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Fun. Legolas Send a noteboard - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM
1. Do you read non-fiction on a regular basis? If so, what do you typically read?

I wouldn't say regular, but occasionally. Probably just a couple of non-fiction books a year.
2. Do you enjoy (whether you have read it recently or not) any of the following categories of books?

- history

Yes.
- biography

Haven't read many of those... in fact not sure if I've read any, except for a class or two. But can be interesting, sure.
- religion

If it's part-religion, part-history, like for instance the works of Karen Armstrong tend to be, yes. Purely religious, not really.
- world cultures

Yes.
- science and mathematics

Very rarely. I can probably count the amount of books in that category I read of my own choice on the fingers of one hand.
- political theory

Sure. Still need to read Machiavelli.
- philosophy

Not really.
- art and architecture (including film and TV)

Very rarely as well.
- psychology

I don't know about pure psychology, but I've enjoyed some works that had a fair bit to do with it, sure.
- literary criticism

Yes.
3. What is your favorite work of non-fiction (please exclude religious/devotional works from this question)?

That's tricky, not that I have that many to pick from. I'd say either A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin, or The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara Tuchman.
4. Would you be interested in reviews of non-fiction books on this site?

Certainly. If I ever make it through Fisk, I'll reply to your review.
5. Have you read any non-fiction book recently that was terrible? If so, what?

Nothing comes to mind.
6. Was there a non-fiction book that you read that changed the way you thought or felt about world issues (again, please exclude religious and devotional works from this question) ?

Sure, plenty of history books and others have given me more nuanced and better informed views of the world... but I can't think of any that did so very radically.
7. Do you consider books about the occult to be non-fiction or fiction? Why?

Well, as the people writing them, or at least the people reading them, seem to believe that they're about real things, I'd have to say non-fiction - in the same category as most religious writings, I guess.
8. In your personal library at home, what percentage of your books are non-fiction?

Eh, it kind of depends on how you define "personal library" - a lot of the books on my bookshelves were inherited from parents or grandparents and the like, i.e. not chosen, purchased or even read by me. Some of those, perhaps 20%, are non-fiction, including an 8-book world history series that I did read many times as a kid. But as for books that I bought myself or was given individually, excluding textbooks for school, probably no more than 10%.
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Non-Fiction survey Tom - 14/09/2009 05:38:04 PM 1152 Views
Heh. jh - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 837 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 659 Views
Nah... jh - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 689 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 848 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 743 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1290 Views
Fun. Legolas - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 933 Views
Machiavelli is a good case study for translation vs. original language Tom - 14/09/2009 06:48:46 PM 691 Views
Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 876 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Tom - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 754 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Rebekah - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 778 Views
You're going to force me to start a Dan Brown discussion in a different thread. Tom - 14/09/2009 09:00:32 PM 690 Views
Well, I can do it here, no worries, just think of it as non-non-fiction. jh - 14/09/2009 09:06:34 PM 748 Views
This is pretty much it. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 751 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 793 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 687 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 646 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey mapthis - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 682 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting Tom - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 704 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting mapthis - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 701 Views
So nossy - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 669 Views
Re: So mapthis - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 654 Views
I do read sometimes. Craig - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 883 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... Tom - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 740 Views
Added to The List. *NM* Craig - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 309 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. Camilla - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 773 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Tom - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 720 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Camilla - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 775 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey random thoughts - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 887 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 338 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson random thoughts - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 753 Views
Thanks! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 348 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ranagrande - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 681 Views
I'm sorry. I just can't take "pro wrestling" seriously enough to comment on it beyond this. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:15:13 AM 328 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! ranagrande - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 910 Views
Sweet nossy - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 844 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete Tom - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 733 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... Legolas - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 836 Views
I need to read more American Indian books random thoughts - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 689 Views
Good survey! smaug - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 828 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? Tom - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 671 Views
Intent. Craig - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 704 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. smaug - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 732 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Chas - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 723 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 359 Views
It's under consideration. Chas - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 595 Views
I read a lot of it for my classes, so I read very little of it for leisure. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 12:46:23 AM 770 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 701 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 334 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 632 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Vodalus - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 751 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... Tom - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 715 Views
great survey. Avendesora - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 898 Views
Re: great survey. Tom - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 746 Views
Interesting questions! Sophy - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 843 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but Tom - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 790 Views
That's the English titel yes! Sophy - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 974 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Jonielle - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 936 Views
Try reading something new you think you'd like and post a review! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:11:47 PM 294 Views
Books on Napoleon.... Napoleon62 - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 724 Views
Narcissist. *NM* Craig - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 300 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 294 Views
i like non-fiction! temeraire - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 772 Views
Lots of people have recommended The Omnivore's Dilemma to me *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:14:09 PM 343 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 974 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ajah - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 756 Views
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