Tag Archives: Non-fiction

On The Map – Simon Garfield

Nowadays we take maps for granted; they’re an everyday part of life and something that most of us have grown up with without giving too much thought to. We use maps all the time without really thinking about it; when we use a satnav to get from A to B, when we check a weather app that uses GPS to find our current location, when we’re trying to work out how to get from Charing Cross to South Kensington on the tube. It wasn’t always this way however; in his book On The Map, Simon Garfield takes us on a tour through world history charting the way in which maps have evolved over time and what they can tell us about the way the world has changed with them.

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David & Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

We all know the story of David & Goliath – the giant soldier felled by the lowly shepherd, proving that underdogs shouldn’t be underestimated. What if we’ve got that story the wrong way round though, what if David wasn’t in fact such an underdog? This is one of the questions posed by Malcolm Gladwell in his latest book, as he challenges the reader to consider whether our perception of what makes an underdog, or what constitutes a disadvantage, is actually correct. In the case of David the shepherd, could it be that he was in fact ideally suited to fighting Goliath on his own terms, and that the soldier was doomed the moment the lowly shepherd stepped up?

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The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat – Oliver Sacks

For many of us the thought of suffering from any type of neurological disorder is enough to fill us with dread. Any loss of memory, mental facilities or awareness can be a terrifying prospect for ourselves, and heartbreaking to see in a loved one. Over many years of work, Dr Oliver Sacks has worked with patients suffering from a dizzying array of afflictions, from phantom limbs to Tourette’s, from visions and psychoses to autism and Parkinson’s. In this book from 1985 he tells the stories of a number of these patients in clear, human detail.

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Creativity, Inc – Ed Catmull

While Ed Catmull may not be a household name, chances are most of us will be familiar with the companies he runs. As co-founder of Pixar and president of both Pixar and Disney he provides the leadership for two of the most exciting, inspirational companies that exist today and is uniquely placed to give an insider’s insight into how these creative powerhouses tick. Creativity, Inc. draws upon his experiences with both of these companies to provide a fascinating, thought-provoking read that’s equal parts autobiography, history of Pixar and management bible.

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Lost at Sea – Jon Ronson

What connects Deal or No Deal, Stanley Kubrick, and real-life superheroes? To most of us the answer would be ‘not very much’, but to Jon Ronson they’re all sources of fascinating stories that shine a light on some of the weird and wonderful lives that people lead. Collecting together various articles previously published in magazines and newspapers, Lost at Sea offers a look at the world through Ronson’s eyes as he meets people living in and dealing with all sorts of situations from the bizarre to the traumatising.

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Religion for Atheists – Alain de Botton

In today’s increasingly secular world it’s worth posing the question of whether the non-religious among us (be they atheist, agnostic or simply not interested) might be missing out on something. After all, religions must be doing something right for people to remain involved despite the way in which science and technology have changed our world. Alain de Botton has clearly given this question some thought, the result of which is a beautifully written, clear and articulate book that proves genuinely thought-provoking at every turn.

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All Gone to Look for America – Peter Millar

It’s approximately 3,000 miles from the east coast of America to the west, about 5 times the distance from Lands End to John O’Groats. Go back 150 years or so to the early days of the USA, and it was pretty much an insurmountable distance. That is, until the advent of the railway. Given America’s history with the railroad it seems a crying shame that only about 10% of rail journeys nowadays are made by passengers – all the rest is freight. In writing All Gone to Look for America, Peter Millar has given us a beer- and music-fuelled insight into the America of today as seen from the windows of the Hiawatha, the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder, grand old dames of the American railroad.

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