One of my favorite General Ed classes in college was a history class called The World Since 1945. One of the reasons I loved it was that the professor had us read something like eight books about history and social issues throughout the semester, and in the labs we discussed the books. For me it was a turning point because I discovered that I can, in fact, read--and enjoy--non-fiction. Today I want to share with you a list of non-fiction books that are totally readable (non-fiction isn't always dry and boring). P.S. These aren't self-help books, either, because those aren't really my thing.
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
Who hasn't heard the story of Malala? When the Taliban took over the valley where Malala's family lived, she and her father continued to fight for girls' education, and eventually she was attacked and shot by the Taliban, and miraculously survived. Since then she has made her life's mission to fight for girls' right to education. In addition the book will give you a taste of Pakistani and Muslim culture. Personally I don't think the writing in this book was stellar, but the book is definitely worth reading.
Thieves of State - Why Corruption Threatens Global Security by Sarah Chayes
In this book, Chayes makes a compelling case that corruption is the cause (not a side result) of extremism and instability. She examines historical events as well as current instability in the Middle East and the role that corruption has played in these events. When governments are so corrupt that they are basically criminal gangs, the people get frustrated and tend to look to sources like religious extremism as the antidote to the problem, which results in groups like ISIS, the Taliban, and Boko Haram gaining power and inciting violence. And when world leaders trying to "help" these countries ignore the corruption, saying they'll deal with it once there's more stability, it makes them look complicit. This isn't just a third world problem, either--corruption is becoming more and more rampant in the US government, and ignoring it puts us at risk.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
This book will give you a sense of what it's like to live under a Taliban regime. It's the story of Kamila Sidiqi and her family and how they survived in Kabul when the Taliban seized control of the city. The women were forced to wear the burqa and remain completely covered (even their veils were more like tents with a slit of sheer fabric for them to see through) and never go in public without a male escort who was a family member--or risk getting beaten up by the Taliban. They were basically confined to their homes. Kamila's father and older brother had to leave the city, leaving the women and a younger brother to provide for themselves. Kamila started a sewing business in their home in order to support the family (she had to be escorted to the market by her little brother to buy supplies and do business transactions), and the business ended up growing enough to create work for many other women in the neighborhood.
The Stone Manger--The Untold Story of the First Christmas by Jeffrey R. Chadwick
This is the Nativity story as told by BYU professor of archaeology and religious studies Jeffrey R. Chadwick. Generally the story we tell about Christ's birth is that a Joseph and Mary were forced to make a last minute trip to Bethlehem to pay taxes, and while there Mary gave birth in a barn surrounded by cows and pigs and mounds of hay, then put the baby in a wooden manger filled with hay. The more probable story is rather different, and in many ways more inspiring and insightful. The book itself is very readable and only 133 pages.
Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales
If you think slavery ended after the Civil War (I did, for a long time), you're wrong. Throughout the world, slavery and human trafficking are a widespread problem, but it looks different in the modern, global economy. (For more on this topic I highly recommended looking up Operation Underground Railroad and following their Facebook page.)
Kon-Tiki: Across The Pacific In A Raft by Thor Heyerdahl
This is the story of five men who challenged commonly accepted theories about the origins of the Polynesians by constructing a raft and sailing with five men from Peru to Polynesia, proving that the Polynesians' claims that they came from South America are plausible. This book was surprisingly riveting, not dry and boring at all.
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
This book makes a compelling case that the key to progress in developing countries is creating opportunity for women. They outline strategies that work (education in particular is
super important) and share inspiring stories about many women who have risen out of horrible conditions to accomplish great things for their families and communities.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
If you've read
1984, imagine somebody reading that book and instead of being horrified, thinking, "Hmmm, that sounds like a great idea. I'm going to do that." That's North Korea. Demick interviewed six people who escaped from North Korea to South Korea and tells their stories in this book. North Korea has been fairly prevalent in the news of late, and I think a lot of people don't realize just how horrible conditions are for the majority of people there.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
This book tells the stories of Jung Chang and her mother and grandmother. The story begins with her grandmother's experiences as a warlord's concubine (complete with foot-binding), tells about her mother's experiences as part of the rising Communist party and how the family was impacted by the Cultural Revolution, and finishes with Jung Chang's experiences growing up in Communist China. It was pretty eye-opening to read this book and then look around at the Chinese grandmothers with the babies at the Baity Hill playground and realize they had lived through this.
Iran Awakening: One Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country by Shirin Ebadi and Azadeh Moaveni
This is the story of Shirin Ebadi, who became the first female judge in Iran and was then demoted to a clerk after the Iran Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini led to Sharia Law being instituted in Iran. She became a human right's activist in Iran and as a lawyer represented many women and children who were not receiving justice, and for a time she was thrown in jail for her work. In 2003 she won the Nobel Prize. I appreciated that this book helped me understand the history of Iran, what life is like there, and why Iran hates the United States so much. FYI, the author doesn't really talk about the nuclear weapons program because that's not her purpose.
Sisters in War: A Story of Love, Family, and Survival in the New Iraq by Christina Asquith
This is the story of a family's experiences during the U.S. occupation in Iraq. The consequences for women after the invasion (especially with the rise of religious extremism) were something I hadn't known about before, so the book really opened my eyes. This book reads more like a novel than non-fiction.
Hiroshima by John Hersey
This book tells about the day the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima through the memories of survivors. Only 152 pages long.
