Discovering Non-Fiction Books

For many years I viewed non-fiction books as boring. They contained no stories! At school and during my first time as an undergraduate, teachers and lecturers used textbooks in an attempt to force facts past my disinclined young mind. After dropping out of university I freed myself from the shackles of textbook ownership, apart from a handful on subjects I was interested in, which I used only for reference. However, in the last three or four years (and finally graduating) I have learnt that non-fiction writers can use creative writing techniques to bring their prose to life, to make it interesting and in some cases compelling.

As a recent convert, I don’t know if non-fiction books are now written in a more accessible style or if it has always been so, but these days I always have one on the go as my daytime or evening read (novels are usually reserved for bedtimes). In my opinion, by reading non-fiction books, fiction writers can gain valuable background material to add to their regular research and swell the sea of knowledge and understanding from which to harvest resources to enhance their stories. From the ones I have read, I am going to recommend three volumes I particularly enjoyed in the last year.

Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flynn explores what happens when nature reclaims sites of former human activity, now deserted. In this fascinating account, Flynn visits a diverse range of locations, from Chernobyl to no man’s land in Cyprus to an abandoned Scottish island where a herd of feral cows survives without human intervention. With an unsettling balance of good and bad news, it is at once reassuring that nature can return to areas of appalling degradation and rather worrying that whatever humans do to the environment, it will eventually in some way regenerate unaided if or when we bring about our own extinction.

Although I have issues with the title, The Ten Types of Human by Dexter Dias contains intriguing insights into the human mind and social psychology. Using well-honed storytelling techniques, referencing his own experiences as a human rights lawyer and backed up by scientific studies, Dias leads the reader through the best and the worst of human behaviour and investigates which factors and emotions can influence the choices we make in given situations. Interviewing subjects from places as far removed as Africa, Russia and Australia, this extraordinary portrayal of our species is at times shocking, deeply moving and uplifting. Covering topics that include modern-day slavery, FGM and child soldiers, this is not for the faint-hearted, but for anyone interested in a deep-dive into how some people perpetrate, overcome or survive extreme adversity (writers take note!), I would say this volume offers invaluable observations and food for thought.

For those with an interest in just how mind-boggling amazing nature can be, Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, takes the reader on a fantastic journey through the enchanting, spectacular and almost unbelievable world of fungi. We’re not just talking mushrooms and toadstools here, but a complete transformation of how we understand the natural world and how this kingdom of organisms has shaped human history. With ninety per cent of their species still undocumented, scientists are only just beginning to comprehend the extent of ecosystems’ reliance on fungal species, without which life as we know it would be unrecognisable. Although mostly accessible, the middle section may require a basic knowledge of biological science, but if you are lacking that don’t let it put you off. As someone with a life-long fascination and love of nature, I have never learnt so much more from a single volume.

My current non-fiction read is Steve Jones’ Y: The Descent of Men, which is informative but less interesting than his Almost Like a Whale.

I look forward to discovering further non-fiction and learning more about humankind and the world we live in.

P.S. Whilst I have no plans as yet to write a whole book of non-fiction, I am enjoying writing shorter pieces, such as my contributions to scififantasynetwork.com (now sadly defunct), essays and snippets of memoir.