Interesting but not stressful/depressing nonfiction?

[Anonymous]

I can’t read stressful fiction these days, but I’m also tired of the rom coms I have been reading.

Does anyone have recommendations for interesting but not stressful nonfiction? I have not read any in a long time, but things I have liked in the past include Guns, Germs, and Steel; Salt: A world history; Fast food Nation. Nothing political, please.

I enjoy memoirs but have read a lot of them so looking for something else. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Honeybee Democracy

[Anonymous]

The Perfect Predator, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, On Call (Dr. Fauci's book)

[Anonymous]

Raising Hare

[Anonymous]

“Hey, Hun” by Emily Lynn Paulson. It’s half-nonfiction (facts and figures about an industry and how it impacts society) and half-fiction (fictionalized account of the author’s personal experience) about the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) industry. While she doesn’t name Rodan and Fields as the company she was in, it’s very easily identifiable as Rodan and Fields. It is FASCINATING.

[Anonymous]

Anything by David McCullough.
I'm reading Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto right now. It's about how the Dutch had a much bigger on the founding of the U.S. than they are given credit for. Interesting to read during our 250th birthday.

I also love nature/environmental writing. Some of my favorites:
Chesapeake Requiem
Chrysalis: Maria Sybilla Merian and the SEcrets of Metamorphosis
What An Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman

[Anonymous]

An Immense World by Ed Yong

[Anonymous]

Haven’t read it but heard good things about:

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben (2016): A highly popular, conversational look at how trees communicate, share nutrients, and feel, though it has faced criticism for over-anthropomorphizing trees.

[Anonymous]

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion

John Adams by David McCullough

The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family

Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France

The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet

[Anonymous]

Susan Orlean's books: The Orchid Thief, the one about Rin Tin Tin.

They're fun and fact-filled without being heavy.

[Anonymous]

Color: A Natural History of the Palette - Victoria Finlay

It’s sometimes listed as Colour : Travels Through the Paintbox (same book/author)

[Anonymous]

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. There is a lot of sad stuff in the book but it's still incredibly funny.
Also, anything by David Sedaris.

[Anonymous]

An oldie, but if you haven't read it--Devil in the White City (unless you find murder stressful, it is about a murderer, but it happened a long time)

I was just saying today that I needed to check out Mary Roach's more recent books. Those are pop-science. I just put Fuzz on hold at the library--it's about human-wildlife conflict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An oldie, but if you haven't read it--Devil in the White City (unless you find murder stressful, it is about a murderer, but it happened a long time)

I was just saying today that I needed to check out Mary Roach's more recent books. Those are pop-science. I just put Fuzz on hold at the library--it's about human-wildlife conflict.

I love Fuzz! I have a couple more of her books sitting in my stack to get to. I will say that, while I was not stressed by it, some people might be stressed by something like her chapter on killer trees.

I would also suggest anything by Bill Bryson. Walk in the Woods is a classic, but I also loved Notes from a Small Island (about England) -- lots of history and just interesting musings. If you like travel books and have an interest in Spain, I really liked Ghosts of Spain (not about Ghosts -- more just like history/culture of Spain, written a decade or so ago).

Also, fiction, but what about the James Herriot books -- All Creatures Great and Small, etc. They are so well written and enjoyable.

If you're interested in nature --- I liked Down from the Mountain, which is about a guy working with farmers near Yellowstone to minimize bear attacks on their corn crops -- just so much interesting stuff about bears!

I also loved the book Inside a Dog, about dog psychology. And if you're interested in child psychology, What's Going On In There? was fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Oh, one more I loved -- Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking. It's maybe 10% about cooking, 60% about Soviet history, and 30% a memoir of her childhood and her family history. It's so well written and really great -- I feel like not enough people read it because "Soviet Cooking" just sounds so unappetizing!