Top 3 Non-fiction Books that will change the way you think
In 2020, I had spent most part of the year away from my family. Going out a few times and mostly for grocery runs.
So, I ended up reading a lot of books, which I normally don’t do. So I thought, I should recommend someone to read a new book which would make their reading experience totally awesome.
These books are not completely fiction or nonfiction and each has a unique offering. They ended up changing the way I perceive things and interpret the world around me.
- The Brain: The Story of You
This book is super amazing and a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered what goes in that tiny little brains of ours. David, who is the author of this book very beautifully explains the various aspects of the human brain through a set of easy to understand scientific experiments.
Neuroscience is such a fascinating field and reading this book left me in awe of what our brain can achieve. Our brains are so complex that even an attempt to replicate a human brain would take years and years. The closest the scientists have some is to replicate some parts of a rat’s brain.
This book is certainly an eye-opener with things going in our head which we are so oblivious to. Of course, I won’t spoil the book for you. If you have a kindle membership, you can get it for free :) (That's how I got it :P).
Goodreads: 4.3/5
My favorite quote from the book which left me pondering:
2. Factfulness
One of my friends recommended this to me, initially when I started reading it I was confused and conflicted as to what the book told about the current state of the world. The title itself says “Ten reasons we are wrong about the world- and why things are better than you think”.The author has prepared datasets along with an explanation to prove his point. He wrote this book while he was on his death bed. He has collated all the learnings and experiences of his life during his visit to several countries around the world as a doctor.
The book states that the vast majority of human beings are wrong about the state of the world. The first few pages contain a quiz asking the readers to estimate the current global trends related to the issues like poverty, living standards of people, population, etc which most of the people end up performing really bad on.
Fun fact: I was reading the book “The moment of lift” by Melinda Gates. She tells in her book how she met the author Hans Rosling and has watched and learned a lot from him and recommends everyone to read his book.
Goodreads: 4.35/5
3. The Old man and the Sea
This book tells the story of a man who is stuck in a sea trying to fish the biggest whale he finds. His perseverance, courage, and grit to achieve his goal are amazing. Despite his old age and weak body, he stays there in the sea for several days trying to get the fish. The story takes us on a journey of an alone man in the vast sea. The man has several thoughts on his adventure, his life lived and the life ahead. Several doubts and fears.
The book draws a parallel to our daily life. The endless thoughts we have when we embark on new challenges. One can closely relate to the book and while reading the book it feels like the thoughts of the old man are your own thoughts.
Goodreads: 3.8/5
The book lies in both fiction and non-fiction category. My favorite quote from the book:
I hope you find these books enriching and feel encouraged to give them a read :)
