Best non-fiction reads of 15 years (in no particular order)
Discover the best non-fiction reads of the last 15 years in this curated list. Explore top-rated books across genres, from memoirs to science, for insightful and transformative reading.
Book
Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi
The great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor and the daughter of ardent Marxists describes growing up in Tehran in a country plagued by political upheaval and …
Book
Summerhill School
by A. S. Neill
Originally published in 1960, Summerhill became an instant bestseller and a classic volume of education for an entire generation. Now, this thoroughly expanded and revised …
Book
The Mystery of Capital
by Hernando De Soto
In the West we've forgotten that creating this system is also what allowed people everywhere to leverage property into wealth.
Book
Discourses on Livy
by Niccolo Machiavelli
Machiavelli's commentary on Livy's history of Rome sets out his fundamental preference for a republican state. This translation is richly annotated, providing the contemporary reader …
Book
The Emperor
by Ryszard Kapuscinski
A "sensitive, powerful ... history" (The New York Review of Books) of a man living amidst nearly unimaginable pomp and luxury while his people teetered …
Book
Shah of Shahs
by Ryszard Kapuscinski
"Insightful and important.... A readable, timely and valuable contribution to the understanding of the revolutionary forces at work in Iran.... The reader almost becomes a …
Book
Three Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortenson
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who …
Book
Our Babies, Ourselves
by Meredith Small
A thought-provoking combination of practical parenting information and scientific analysis, Our Babies, Ourselves is the first book to explore why we raise our children the …
Book
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas S. Kuhn
Thomas S. Kuhn's classic book is now available with a new index.
Book
The Great Transformation
by Karl Polanyi
In this classic work of economic history and social theory, Karl Polanyi analyzes the economic and social changes brought about by the "great transformation" of …
Book
The Coming Anarchy
by Robert D. Kaplan
Robert Kaplan, bestselling author of Balkan Ghosts, offers up scrupulous, far-ranging insights on the world to come in a spirited, rousing, and provocative book that …
Book
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
by Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon's six-volume History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) is among the most magnificent and ambitious narratives in European literature. …
Book
Dialogues and Essays
by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Stoic philosopher and tutor to the young emperor Nero, Seneca wrote moral essays - exercises in practical philosophy - on how to live in a …
Book
Awareness
by Anthony De Mello
“Wisdom from one of the greatest spiritual masters of our time.”—James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage The heart of Anthony de Mello's bestselling …