Readers > Adult & teen lists > Best Nonfiction Reads of 2005
Staff Picks — Best Nonfiction Reads of 2005
These titles were the best books read by Multnomah County Library staff during 2005.
- Armstrong, Jennifer
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(2005)j 973.7 A736p 2005A history of photography, as well as of the American Civil War, this volume shows the horrors of war, but allows us a little distance to absorb it. (Lee)
- Audubon, John James
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(2004)598.2 A91at 2004There are better bird guides now, and this miniature version lacks the sheer majesty of the original. But apart from the feeling of having all of heaven between your hands, these images give an impression that the original and the photographic guides don't: a sense of early, untouched landscape. (mca)
- Bartoletti, Susan Campbell
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(2005)y 943.086 B292h 2005By illustrating this chapter of history from the perspective of young people, one can see just how easy it is to joing a group, begin to believe all you hear from the group, and the consequences generations later of those actions. (Lee)Using diaries, interviews, letters and moving photographs, Bartoletti shares how German children and teens were caught up in the Nazi movement and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Includes accounts of those who resisted, as well as an epilogue to share what happened to some of the children and teens. A chilling and important read. Hitler Youth was named a Newbery Award Honor book and a Sibert Award Honor book for 2005. (Kate)
- Bichlbaum, Andy
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(2004)817.6 B583y 2004DVD 817.6 YESTwo anti-corporate activist-pranksters impersonate the World Trade Organization on television and at business conferences around the world. (Jayne)
- Bravo, Kyle
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(2006)In processA collection of how-to instructions — everything from the DIY punk rock cat diet to making your own soymilk to basic electrical wiring. The illustrations are wonderful (and illustrative!), and the book is as fun to read as it is useful when you need to know how to do something. (Emily-Jane)
- Didion, Joan
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(2005)B-Di 5625y 2005In this moving memoir, Didion takes us through the year after her husband, John Gregory Dunne, dies unexpectedly. At the same time, her daughter is gravely ill in the hospital. After a 40-year marriage, her loss is immense. Very readable and touching. (Candy)
- Dunlop, Nic
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(2006)959.6042 D922L 2006An Irish journalist tracks down one of the kingpins of the Khmer Rouge. (Edith)
- Erwin, Douglas H.
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(2006)576.84 E73e 2006Life on our planet is currently undergoing a sixth worldwide mass extinction event, which scientists believe is being caused by human pressures on the biosphere. The Cretaceous extinction, which extinguished the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago, was quite minor in comparison to the Permian extinction, an event so vast that it completely annihilated 95% of all marine species. In this book, a paleobiologist at the Smithsonian examines possible solutions to the mystery surrounding the cause of the Permian mass extinction. Douglas lays out the evidence, develops possible theories to attempt to explain what happened, and ultimately allows the reader to decide why life on Earth nearly came to an end. (James P)
- Giblin, James(2005)j 792.028 B725g 2005A fascinating read about John Wilkes Booth, his family members, and the impact his assassination of President Lincoln had on them all. Booth was shocked to be hunted down like a dog — he expected to be a hero. Particularly interesting is the story of his older brother, Edwin, who was one of the most famous and respected actors of his time. (Cathy)
- Hodgman, John
(2005)818.6 H689a 2005Have you ever wondered which presidents had hooks for hands? Or desired to read a short chronicle of the Hobo Wars? What did Herbert Hoover know about cyborgs and when did he know it? Find out in this hilarious faux almanac written by a contributor to the McSweeney's website and the Daily Show. I ended up having to read a lot of this out loud to my boyfriend because he was wondering what I was laughing about. (Erika)- Kelly, John
The great mortality: an intimate history of the Black Death, the most devastating plague of all time(2005)614.5732 K29g 2005I'm not normally a nonfiction reader (at all — like, never), but I really liked this book. It kept my interest, had lots of fascinating information and had a socio-political take that I hadn't thought of before. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for some interesting, historical nonfiction! (Natasha)- King, Dean
(2004)916.48 K52s 2004A gripping survival story about the crew of a Connecticut trading vessel that shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1815. Sharing the very tough life of desert nomads, they were sold into slavery and marched across the Sahara Desert. They suffered starvation, dehydration, beatings, sandstorms and the loss of many men. The captain was a true hero who managed to save many of his crew and returned home to become an ardent abolitionist who understood slavery from the inside out. (Ruth)- Larkin, Emma
(2005)915.91 L324f 2005Tracing George Orwell's early days in colonial Burma, Larkin explores the ways contemporary Burmese seek comfort and resistance through literature. (Edith)- Lawford, Christopher Kennedy
(2005)792.028 L417s 2005This is much more than a "Kennedy tell-all." It is truly a thoughtful story about Lawford's life, his sometimes troubled family, his painful drug experiences, and ultimately his twenty years of sobriety. He writes well, with humor and insight. (Candy)- Levitt, Steven D.
(2005)330 L666f 2005Who knew statistical regression could be so much fun?! Applying the analytical tools of economic theory to situations beyond dollars and cents leads to some amusing, dismaying and just plain baffling conclusions. (Chris)- Marsalis, Wynton
(2005)j 811.6 M363j 2005Musician Marsalis pays homage to jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Sarah Vaughan through poems. Marsalis' poetic styles match his subjects — nursery rhyme for Nat King Cole and haiku for Theolonious Monk — and the eye-catching artwork is reminiscent of pop art and album covers. Jazz historian Paul Schaap provides brief biographies at the end. This may have been published as a children's work, but it's really for jazz fans who should not miss this book. Read these poems aloud. (Kate)- Menzel, Peter
(2005)641.3 M551h 2005This book contains fascinating and eye-opening pictures and accounts of the diets of families all around the world. Each family is photographed with all the food they consume in one week. And you'll learn what you never knew about dumpster-diving cows and starfish-on-a-stick. (Jennifer F)- Mittelbach, Margaret
(2005)508.946 M685c 2005I'd never heard of the Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, until the book practically jumped off the shelf and into my hands — when a book does that you just have to pay attention. Mittelbach and Crewdson, nature writers, were long in love with the taxidermy specimen at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. When they find it gone from its usual location one day, they track it down and hear the fascinating folklore of the thylacine, officially extinct since the last zoo specimen died in the 1930's but still seen and heard in the Tasmanian bush today. The result of their trip is a terrific book, the perfect and rare combination of nature writing and armchair travel, friendship and art, and obsession with an animal so mysterious and exotic that I found a photo and put it on my desktop. My favorite book of 2005. (Tama)- Paradiz, Valerie
(2005)B-G864p 2005The brothers Grimm said their stories were collected from working people and country folk, but in fact, they heard most of them from middle-class young ladies of their own social circle. Paradize illuminates the brothers' lives and social circumstance, tells the story of their great literary project, and analyzes the stories they made famous. I came away with a renewed apreciation for fairy tales I'd last read in childhood, as well as a richer understanding of the Grimms' lives. (Emily-Jane)- Royte, Elizabeth
(2005)363.7285 R892g 2005Booklyn resident Elizabeth Royte wants to learn where her trash goes from the moment it lands in her garbage can to the point that it — what? What happens to trash? Does it go into our waterways? Is it buried in the ground? Does it get exported abroad? As Royte sorts through her trash can, meticulously going through each item and recording its weight, she also tracks where all the different types of waste go, covering paper, glass, metals, plastics, sewage, organics and technology. There are some astounding numbers, some awful revelations and interesting technologies in this book. It also answers those nitpicky questions those of us do-gooders have, like "Do I need to buy 'environmental' toilet paper?" or "Should I remove all the staples from my paper recycling?" It will change the way you buy things, use them and dispose of them. (Lisa)- Vowell, Sarah
(2005)973.099 V974a 2005Who ever thought accompanying an author on a morbid, quirky vacation to visit the places where Presidents Lincoln, McKinley and Garfield were assassinated, or where parts of their bodies are displayed, could be so much fun? Full of interesting facts you won't find in the history books. I found myself laughing out loud in places. (Cathy)- Wallace, David Foster
2005814.5 W188c 2005Funny, keen intellectual adventures with America's most neurotic writer. (Jen)