60 of the best non-fiction books to read before you die

Non-fiction books are a great way to learn about the world around us, from history to science to personal experiences. With so many books out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's why we've compiled a list of 60 of the best non-fiction books to read, each with a brief explanation of what it's about.

1. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot - This book tells the story of a woman whose cancer cells were taken without her consent and used in medical research, leading to countless medical breakthroughs.

2. "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari - This book covers the history of humanity, from the evolution of our species to the rise of modern civilizations.

3. "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander - This book examines the ways in which the criminal justice system perpetuates racial inequality and discrimination.

4. "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert - This book explores the current mass extinction of species and its causes, including human activity.

5. "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" by Siddhartha Mukherjee - This book traces the history of cancer and the efforts to understand and treat it.

6. "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption" by Bryan Stevenson - This book tells the story of a lawyer working to defend poor and wrongly convicted individuals in the American South.

7. "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup" by John Carreyrou - This book details the rise and fall of the biotech company Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes, who committed fraud by falsely claiming to have developed a revolutionary blood-testing device.

8. "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson - This book tells the story of the mass migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West during the 20th century.

9. "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman - This book explores the two systems of thought that drive human decision-making, and the biases that can lead us astray.

10. "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America" by Erik Larson - This book tells the intertwined stories of the architects behind the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the serial killer who used the fair to lure victims.

11. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell - This book explores the factors that contribute to success, from natural talent to cultural background to luck.

12. "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls - This memoir tells the story of the author's unconventional upbringing by her parents, who were often homeless and struggled with addiction.

13. "Educated" by Tara Westover - This memoir tells the story of the author's journey from a remote mountain town in Idaho to earning a PhD from Cambridge University, despite growing up in a family that rejected formal education.

14. "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg - This book explores the science of habit formation and how we can use this knowledge to make positive changes in our lives.

15. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change" by Stephen Covey - This book outlines seven habits that can help individuals become more effective in their personal and professional lives.

16. "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote - This true crime book tells the story of the brutal murder of a Kansas family and the investigation that followed.

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18. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" by Jonathan Haidt - This book explores the psychological and moral foundations of political and religious beliefs.

19. "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs - This book critiques modern urban planning and argues for more organic, community-focused approaches to city building.

20. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu - This ancient Chinese military treatise has been studied and applied in a variety of fields, from business to sports to politics.

21. "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared Diamond - This book explores the factors that led to the dominance of certain societies and the subjugation of others, including geographic and environmental factors.

22. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain - This book argues for a greater understanding and appreciation of introverted individuals and their contributions to society.

23. "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This classic guide to writing and grammar is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their writing skills.

24. "The Anatomy of Fascism" by Robert O. Paxton - This book provides a historical and political analysis of fascism, its origins, and its characteristics.

25. "The Gene: An Intimate History" by Siddhartha Mukherjee - This book explores the history and science of genetics, and the ethical and social implications of genetic research.

26. "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power" by Shoshana Zuboff - This book examines the ways in which tech companies have commodified and monetized our personal data, and the implications for privacy and democracy.

27. "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York" by Robert A. Caro - This biography of Robert Moses, the mastermind behind much of New York City's infrastructure, provides a detailed account of his life and influence.

28. "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" by Matthew Desmond - This book follows the lives of several families as they struggle with poverty and eviction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

29. "The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness" by Sy Montgomery - This book explores the intelligence, emotions, and personalities of octopuses and the implications for our understanding of consciousness.

30. "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" by Yuval Noah Harari - This book explores the future of humanity, including the potential for artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and other technological advances.

31. "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates - This book is a letter from the author to his son, exploring the experience of being a black man in America and the systemic racism that continues to exist.

32. "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin - This groundbreaking work of science lays out the theory of evolution by natural selection and its implications for our understanding of the natural world.

33. "The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World" by Andrea Wulf - This biography of Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer, explores his contributions to our understanding of nature and the environment.

34. "The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement" by David Brooks - This book explores the unconscious motivations and emotions that shape our behavior and decision-making.

35. "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk - This book examines the ways in which trauma

36. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" by Bessel van der Kolk - This book examines the ways in which trauma affects the body and mind, and offers insights into effective treatments for trauma.

37. "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" by Siddhartha Mukherjee - This book provides a comprehensive history of cancer, from its first recorded appearances to modern treatments.

38. "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert - This book explores the current mass extinction event caused by human activity and its potential consequences.

39. "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins - This influential book popularized the idea of the "selfish gene," arguing that genes, rather than organisms, are the fundamental unit of evolution.

40. "The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined" by Steven Pinker - This book argues that violence has declined over the course of human history, and explores the factors that have contributed to this decline.

41. "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman - This book explores the two systems of thinking that humans use, and how they affect our decision-making processes.

42. "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells - This book explores the potential consequences of climate change and the urgent need for action to mitigate its effects.

43. "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander - This book examines the ways in which the American criminal justice system perpetuates racial inequality, particularly through the mass incarceration of Black Americans.

44. "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking - This book provides an accessible introduction to complex scientific concepts, including the nature of time and the origins of the universe.

45. "The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right" by Atul Gawande - This book explores the power of checklists in improving performance and reducing errors in fields such as medicine, aviation, and construction.

46. "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari - This book provides an overview of human history, from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the present day, and explores the factors that have shaped our development as a species.

47. "The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James - This classic work of psychology explores the diversity of religious experiences and their implications for our understanding of the human mind.

48. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures" by Anne Fadiman - This book tells the true story of a Hmong child with epilepsy and the clash between her family's cultural beliefs and the Western medical system.

49. "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach - This book provides a humorous and informative exploration of the various uses of human cadavers in science, medicine, and art.

50. "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson - This book tells the story of the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans left the South for northern and western cities in search of better opportunities.

51. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot - This book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells were used without her knowledge or consent to create the first immortal human cell line.

52. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas S. Kuhn - This influential book argues that scientific knowledge is not a linear accumulation of

53. "The Sixth Sense: Fear" by Lawrence Osborne - In this installment of the "The Sixth Sense" series, Osborne explores the nature of fear and how it has evolved throughout human history.

54. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu - This ancient Chinese text provides insights into the nature of conflict and offers strategies for achieving victory.

55. "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White - This classic guide to writing provides practical advice on grammar, punctuation, and style.

56. "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers - In this book based on their conversations, Campbell and Moyers explore the role of mythology in human culture and its continuing relevance today.

57. "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan - This book argues for the importance of critical thinking and scientific inquiry in the face of superstition and pseudoscience.

58. "The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary" by Simon Winchester - This book tells the story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary and the people who contributed to it.

59. "The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm - This book explores the nature of love and offers insights into how to cultivate meaningful and fulfilling relationships.

60. "The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography" by Simon Singh - This book provides a history of cryptography and explores the ways in which codes and ciphers have been used throughout human history.

61. "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - This book explores the role of rare, unpredictable events in shaping human history and offers insights into how to navigate uncertainty.

62. "The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World" by Eric Weiner - In this humorous and insightful book, Weiner travels the world in search of happiness and explores the cultural factors that contribute to well-being.