I've been enjoying books like Purified By Fire, Stiff, Cannibalism, Gory Details, Rogues, Radium Girls, The Nocturnal Brain, and Why We Sleep. I find myself really fascinated lately by the history of things not many people know about (like the history of cremation in Purified By Fire). Morbid stuff definitely grabs my attention more, but I'm open to anything interesting! Memoirs are fine too, I just really enjoy learning. I'd also probably enjoy any "how it's made" type of books if that's a thing. I don't mind if they're older because I enjoy seeing how things have changed over time (for example, Unhinged: The Trouble with Psychiatry – A Doctor's Revelations about a Profession in Crisis).
I do have a lot on my To Be Read list like more Mary Roach, The Birds That Audubon Missed, Breath, Pathogenesis, Caste, Our Native Bees, The Nature of Oaks, The Anxious Generation, Code Girls, The Secret Life of Henrietta Lacks, Dark Tide, and more. But I can never get enough! Haha I like to have lots of options
by seashellbee93
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Not sure if it’s obscure or not, but there’s a book from the mid 1900s called the Anxiety Makers by Alex Comfort. Haven’t read it yet but from what I’ve heard it’s good
*Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time* by Dava Sobel.
Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd
The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris
If you like morbid stuff, have you read any Caitlin Doughty? She’s a mortician and has several books about death practices and working in a crematorium.
Other books you might like:
A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Broad Band: the Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet by Claire L. Evans
The Franklin Scandal by Nick Bryant
i just finished the indifferent stars above by daniel james brown and couldn’t put it down. about the donner party
I recently ran across “Atomic Adventures” by James Mahaffey in Audible’s Plus library and added it but haven’t yet gotten around to listening yet. Might be something you’re interested in.
Basically it’s about the atomic world from its genesis to today.
# An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner
Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales
How We Die By Sherwin Nuland
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
Pox Romana by Colin Elliott
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell
The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon’s Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of WWI
I don’t know about obscure, but these are fairly niche:
Feet in the Clouds and Today we die a little, both by Richard Askwith. The first is a history of Fell Running in the UK, told through several of it’s more famous runners. The second is a biography of Emil Zatopek, an incredible middle distance runner notable for winning gold medals in the 1952 Olympics in 5k, 10k and marathon.
Lanterne Rouge by Max Leonard is about the last finishers in the Tour de France.
Learning to Breathe by Andy Cave is an autobiography covering the author’s early life and climbing career, moving from his life in the coalfields (and strikes) of 1980s Yorkshire through to groundbreaking Alpine and Himalayan climbs.