10 best non-fiction books of the last half century according to The Guardian magazine

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Among the many books of popular science, those that are written in an unusual way stand out, and the research conducted by the authors can relate not only to science, but also help a person solve pressing problems and provide answers to complex questions about the world order. Our today's review presents the best non-fiction books of the last half century according to The Guardian magazine.

“The sixth extinction. An Unnatural Story,”Elizabeth Colbert, 2014

The author of the book, Elizabeth Colbert, journalist for The New Yorker, explores the possibility of human death through the lens of a critical decline in the number of animals such as the Panamanian golden frog, Sumatran rhinoceros and the black-faced Hawaiian flower girl from Maui, the most beautiful bird in the world. Readers of this book will hardly be able to avoid the conclusion that humanity is indeed on the verge of extinction, while the cause of the catastrophe in this case is the person himself. And only he himself can stop this process.

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion, 2005

The author of the book, Joan Didion was the editor of the American magazine "Vogue" in the 1960s, Hollywood screenwriter, writer and recognized style icon. In her book, Joan Didion, based on her experience, teaches the reader how to cope with a loss. It is a dry and devastating exploration of the author's own grief after the sudden death of her husband from a heart attack. In parallel, Joan Dillion's second drama unfolds: the urgent hospitalization of her daughter Quintana, who was unconscious in the intensive care unit of Beth Israel North Hospital at the time her father died. Six years later, the author wrote the book Blue Nights in memory of Quintana, who passed away two years after her father's death.

"NO LOGO. People against brands ", Naomi Klein, 1999

The anti-branding Bible of Canadian journalist Naomi Klein is her perspective on globalization and the current economic order. The author conducts research into the mechanism of subordination of the entire world economy to the interests of a narrow group of people. She analyzes the birth of the brand as a corporate vehicle for revitalizing mass marketing and tries to find arguments in the debate between corporate dominance and personal identity. And she herself admits her own naivety.

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, 1988

This powerful account of the theoretical physicist on the origins of the universe is a masterpiece of scientific research that has influenced the minds of an entire generation. Probably only Stephen Hawking could so concisely, clearly and captivatingly present the history of time.

Battle for Space by Tom Wolfe 1979

The description of the confrontation between the USSR and the United States in the field of space exploration became a real sensation when Tom Wolfe's book was published in 1979. In fact, the book combines fiction and non-fiction, presented through the author's subjective desire to understand what makes a person go into space.

Orientalism by Edward W. Said 1978

The work of the American literary critic and intellectual attempts to study the essence of the Western view of the East. Edward W. Said explores the history of the West's perception of differences from the East and makes the disappointing conclusion that Orientalism is a style of thinking and a symbol of how European authorities influence the East.

Reportages, Michael Herr, 1977

The American newspaper The New York Times called the work of Michael Guerr the best book on the Vietnam War. Each line of "Reports" is written as if the narrative could be interrupted every second by shelling, and the constant inexorable danger allows the author to understand the psychology of those who go into battle, sympathizing and empathizing with those whose lives can be interrupted every second.

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins 1976

The English ethologist and evolutionary biologist is trying not only to present the reader with an updated theory of evolution, but also to find an answer to the question of what man is and why he exists. Richard Dawkins brings together disparate thoughts about the nature of natural selection and tries to show, in his own words, "the gene's view of evolution."

Awakenings, Oliver Sachs, 1973

The American neurologist in his book describes his own very unusual experience of awakening patients who suffered from lethargic encephalitis and fell into lethargic sleep. The epidemic of this disease was indeed observed in 1918-1920, and after a few decades, thanks to the advent of a new drug, they were revived again. However, the stories of their awakenings were hardly happy.

The Double Helix by James Watson, 1968

The author of the book was only 24 years old when, in collaboration with Francis Crick, he deciphered the structure of DNA. In his book, James Watson describes how the most important discovery that revolutionized biochemistry took place.

In September 2019, the British edition of The Guardian published a list of the 100 best books of the 21st century, which includes the debut novels of writers, historical works and memoirs. The list of one hundred books looks very impressive, but we propose to get acquainted with those works that are included in the top ten. In fact, each of these books is worthy to go down in literary history.