The best non-fiction books of 2022
They challenged our ideas on the ways we see the world. They offered insight into history, nature, science, and more. They even gave us new perspectives on the lives of celebrities.
Ed Yong’s An Immense World will make you see nature and the world around you with wonder. Learn about turtles that track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that share electrical messages through the rivers, giant squids whose eyes have evolved to see sparkling whales, and more of nature’s fascinating marvels.
Stay True by Hua Hsu is a memoir about coming of age, staying true to yourself, and coming to terms with loss and the senselessness of the world. In this book, Hsu recalls starting as a freshman and Berkeley and meeting Ken, a Japanese American frat boy who was the opposite of him in seemingly every way. Still, the two became friends. Less than three years later, Ken was killed in a carjacking. This book tells the story of the short but meaningful friendship that forever changed Hsu.
From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kathryn Shulz comes Lost & Found, a memoir about love and loss. Eighteen months before her father died, Kathryn met the love of her life, Casey. This book examines the way love and family is both lost and found, weaving together the story of Kathryn’s romance with Casey just at the point in her life when she was also losing her beloved father.
How to Be Perfect is a hilarious nonfiction book from Michael Schur, the creator of The Good Place and co-creator of Parks and Recreation. What are the meanings of “good” and “bad”? How do we decide what actions fall in which category? Philosophers have been contemplating the nature of ethics for centuries, and they have come up with some form of guidance for us. In this book, Michael Shur uses concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more to answer age-old questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” and “Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad?” and much more.
Sam & Cat and iCarly star Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. But she never wanted to be an actress. It was her mother’s dream for her daughter to become a star. Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy, so she went along with her mother’s every whim, including “calorie counting,” extensive at-home makeovers, and more. I’m Glad My Mom Died is a moving memoir that explores the complex relationship between a daughter and a controlling mother, and the journey to recovery and self-reliance after her mother’s death.
The Invisible Kingdom is a fascinating nonfiction book that incorporates science and history to examine medical experiences throughout the decades. Author Meghan O’Rourke draws from her own medical experiences as well as interviews with doctors, patients, researchers, and public health experts to trace the history of Western medicine. Moreover, this book reveals how inherited ideas about medicine have caused us to ignore a host of difficult medical issues.
Imani Perry’s South to America is the must-read historical book of 2022. When you think of the American South, what comes to mind? Maybe Gone with the Wind or football; plantations and slavery. The south signifies a lot to many people, whether they’ve actually been there or not. In this book, Imani Perry looks into the true history of the south and what it teaches us about America.
Originally published at https://www.kobo.com on February 23, 2023.
