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Non-Fiction

If it is a subject I am interested in, I will certainly pick up a non-fiction book and have a read. Even though it is fact it takes a truly excellent author to make it actually READABLE. I do try to read all of these I get rather than look like I am more intelligent than I am by having them decorate my book shelves (yes I am thinking “A Brief History of Time” here which IS decorating my shelves right now)…

Highest Rated

The following non-fiction books I have found to be a 5 out of 5…

Latest Reviews

Book Review Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World by Bruce Schneier thumbnail For many years now I have subscribed to computer security expert Bruce Schneier's monthly newsletter “Crypto-Gram” which covers news in IT security. In “Click Here to Kill Everybody” Schneier discusses… 2024-05-27
Book Review A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World by Daniel Goleman thumbnail This book by Daniel Goleman is based on a series of interviews he had with the Dalai Lama as well as his experience as a psychologist and interest in emotional intelligence. Both of these aspects are… 2024-03-01
Book Review Turning Point 1997-2008 by Hayao Miyazaki thumbnail Picking up from where Starting Point left off “Turning Point” takes us into the new millennium with more interviews, poetry, and film proposals from Hayao Miyazaki, the… 2024-02-22
Book Review Starting Point 1979-1996 by Hayao Miyazaki thumbnail “Starting Point” is a collection of interviews and articles of Japanese Animation director Mayao Miyazaki and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, creators of such masterpieces as “My Neighbour Totoro”, “Princess… 2024-02-18
Book Review what if? 2 by Randall Munroe thumbnail “what if? 2” provides “Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions”, following on from the original, incredibly amusing, what if?. In this… 2024-01-28
Book Review QI: The Book of Animal Ignorance by John Mitchinson, and John Lloyd thumbnail This is a fun book of interesting and unusual facts about animals from the makers of the popular British factual quiz show QI. It lists many common as well as more unusual animals (“Quoll” anybody?) alphabetically… 2023-11-26
Book Review Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh thumbnail Fermat's Last Theorem tells the story of the theorem, and those who have attempted to prove it over the years as well as the story of the man who eventually did: Andrew Wiles. The theorem itself,… 2023-10-01
Book Review what if? by Randall Munroe thumbnail “what if?”, “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” is, as it is titled, serious answers to absurd questions submitted via the website of author of webcomic xkcd… 2023-09-24
Book Review The Wealthy Barber Returns by David Chilton thumbnail The original “Wealthy Barber” was written in the form of a story where a rather financially savvy barber dispensed common sense personal finance wisdom. Or, this is what I have been led to believe as… 2023-09-03
Book Review Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man: 15 Years at Studio Ghibli by Steve Alpert thumbnail This book tells the story of Steve Alpert's 15 years at Studio Ghibli. The only “gaijin” working for Studio Ghibli, Alpert, a fluent Japanese speaking American, was responsible for distributing Ghibli… 2023-05-27
Book Review Small is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher thumbnail In “Small is Beautiful” economist E.F. Schumacher argues against many of the tenants of modern capitalism. He argues that we need to shift our priorities to value the planet and the individual rather… 2023-05-16
Book Review On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King thumbnail I have always admired Stephen King's writing, the way it seems so real and honest. I find him very easy to read. Many criticise his work for being populist but what is writing if not for the masses?… 2023-02-26
Book Review The Dark Net by Jamie Bartlett thumbnail A few years ago the “Dark Net” became a bit of a hot topic with tales of all the evil things that are done there. In “The Dark Net” investigative reporter Jamie Bartlett travels to various dark corners… 2023-02-26
Book Review Weaving the Web by Tim Berners-Lee thumbnail Tim Berners-Lee is often called the creator of the Internet but this is, in fact, incorrect. He is instead the creator of the World Wide Web system we use to navigate the Internet for example via a browser…. 2023-02-26
Book Review Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig thumbnail Matt Haig suffers from both depression and anxiety. In “Reasons to Stay Alive” he explains how he was first diagnosed and how he ended up coping with these disorders. Told with a dry whit in short chapters… 2023-01-07
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Book Review Asimov on Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov thumbnail “Asimov on Science Fiction” is a collection of short essays written by Asimov, often for magazines or as book introductions, on the subject of Science Fiction covering aspects of it's history, thoughts… 2022-09-18
Book Review Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli thumbnail Originally published in the Sunday supplement of an Italian newspaper, these seven short chapters begin with relativity and take us through modern thinking in Physics, rounding off the whole discussion… 2022-09-04
Book Review The Book of Five Rings (Gorin no Sho) by Miyamoto Musashi thumbnail Perhaps to accentuate the idea that this translation of the ancient, original work this book is subtitled “The Real Art of Japanese Management” though having read the book I am slightly horrified that… 2022-09-04
Book Review The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan thumbnail Carl Sagan is probably best known for his “Cosmos” television series where he attempts to explain the concepts of modern (at the time) physics to ordinary viewers. In “The Dragons of Eden” he turns himself… 2022-09-04