Profile for stubby43 - Some times I get the feeling I'm the only one that enjoys reading non fiction

stubby43 aka Phil is a 22.98 year old boy, has been a member since December 22, 2006, has scored 3127 submissions, giving an average score of 2.76.

URL: http://ahistoryoftakingoffmyshirt.tumblr.com/
AIM: stubbyloves

Jul 05 '09 by stubby43

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Some times I get the feeling I'm the only one that enjoys reading non fiction

I'm a little bit tipsy so this will probably come out badly but doesnt anyone else enjoy reading non fiction?

Its just at times I feel kind of alone because everyone else seems to feel that history, sociology, economics and physcology are boring.

Just today my sisters friend told me who wants to know about the past.

I couldnt be bothered argueing because she would most likely be set in her conviction that history is dull just as much as I am that its not.

I think I enjoy reading non fiction because it casts a light on just how amazing out world is weather it be how the internet is changing how we live or how the british empire (and its form of democracy) came to dominate the world.

Right now I'm reading the The ascent of money a finanical history of the world by niall ferguson probably my favourite historian.

He in it he discusses how we developed the concept of money and made it into what it is today (I bought it yesterday, only on the first chapter but towards the end he discusses the finanical crisis).

What I really enjoy about non fiction is that (good) non fiction makes you look at something you took for granted then re think it and realise just how astonishing it really is.

In the ascent of money ferguson explains that money, be it metal, paper or dots on a screen 'is a matter of belief, even faith; belief in the person paying us; belief in the person issuing the money he uses or the institution that honours his cheques or transfers. money is not metal, it is trust inscribed

We are taught to believe that if we work we will be given money which can be exchanged for goods or services, the fact that it works at all is amazing, that we all accept that, that piece of paper is worth a dollar and be exchanged for goods that equal that value.

I've never thought of money like that, I've always taken it for granted and thats the mark of good non fiction, something that compeletely changes my view on a subject and makes me go wow.

Does anyone else enjoy reading non fiction?

olie! on Jul 05 '09 at 6:18pm

I just finished A Briefer History of Time.

Does that count?

ginetteginette on Jul 05 '09 at 6:18pm

i enjoy reading articles but i can't get into whole thick books that aren't fiction. i can't even remember the last time i read a non-fiction book... it might have been 4 years ago and it was the biography of dean martin (written by jerry lewis) so i dunno if that counts to you.

ginetteginette on Jul 05 '09 at 6:19pm

i guess that first sentence of mine is a lie because i plan to read a few science books this summer and i won't think those are boring.

stubby43 on Jul 05 '09 at 6:23pm

I count non fiction as anything that has actually happened, A briefer history of time and a biography of dean martin deffiently count.

Most of the books I have are either history or technology books but I have others like the book that tells the story of how the one red paper clip guy got a house by trading a red paper clip for items of increasing value.

Malcolm Man on Jul 05 '09 at 6:25pm

I just finished Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan.

I like to alternate my fiction with non-fiction.

stubby43 on Jul 05 '09 at 6:30pm

FIlm and tv I tend to prefer non fiction but when it comes too books it has to be non fiction I have no idea why, I just cant stand to read a story.

stubby43 on Jul 05 '09 at 6:30pm

Oh and what was Billions and Billions like? is it worth reading?

Mya Jamila on Jul 05 '09 at 6:31pm

I didn't read the whole thing but, my reaction when I read your title was, "Goodness no!".

Around the time when I was in P. 7/8/9 (Grades 6/7/8) I read a trio of books on King George VI, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I (one book on each). Granted, I never finished the third because my mother confiscated it because I was reading when I should have been sleeping.

About three years ago I read Intelligence: The Nazi Secret Service by Edmund L. Blandford and The KGB's Literary Archive: The Discover of the Ultimate Fate of Russia's Suppressed Writers by Vitaly Shentalinsky and they were both super interesting.

Mya Jamila on Jul 05 '09 at 6:34pm

I also really enjoy (I'm interested in the subject) reading about left handedness, left handed people, studies about it, you get the picture.

stubby43 on Jul 05 '09 at 6:34pm

Oh wow, the king george and queen elizabeth books would really interest me as would to kgb's literary archive.

I dont think I'd be that interested in the Nazi's mainly because I feel that there are too many books discussing them, I try to avoid ww2 history and I'm a sucker for good british imperial history (which is quite hard to find).

avalanche_lily on Jul 05 '09 at 7:03pm

One of my favorite books is an autobiography about a woman who grew up in Africa and was a pilot.

West With the Night

Mya Jamila on Jul 05 '09 at 7:03pm

Phil, if you're interested, when you come out here I'll let you borrow them. :D
(I'm not joking. However, I won't send them to you over there because that would cost a lot for me and I don't want you to have to haul them back when you've got so much other stuff.)

Mya Jamila on Jul 05 '09 at 11:41pm

I took photos of them after I commented here. I'm not quite sure why. But I did.