Most evenings, my husband and I go for a walk through the neighborhood, talking about our days and what we’re reading or watching. When I’m in the middle of a good nonfiction book, it’s almost a guarantee that I will dominate the conversation by sharing all the little facts I’m learning. I preface it with “Do you want to hear all the things I learned today?” and then drop as many of these fun facts as I can recall in the moment. The worst part is when he already knows these weird factoids — he is a scientist, after all. It’s one of the ways I remember the many books I read. If I don’t take notes or recite the same fact over and over again, I’ll likely forget everything a week later. So here are some of my favorite nonfiction books and the weirdest facts they taught me, which are always my first topic when pitching books to people. These are unforgettable. And sorry (not sorry) that so many of them are about poop.
Nonfiction Books and Their Weirdest Facts
If you’re looking for even more nonfiction, be sure to read this list of 8 fascinating books about the ordinary or these 8 new nonfiction books to read this summer. The Checklist Manifesto is a fascinating look at how important checklists are for the mundane and life-threatening jobs of the world. You’d want your doctor to be sure they have the correct patient on the operating table, right? A simple checklist can save you from disaster. Linguist John McWhorter takes on the trajectory of curse words in a linguistic, sociological, political, and historical light in Nine Nasty Words. Mara Altman takes a very Mary Roach approach to the questions she has about the human body — Why do women get told they have to shave their body hair? Why do dogs like sniffing crotches? What makes people faint? — and hunts down experts to answer those questions for her in the hilarious Gross Anatomy. Sue Black is a forensic anthropologist and anatomist who studies human remains to determine a person’s identification and cause of death. Written in Bone tells the story of the skeleton from top to bottom, with anecdotes from her work in the field, where her knowledge of human development was vital. Gory Details is a delightful book full of weird, (sometimes) gross science facts, all with the intention of reminding us that we are animals and life isn’t actually gross. It’s just what it is. Tessa Miller writes candidly about all the shit she’s gone through with Crohn’s and other diseases/infections/horrifying experiences in What Doesn’t Kill You. I am in awe of her strength. Angela Garbes holds nothing back in this feminist take on every aspect of pregnancy, from biology to sociology. Asa Akira is a porn star and her memoir is a fascinating look at the porn industry, sexuality, and feminism. Insatiable is a fun collection of her hilarious stories about working in the business.
