Week 8

Four potential areas in which to find narrative nonfiction:  history 909, more likely 930-999; science (and math) 500s; travel 910-919; medical 610-619.

I confess I like my nonfiction dry, but reading adult fiction sometimes feels more like homework than pleasure.  Narrative nonfiction is a good bridge, as on the whole it tends to be a quicker read than more academic nonfiction, and as noted in the presentation uses a style familiar to readers of fiction, with many of the same factors of appeal.  To readers of fiction I would recommend the following nonfiction titles.  The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (978) in history, for those interested in a moving read about the Dust Bowl and the follies that lead to one of the greatest ecological disasters of the twentieth century.  Great Plains by Ian Frazier (917.804) in travel, a rambling homage to the history and present of the sparsely populated region between the midwest and the Rockies for those fond of Ivan Doig, Kent Haruf, or Louise Erdrich.  Stiff by Mary Roach (611) in medical, for those with an offbeat sense of humor and who don't mind the gory details of the strange things that have been done to human cadavers over the centuries.  And finally in science (specifically 569), Brian M. Fagan's Cro Magnon, an accessible work on human origins, for those who enjoy Jean M. Auel.  There's also the possibility of alternative formats--Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks is a great history graphic novel for those interested in African American or WWI history.  Or Trinity: a graphic history of the first atomic bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, a stark look at the development of the atomic bomb and the scientists behind it (623.4511).

Book talk for The Worst Hard Time:  Everybody knows about the Okies--migrant farmers who fled the devastation of the Dust Bowl for (they hoped) clearer horizons and better opportunities.  Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time is a bleak look at the lives of those who remained on their Dust Bowl farms during one of history's greatest ecological and economic disasters.  As a combination of overfarming, drought, and wind stripped the topsoil from thousands of acres of prairie, the people who had once farmed the land suddenly found the land to be their greatest enemy.

Book talk for Trinity:  Jonathan Fetter-Vorm's graphic novel Trinity is a succinct, compelling history of the atomic bomb.  Black-and-white illustrations create a stark, dramatic atmosphere--fitting for one of the greatest and most terrible scientific achievements of the twentieth century.  I'd recommend this to anyone interested in either the history or the science of atomic research.  To those wary of graphic novels--give this one a try.  You won't be disappointed.  The illustrations add a profoundly powerful element to the story without being distracting or cluttered, especially the double page spread of the Trinity test site the night the first atomic bomb was detonated.