Every year I come out with a list, in no particular order, of the best nonfiction books I’ve read in the preceding 12 months (I will provide links at the end to previous years’ lists) along with short descriptions of what I liked about each. This year I couldn’t narrow it down to 15, so you get 20 recommendations. Call it literary inflation.
Also, after last year’s list was published, I got an email from a reader who decried that I had so few titles by female authors on my list (fair enough). This time I made a special effort to include a majority of books written by women.
The Trump Gold Card: A New $1 Million Pathway To A U.S. Green Card
A new proposal would let wealthy foreign nationals secure an opportunity for a U.S. green card with a $1 million 'gift' to the government, sparking legal and ethical debate.
One last thing before we get to it: I’ll note that almost all the links go to Amazon because that is still the easiest place to get information about and to ultimately purchase most books. I do encourage you to go to your local independent bookstore instead if you’re able to.
Alright then, here we go:
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez
It holds up. Much of the Arctic has been lost since this book was written, but you can still experience something of its wonders.
Why Your Practice Is Burning Money And How You Can Do Better
Our expert panel explores common sources of profit leakage along with practical steps for improvement.
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Ritchie
Yet, we are not doomed. Most of us could use a reminder of that, as well as some practical advice on how to make the future less awful than it otherwise might be.
The Last Stand of the Raven Clan: A Story of Imperial Ambition, Native Resistance and How the Tlingit-Russian War Shaped a Continent by Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees
Russia wasn’t any better at invading foreign countries 220-some years ago than it is today. Maybe they should give it up. Although it does result in some satisfying reads.
For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History by Sarah Rose
Is there anything the British didn’t steal? That being said, you can’t help but admire the tenacity of the chief protagonist.
The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart
After all that imperialism, you’re probably going to need something a little stronger than tea. You might as well drink in this handsome volume while you’re at it. Get boozing!
Anatomy of a Rose: Exploring The Secret Life of Flowers by Sharman Apt Russell
Botany isn’t all about booze. It’s only mostly about booze. Anyhow, this book is an accessible and beautifully written entry into the science behind flowers.
The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource by Chris Hayes
You are, at this very moment, reading an article about books you might want to read. So you are probably not one of the people most in need of this particular book. You will nonetheless enjoy it, and will find yourself nodding along.
Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis, Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell
As I write this, we are in the longest federal government shutdown in history. “DOGE Impact” has been cited as the leading reason for job cuts so far this year. Federal workers have been devalued and demonized. Here you will find many stark examples of why that is unfair, unwise, and wrong.
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
The only thing worse than Trump is the mindless army of sycophants catering to his every whim. Even so, today’s Democrats need to remember how their predecessors actually got things done if they are ever going to successfully banish fascism back to the annals of history. Do not miss this bold vision for the future of politics and progress.
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell
Virginia Hall was among the most competent clandestine fighters of fascism in WWII despite (or maybe because of) being someone who’d be criticized as a DEI hire today. It’s an unforgettable real-life spy thriller full of lessons that we still haven’t learned.
The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Maybe fighting out in the open is more your thing. For any lover of freedom, the women profiled herein are an inspiration.
Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country by Sierra Crane Murdoch
Not a feel-good story, albeit an important one. You know what? Maybe don’t read this on a rainy day.
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt
I acquired a copy of this book years ago and put off reading it, not because it didn’t look great, but in the hope that it would become obsolete with the arrival of the self-driving future. Yeah, not a chance on that one. Just as relevant today as it was when it was written, and set to be relevant indefinitely, you will get a better grasp on all the things we get wrong about driving, not to mention human nature.
Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Perhaps you’d like to read about some of the animals we are killing. It is a testament to Rundell’s writing that this book is a delight, considering its subject matter.
Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals by Christopher J. Preston
This title pairs perfectly with the previous one. Again, the planet is not doomed, people just need to get off their asses and do something about the real problems in the world.
A Love Affair with Birds: The Life of Thomas Sadler Roberts by Sue Leaf
Don’t overlook these great little biographies that abound in the literary world. The stakes are just right in this overview of the life of the “father of Minnesota ornithology.” You really do not need or want to always be reading about a head of state or whatever to gain real insight into the past and into people, then and now.
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
If you’re in the mood, you will be entertained. Roach’s approach is not always for me, though this book is my favorite of hers that I’ve read thus far.
Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer
Ah, Cuba. Made me feel like I was back in Havana, smoldering stogie clenched firmly between my teeth.
Everything Lost Is Found Again: Four Seasons in Lesotho by Will McGrath
Lesotho has been in the news a few times recently as a result of Donald Trump making fun of its obscurity and/or slapping a huge unreasonable tariff on it. The president’s nonsense aside, McGrath has produced here a moving, hilarious, tragic, and ultimately enlightening chronicle of his (McGrath’s) time there.
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson
“Unmask Alice” was given to me by a dear friend to read on my plane ride to Europe because she “need[ed] someone to be as enraged about the satanic panic” as she was. It did not disappoint. Keep an eye on the publisher, BenBella Books, which really puts out some exciting stuff.
Finally, just in case you need 75 more nonfiction recommendations, here are links to the previous installments:
15 Best Nonfiction Books To Read Yourself Or Give As Gifts, None Of Them Memoirs Or About Politics
15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books You Dare Not Overlook For Your 2024 Reading List
15 Of The Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books To Add To Your Reading List In 2023 And Beyond
15 More Excellent General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Second Year Of The Pandemic
15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Worst Year Of Everyone’s Life
It is my solemn guarantee that if you spend more time reading nonfiction than you do on social media, you will be better at your job, you will feel better about yourself, and people of all genders will find you more sexually intriguing. Go out there and take that to the bank.
Jonathan Wolf is a civil litigator and author of Your Debt-Free JD (affiliate link). He has taught legal writing, written for a wide variety of publications, and made it both his business and his pleasure to be financially and scientifically literate. Any views he expresses are probably pure gold, but are nonetheless solely his own and should not be attributed to any organization with which he is affiliated. He wouldn’t want to share the credit anyway. He can be reached at [email protected].