Recommend me a book where I'll learn something...

[fiestabelle1]

Have downloaded a few samples in the past few days and nothings grabbing me. Like fiction but like to learn something at the same time. Set in another country, time period, or with a background subject that i dont know anything about. Happy to try any genre, help me find something to get my mojo back! Best books are the ones that make me want to go away and read more about a place/time/event.

KNife man- about John HUmter an early medical pioneer. Very interesting www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0041RRH72/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- about a young black woman with unique cells that are used all over the world inreserach now. raises questions about who owns our genetic material and should private companies make money from waht is given/taken freely.
www.amazon.co.uk/Immortal-Life-Henrietta-Lacks-ebook/dp/B003P2WJ6S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1472041637&sr=1-1&keywords=immortal+life+of+henrietta+lacks

Thanks, both look interesting, will have a better look when i finish work.

Another vote for 'Knife Man' - interesting and accessible.

'A Woman in Berlin' - about the aftermath of WW2.

'Complications' by Atul Gawande - he's a surgeon and this is an interesting and informative read.

And these two were both flawed imvho, but I did learn some stuff from both of them!
'Anatomy of a Soldier' by Harry Parker
'The Things they Carried' by Tim o' Brien

The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin - good sci fi tale, but also tells you lots about how a society run on anarchist principles might work / not work in practice (it explores good and bad sides).

Anything of Mary Renault's Greek books, but especially the Alexander Trilogy - the easy way to learn classical history! (A friend of mine who was a classicist recommended them to me years ago)

Princess
Possibly biased, since I'm living there, but a fascinating insight into Saudi Royal life.

Skalligrig by William Horwood. Out of print but you can get it on amazon. Brilliant, brilliant book about disability and the enduring power of love.

The Dispossed, mentioned upthread is great too.

My spelling has gone to pot today.
Skallagrigg

Nothing To Envy

And The Signature of All Things is interesting, but maybe not quite what your after?

Arthur and George Julian Barnes. Very accurate by all accounts and fascinating too as someone fairly local to where s lot of the action takes place. Apparently the train timings are faithful! Weird fact!

Sophie's world was a real eye opener!

'Arthur and George' is brilliant. 'Flaubert's Parrot' good too, although I don't like Barnes' other stuff.

Some great recommendations, thank you.

Oh, I have just read Eva Sleeps by Francesca Melandri and it was amazing fiction that tells of the mid 20th Century struggles (so quite recent) between Austria and Italy over the Alto Adige/South Tyrol region. I definitely learnt about a period of history through great fiction: www.tripfiction.com/epic-novel-set-mainly-in-the-south-tyrol/

I'm reading "The silk merchants daughter" and learning more about Vietnam in the 1950's

Stasiland - about East Germany
On Being Mortal
The Noonday Demon - about depression
The Emperor of all Maladies - about cancer
Between Silk and Cyanide - about the SOE

Cheerful, eh. Stasiland is the easiest read, between silk the funniest. The others I've only managed parts of but they are all good.

One summer 1927 by Bill Bryson, very integrating read.

*interesting

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande; it's about how we could change the system by which elderly people receive care.

Or Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks; you'll learn a lot about the First World War. And it's just amazing to boot.

Guernica! Can't remember who it's by but it's a fantastic novel. Set in Spain and essentially a love story but very well written and deep.

Speaking of Bryson, 'A History of the World' and his Shakespeare one, although personally I far prefer his earlier travel writing.

'Inside Hitler's Bunker' by Joachim Fest.

The disappearing spoon by Sam Kean. All about the chemical elements, a great and entertaining read

www.amazon.co.uk/Disappearing-Spoon-other-tales-Periodic/dp/0552777501

I'll agree with the people who suggested Bill Bryson, not fiction but he writes in such a brilliant way you'll be laughing out loud and learning something. I really like his book A Short History of Nearly Everything.

I really really enjoyed
Heavenly Hirani's School of Laughing Yoga, set in Mombai. One of the best books I read this year.

The bees by (i think ) laline paull is an interesting book

Eight Months on Ghazzah Street by Hilary Mantel.

The Brain That Changes Itself
The Brain's Way of Healing

Both by Norman Doidge.

Non-fiction about neuroplasticity, full of fascinating case studies.