It’s a funny quirk in my reading life that I have a love/hate relationship with nonfiction. I rarely reach for a nonfiction book as my first choice, typically choosing one of many fiction options instead for their entertainment or escapist properties. But when I do read a nonfiction book, I almost always enjoy it and often learn something valuable.
Why then do I have to force myselt to read nonfiction?
The only explanation I can think of is that even when it’s enjoyable and interesting, nonfiction is inherently more effortful. Because the purpose of nonfiction is typically to impart knowledge or wisdom, I usually feel like I need to pay attention and give it my best. And I actually don’t think that’s a bad thing, but it does make it so I have to overcome some mental laziness and push myself a little.
And when I do that, the result is sometimes that I get so engrossed in the content of the book that I can’t stop thinking about it. This list is comprised of five nonfiction books that have continued to live rent free in my head for months or years after finishing them. I hope one or more of these books will inspire and/or enlighten you as well!
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5 Nonfiction Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About
This book, written by a woman who works in a crematorium, completely changed the way I think about what happens to a person’s body when they die, and the industry surrounding that. I can’t go to a funeral now without thinking about what’s happening in the background and what choices people are making for their loved ones remains. The author writes compellingly and with a surprising amount of humor (which I really appreciated) about her experiences with preparing remains and interacting with the families of the deceased. She compares and contrasts burial practices in other cultures and gives some of her own thoughts. I was hooked on this fascinating book from the first page and highly recommend the audiobook, which is read by the author.
Y’all, this book blew my mind. There is so much I didn’t know about how the foods we buy in the grocery store are produced, and it gave me a lot to think about in terms of eating in a healthy, balanced way that nourishes your body. This book is bit dense in terms of footnotes and technical language, but if you stick with it and read it slowly like I did, I think you’ll be surprised at how readable and actionable it actually is. I also really appreciated the compassion with which the author approaches this topic, acknowledging how hard it is to avoid processed foods and withholding judgement for what people choose to eat for different reasons. There’s a lot of history, many cited studies, and a lot of fascinating information to chew on (pun totally intended!).
Like Ultra-Processed People, this one is dense with studies and terminology, but it’s so worth it. What I loved most was the balanced, holistic approach that Dr. Attia takes in examining how we can not only live longer lives, but actually be strong and healthy enough to enjoy our extra years. I’ve put some of his advice into practice in my own life and I’ve been pleased with the results I’ve seen. Example: I’ve always had a pretty average VO2Max score according to my Apple watch, but it dove off a cliff after I got Covid in December of 2020. Since then, I’ve struggled with getting that number back to something resembling what it was before, and only since I started implementing the regimen found in this book have I been able to see real improvement. I’ve been slowly making changes based on Outlive and Ultra-Processed People and it’s making a difference. Truly life-changing.
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
I hope you’re ready to hear this harsh truth: nobody wants your stuff. All of us have a housefull of things that hold little value for other people, and this book is a kind, compassionate, practical guide for how to purge your living space as you age in keeping with Swedish tradition. It’s not just for the elderly, though. There are habits and mindsets that all of us can adopt at any age to be ready for later phases in our life where downsizing can be a gift to everyone involved.
Technology—can’t live with it and can’t live without it. This book is filled with studies and discussion that shed a sobering light on the use of personal devices for everyone, but most especially for children and teens. I really think it should be required reading for every parent (not sure how I propose to enforce that). You don’t have hide your child away in a remote cabin, but there are simple things we can do to maintain boundaries that protect our kids’ mental health, so while a lot of the content in this book is kind of scary, it’s also very encouraging to know we have options. Highly recommend!
