!

12 rules for life Jordan Peterson is a self help book (I suppose?) I was bought it as a present. Not read it all but interesting ideas.

I have read many of these recommendations and whole heartedly agree with them.

My personal favourite is an old one but a book I have re-read many times: The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle. If you live in the now It’s impossible not to have a happy life. And in many ways his message ties in with the quote from the very first post by the OP - we are essentially eternal.

Being Mortal By Atual Gwande
https://amzn.eu/d/0dMF1YTh

Completely changed my view on life and death and strongly believe we owe it to loved ones to open up discussions before we reach the stage of difficult decisions. If I could gift you one book, this is the one.

Another vote for Invisible Women and Henrietta Lacks.

Another vote for Factfulness by Hans Rosling, it really helped me get a better perspective when I was suffering from post partum anxiety.

And also another vote for The Body Keeps the Score. My husband survived a traumatic childhood and has found it to be a real cornerstone in his understanding of how it has affected his adulthood.

I was coming on to post 4000 weeks by Oliver Burkeman but have just been beaten to it. The title refers to the length of an average human life. Its thesis is basically that we can’t do everything we feel we ought to and in order to live a fulfilling life we need to make choices and that’s a positive thing. I found it really helpful.

Also Unfollow, by Megan Phelps Roper who was brought up in the Westboro Baptist Church (the ‘God Hates Fags’ protesters). It’s a fascinating autobiography and also a message of hope that it’s possible to reach people who might seem lost to extremism.

At the moment, I want to buy a copy of What If Reform Wins for every member of my partner’s family who are currently out campaigning for reform.

Russ Harrisks Happiness Trap is a really interesting read basically about how to be happy.

Will be looking up some of these recommendations - thank you for the thread OP.

I would add:

Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari - a history of people and of how humans came to dominate the planet and why things are as they are now. Absolutely fascinating.

All That She Carried - Tiya Miles - about the history of slavery in the US based on a bag that one slave mother gave to her little daughter when she was sold and they were separated forever, but the bag remained through the generations.

4000 Weeks - Oliver Burkeman - ideas for how to make the most of our time

Quiet - Susan Cain - the first time being an introvert was not presented as not necessarily a character flaw - helped me a lot.

Lost Connections by Johann Hari.

The Body Keeps the Score

both in the mental health space - first one is less intense but I thought very good. The second is very intense (complex trauma focused) and every time I read I get something from it that I didn’t see before.

It's been mentioned multiple times already, but here's another vote for 'If this is a man' by Primo Levi.

The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith

this book is excellent and was one of the catalysts in opening the eyes of the world to the treatment of women and children in Ireland

Another vote for Invisible Women, about all the data gaps and how it affects products and policy. The chapter on seat belts, and the fact that the car industry is completely aware is shocking. Caroline Criando-Perez also has a good newsletter.

The Case Against Sugar, by Gary Taubes. All about the history of sugar and processed carbs in general, and how it affects the body. A very good read.

King Leopold’s Ghost. Brutal reckoning of the Belgian plunder of the Congo and yes, the heart of darkness. Took me a few gos, it’s not an easy read.

Oh and The Authority Gap

No more normal: mental health in an age of over diagnosis.

Well I'm mostly just posting so I can find this wonderful thread again, but if you haven't read it I'd really recommend adding The Dressmakers of Auschwitz to your list. A very different perspective on the Holocaust.

The Psychopath Test

I found Invisible Women too data heavy and dry so gave up halfway through. Perhaps should try again.

Loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks when I read it many years ago.

Also loved Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, the UK's leading forensic pathologist (now retired). Fascinating insights into some very high-profile cases.

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. An absolutely brilliant book about the troubles in Northern Ireland.

Great thread.

On the strength of this I've just this minute reserved "Invisible Women" at my local library.

A personal favourite, often mentioned on this thread, is Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" which my late DH gave me for Christmas years ago. I treated myself to version 2 a few weeks ago and gave my first copy to my DD.

A not very nice but very important read is "Into That Darkness" by Gitta Sereny, an account of her interviews with Franz Stangl, commandant of Treblinka.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
It gives the biographies of the victims of Jack the Ripper and really humanises them. It shows them as real people with real lives

edited to add I see it’s been mentioned a few times already!

Prisoners of Geography is really good, and the lsrge format youth version with the maps is also excellent!