Favorite Non-Fiction Author?

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KristineNicole
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Re: Favorite Non-Fiction Author?

Post by KristineNicole »

Kiera Van Gelder. Her book 'The Buddha And The Borderline' was a harrowing read.
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Kiwiwriter
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Post by Kiwiwriter »

jamespoet wrote:I love the memiors of Frank McCourt. Anything even remotely irish just sucks me in.
I had the good luck to have him as my writing teacher in the late 1970s in high school, and he remained one of my job references until his death in 2003.

On Fridays, we had "reading days," when we had to read original works. When we ran out of fresh material, he would take out take out a battered notebook and read his stuff about "Danny the Fit" and growing up in poverty in Limerick in Ireland. It was gripping. But he was just another schoolteacher, doing cookie cop duty in the lunchroom and stamping late passes. His brother was mildly well-known as a radio motormouth and occasional actor.

Flash forward to 20 years later. I am sitting in my office in New Zealand, reading his brand-new memoir, and it all sounds so familiar. Astonished, I call him by phone -- yes, I still had his number. Yes, he answered. He was amazed to hear my voice, and we had a good conversation.

He expressed his own bemusement and amazement at having supermodels who could hide behind a pencil coming up to him and saying his book was wonderful and had inspired him, and how now he was considered an oracle on everything, while as a school teacher. Nobody listened to him then.

I said, "Well, I listened to you. And I would not be a journalist and writer if I had not. So I'm grateful."

Long silence at the other end of the phone in Manhattan, 9,851 miles away.

"Thank you, David," he said.
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suzy1124
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Post by suzy1124 »

K.W.....Wow!....very interesting story!....thanks...
" We don't see things as they are but as we are "

Carpe Diem!

Suzy...
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Kiwiwriter
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Post by Kiwiwriter »

suzy1124 wrote:K.W.....Wow!....very interesting story!....thanks...
You're very welcome.

He was one of my job references on my resume until his death in 2003.
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javedrd2000
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Post by javedrd2000 »

Rachel Carson - "Silent Springs"
Deepak Chopra - "Ageless Body Timeless Mind"
Susan Cain - "Quiet"
Nyomi Clein - "The Shock Doctrine"

It's hard just to pick only one.
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Eric Morris
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Post by Eric Morris »

Easily Erik Larsen, who writes narrative history. Devil in the White City is an amazing accomplishment, as is In the Garden of Beasts. His newest book, Dead Wake, is also receiving extremely good reviews. He has a furiously paced narrative style that reads like a novel, but he stays well within the confines of non-fic requirements and does not take very many liberties with the overall story.
Tell me something...You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
cap78
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Post by cap78 »

David McCullough is amazing
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Max Tyrone
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Post by Max Tyrone »

Besides my favorite existentialist philosophers, I've enjoyed Truman Capote's non-fiction works, like In Cold Blood and his short story A Christmas Memory. His words flow like music.
"No battle is ever won ... victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools."
- William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury
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Kiwiwriter
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Post by Kiwiwriter »

cap78 wrote:David McCullough is amazing
Just saw him give a lecture at NJPAC, and got his autograph on my books...superb writer and wordsmith.

He does not use Google or Wikipedia...and he types everything on an electric typewriter.
cap78
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Post by cap78 »

Kiwiwriter wrote:
cap78 wrote:David McCullough is amazing
Just saw him give a lecture at NJPAC, and got his autograph on my books...superb writer and wordsmith.

He does not use Google or Wikipedia...and he types everything on an electric typewriter.
I have the John Adams mini-series on DVD and it came with a documentary of him, showing how he does his writing...his little writing building in his backyard is amazing
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Kiwiwriter
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Post by Kiwiwriter »

cap78 wrote:
Kiwiwriter wrote:
cap78 wrote:David McCullough is amazing
Just saw him give a lecture at NJPAC, and got his autograph on my books...superb writer and wordsmith.

He does not use Google or Wikipedia...and he types everything on an electric typewriter.
I have the John Adams mini-series on DVD and it came with a documentary of him, showing how he does his writing...his little writing building in his backyard is amazing
I have the DVD too, and now I'm going to watch the documentary! THANKS!
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camerocs
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Post by camerocs »

Malcolm Gladwell, Allen Miller, John Maxwell, and Steven K Scott most defintieyl have to be my favorites! I think I favor Gladwellonly because at heart he truly is an historian! His audo books are absolutely insane and his latest work David and Goliath is an utter classic!!
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kimmyschemy06
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

I suddenly realized I'm not much into non-fiction :D There was this one Filipino writer who wrote about his experience during the World War II, it was entitled 'Last Man Off Bataan'. His name was CARLOS P. ROMULO. He was a diplomat, statesman, journalist and a book author. He was also a President of UN General Assembly at one time. I felt so proud to be a Filipina when I read his book.
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Mike_Lang
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Post by Mike_Lang »

First one that comes to mind is Bill Bryson. As a matter of fact, he's the only non-fiction writer I read frequently enough to remember off the top of my head.
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Bball1118
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Post by Bball1118 »

Laura Hillenbrand. Seabiscuit and Unbroken are near perfect. Whatever she decides to do next, I'm in.
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