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Table of Contents
About The Book
A delightful, inspiring, and idea-rich selection of fifty-two of the best, most important short nonfiction works of all time—from Plato to Michael Pollan and Dante to Joan Didion—chosen by historian, lifelong reader, and bestselling author of Don’t Know Much About History.
From ancient times to the present day, The World in Books offers a wide-ranging historical education through pleasure reading—and a fantastic introduction to some of the most thought-provoking, profound, and interesting nonfiction works of all time. From Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to bell hooks’s All About Love, as well as such recent classics as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists, Davis’s guide suggests a world of nonfiction books and explains just why they’re so historically meaningful and culturally relevant today.
The perfect guide for the modern-day reader, these fifty-two selections provide an ideal way to explore some of the most enduring, influential books ever published, introducing us anew to world-shaping historical figures, events, and ideas.
From ancient times to the present day, The World in Books offers a wide-ranging historical education through pleasure reading—and a fantastic introduction to some of the most thought-provoking, profound, and interesting nonfiction works of all time. From Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to bell hooks’s All About Love, as well as such recent classics as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists, Davis’s guide suggests a world of nonfiction books and explains just why they’re so historically meaningful and culturally relevant today.
The perfect guide for the modern-day reader, these fifty-two selections provide an ideal way to explore some of the most enduring, influential books ever published, introducing us anew to world-shaping historical figures, events, and ideas.
About The Author
Photo credit: © Nina Subin
Kenneth C. Davis has lived a life in books. He is the New York Times bestselling author of America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About History, which gave rise to his series of books and audiobooks on a range of subjects, including mythology, the Bible, geography, and the Civil War. His most recent work is Great Short Books: A Year of Reading—Briefly. Davis’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian magazine, among other publications. He has appeared on national television and radio shows, including CBS This Morning, Today, and NPR. He lives in the West Village of New York City with his wife, Joann Davis.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (October 8, 2024)
- Length: 464 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668015612
Raves and Reviews
"A guide to 52 of the most influential works of nonfiction ever published, spanning works from Plato to Ida B. Wells, bell hooks to Barbara Ehrenreich, and Sun Tzu to Joan Didion...[for] lovers of nonfiction looking to cover their canonical bases."
—The Millions
"An appetizing new book [that] offers up a list of 52 of the best short nonfiction books in history…The World in Books entices you with descriptions of some of the best (short) nonfiction in history and why they’re so important."
—Parade
“In an age of screens, AI, and shrinking attention spans, a good book is more important and valuable than ever… A wealth of succinct, entertaining advice.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“In his accessible, well-written, and unanticipatedly humorous The World in Books, Kenneth C. Davis takes readers on a journey that highlights fifty-two short yet provocative works of non-fiction. Highlighting both traditional favorites and contemporary classics, Davis offers his sharp insights in ways that appeal to the inquisitive mind, regardless of its familiarity with the selected texts. His poignant 'Introduction' sets the stage for the contemporary relevance of why books like these matter in contemporary times, which makes this collection all the more relevant. Highly recommended for every person who treasures the freedom to read and values the transformative power it has for us all.”
—J. Michael Butler, author of Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 1960-1980
“Kenneth C. Davis’s The World in Books is a testament to both the beauty and power of the written word. And also, a very smart guide to books that have changed the way we think—and sometimes even changed us.”
—Deborah Blum, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
Resources and Downloads
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): The World in Books eBook 9781668015612
- Author Photo (jpg): Kenneth C. Davis Photo credit: © Nina Subin(0.1 MB)
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