Random description I know…
My husband asked for some books that lean more towards groups of facts as opposed to histories, biographies or heavy science.
He just really enjoyed one that did a medium-dive into all the different types of liquids the author encountered on a transatlantic flight. So he ended up with an interesting exposure to jet fuel, wine, sea water, etc.
Any recommendations for more witty/ semi-casual topical nonfiction?
He’s also a big fan of Studs Terkel, Bill Bryson, etc
by thebigmishmash
7 Comments
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
*The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful: Curious and Incredible Facts that Will Blow Your Mind* by Milo Rossi
*The Madman’s Gallery: The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities from the History of Art* by Edward Brooke-Hitching
*The Madman’s Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History* by Edward Brooke-Hitching
*Cars That Time Forgot* by Giles Chapman
*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Automobiles* by Giles Chapman
*Great Maps* by Jerry Brotton
*The Louvre: All the Paintings* by Anja Grebe
*The Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More Than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and Other Artifacts* by Anja Grebe
*Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743* by Anja Grebe
*Great Architecture of the World* by John Julius Norwich (Editor)
*20th Century Architecture* by Jonathan Glancey
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs is a book of small, bite-sized facts. The author set himself the challenge of reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica from A to Z, and this book is the story of that journey. It’s a bit of a memoir and a bit of a compilation of small, unusual facts. This would have been the most boring book in the world in the hands of a less skilled reader, but this one is oddly compelling and hard to put down.
Another one I liked: The Mammoth Book of Oddballs and Eccentrics. It’s a compilation of very short biographies of strange people from throughout history (about a page or so each). It’s fascinating to read about millionaires who are frugal hoarders tunneling through piles of newspapers and hoarded trash in their mansions, or Howard Hughes collecting his own pee jars, or Elvis believing he can control the sprinklers at Graceland through telekinesis.
Spontaneously this makes me think of “the drunken botanist” every other page is about a different plant, how to make which alcohol from it and some historical context
_The Collected What If?_ Robert Cowley, Ed.
_The Disappearing Spoon_ by Sam Kean
Since you mentioned Bill Bryson, I assume he’s read *At Home: A Short History of Private Life*
*Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law* by Mary Roach
*On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation* by Alexandra Horowitz – It was interesting and funny, though sometimes I felt…annoyed by her/her writing style?
*What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions* by Randall Munroe (His web comic is great too, [xkcd.com](https://xkcd.com))
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Fuzz, Stiff, or Packing for Mars by Mary Roach