Anyone interested in a non-fiction book you can read in a day? Thought so, those are my favorite too.

Have you ever read a book simply because you thought it would make you look/ sound smarter? I’ll own up to buying a few books for that exact reason. Book I have no intention of actually reading, because they’re long, or sound a bit boring… But they look incredible on my bookshelf. Furthermore, on the off chance that anyone is trying to judge me based off the contents of my bookshelf they’ll see several non-fiction and self help type books. Who can complain about those?

I love owning books that start conversations. These books will do exactly that if you give them a chance. However, unlike non-fiction books, the ones on my shelf included, these are short and can easily be read in a single day! Isn’t that incredible?

Reading is such a wonderful way to spend a day, but when you read a book you can actually talk about, it is so much better.

What are you waiting for? Read these books and you’ll blow everyone away at your next pub trivia night.

Non-Fiction You can Read in a Day

A BRIEFER HISTORY OF TIME

by Stephen Hawking

 

Science | Bantam | 176 Pages

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A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?

Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks,Read More

Related: Biographies Everyone Should Read

AS A MAN THINKETH

by James Allen

 

Motivational | 42 Pages

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The most famous book of James Allen As a man thinketh was published in 1903 and is now considered a classic work on the self-development of man.The main idea of the As a man thinketh is that thoughts form a person: noble thoughts create a noble person, low thoughts make a person low. As a man thinketh illustrate the use of the power of thought to change human capabilities. During his lifetime, he achieved neither glory nor wealth, but even now his works continue to influence people all over the world. Read More

GUNS

by Stephen King

 

Non-Fiction | Philtrum | 25 Pages

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In a pulls-no-punches essay intended to provoke rational discussion, Stephen King sets down his thoughts about gun violence in America. Anger and grief in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School are palpable in this urgent piece of writing, but no less remarkable are King’s keen thoughtfulness and composure as he explores the contours of the gun-control issue and constructs his argument for what can and should be done.Read More

Related: Books that will Make you Laugh

POKE THE BOX

by Seth Godin

 

Personal Finance | The Domino Project | 95 Pages

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If you’re stuck at the starting line, you don’t need more time or permission. You don’t need to wait for a boss’s okay or to be told to push the button; you just need to poke.

Poke the Box is a manifesto by bestselling author Seth Godin that just might make you uncomfortable. It’s a call to action about the initiative you’re taking-–in your job or in your life. Godin knows that one of our scarcest resources is the spark of initiative in most organizations (and most careers)-–the person with the guts to say, “I want to start stuff.” Read More

SH*T MY DAD SAYS

by Justin Halpern

 

Humor & Entertainment | Dey Street Books | 176 Pages

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Tuesdays with Morrie meets F My Life in this hilarious book about a son’s relationship with his foul-mouthed father by the 29-year-old comedy writer who created the massively popular Twitter feed of the same name.Read More

STEAL LIKE AN ARTIST

by Austin Kleon

 

Art and Creativity | Workman Publishing Company | 160 Pages

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You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.

When Mr. Kleon was asked to address college students in upstate New York, he shaped his speech around the ten things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out. Read More

THE ART OF WAR

by Sun Tzu

 

Taoism | 62 Pages

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The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician, and it was believed to have been compiled during the late Spring and Autumn period or early Warring States period. The text is composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is commonly known to be the definitive work on military strategy and tactics of its time.Read More

THE PLEASURES OF READING in an age of distraction

by Alan Jacobs

 

Literacy | Oxford University Press | 171 Pages

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In recent years, cultural commentators have sounded the alarm about the dire state of reading in America. Americans are not reading enough, they say, or reading the right books, in the right way.
In this book, Alan Jacobs argues that, contrary to the doomsayers, reading is alive and well in America. There are millions of devoted readers supporting hundreds of enormous bookstores and online booksellers.Read More

VERY GOOD LIVES

by JK Rowling

 

Personal Growth | Little, Brown and Company | 81 Pages

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J.K. Rowling, one of the world’s most inspiring writers, shares her wisdom and advice.

In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life’s most important questions with acuity and emotional force.Read More

WHAT MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO BEFORE BREAKFAST

by Laura Vanderkam

 

Time Management | Portfolio | 192 Pages

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Mornings are a madcap time for many of us. We wake up in a haze—often after hitting snooze a few times. Then we rush around to get ready and out the door so we can officially start the day. Before we know it, hours have slipped by without us accomplishing anything beyond downing a cup of coffee, dashing off a few emails, and dishing with our coworkers around the water cooler. By the time the workday wraps up, we’re so exhausted and defeated that any motivation to accomplish something in the evening has vanished.Read More

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