If you are looking for an inspirational book, choose this one. It's the story of a young man from Malawi who wanted to study and improve himself but his parents couldn't afford the tuition for school. He tried to listen in on classes until they caught him and then he continued his education by using the meager collection of books from his school library. Only 2% of the people of Malawi have electricity so after finding a book on how to harness the wind to produce electricity, that became his goal. He had to endure a lot of teasing and doubts but he did succeed in building a windmill by scrounging various cast-off parts. What this meant to his village is a way to pump water for irrigation in the dry season and lighting so people could read after sunset. It's a small thing in the larger scheme of things but it's a big step towards self-sufficiency. It also shows the power of ingenuity and persistence.

Recommended Nonfiction

Picked by USA Today as a "Fall sleeper title", this one is sure to be favorite for anyone who enjoys animal stories. It was written by Gwen Cooper who adopted a four-week old eyeless kitten (the eyes had been removed by a sympathetic veterinarian after the kitten suffered an infection). At first Cooper thought that it would be difficult to interact with an eyeless cat but she found that Homer was ready and eager to embrace life and human company despite his handicap. The author believes this eyeless kitty has some super-feline abilities which he demonstrates by his leaps into space and his chases through rooms since every step he takes is by faith and courage because he lives in a world without light. This is sure to tug at your heart.

Recent Nonfiction

Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang is a book that we all need to read because it's the story of the people who are making so many of our everyday products. How many of us think about the person who makes our shoes, our cell phones, our hair dryers, etc.? This is about the hundreds of thousands of young people who are lured to the vast cities that have grown up (mainly in Southeast China) where so many of our consumables are being produced. Their life is not easy. They work sometimes 6 days a week and 10 hours a day. They live in dormitories and their pay is meager. Only the most ambitious are able to better themselves and move up. Yet for so many it is an adventure away from a simpler rural life in the country. Discrimination is also rampant and jobs are given to taller men, prettier girls, etc. Imagine working in a shoe factory that employs 70,000 people--it is like a good sized city itself! This book is a real eye-opener.

If the idea of travelling across Central Asia from the River Don to Beijing appeals to you, this is a good choice. I find a good travel book with some political commentary and history is a way to update my knowledge of countries that may not be on my top travel destination list. Taylor has lived in Russia for over 15 years and speaks Russian, Turkish and some Chinese so he was able to converse with many of the people he met along the way. He travels rough using trains or by hiring local drivers. He hangs out with young people by drinking and clubbing where possible learning about their attitudes to the changes that have been happening after the fall of the Soviet Union. He makes interesting observations about the natives' preference for strong leaders--even despotic ones. He believes that the Soviet system has created a populace of survivors who excel in secrecy and criminality and who are unwilling to confront their governments to demand what is owed them. Contrast this with his perception of a changing China which has opened up to the world in a way still "unimaginable in Russia." In Russia Lenin's mausoleum stands deserted, his ideology discredited but a new Slavic nationalism is replacing it.

Recommended Nonfiction

Wedlock: The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore by Wendy Moore tells about this wealthy and selfish heiress (no model of morality herself) who was duped into marriage by a cruel abuser. Women of the 18th century were pretty much at the mercy of their husbands but after years of abuse, Mary decided to sue for divorce--something a "proper" lady of her time would never consider. Her court case gripped the imagination of English society and helped establish precedents for other women facing such conditions. Fans of the film The Duchess and the book Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire will be especially interested in this book.

Recommended Nonfiction

The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson is a fascinating look at the connection between animals and autists (persons with autism). When their young son was first diagnosed with autism, Rupert and his wife explored the various theories of treatment but found little success until Rupert discovered his son's reaction to horses. Rupert was already a horseman and living in Texas, they had a sympathetic neighbor who allowed them to use his horse. During and after their horseriding, the young boy would become more responsive. After an encounter with some native healers on a trip to California, Rupert decided that a trip to Mongolia could possibly bring a breakthrough since Mongolia had a traditional horse culture and still had many practicing shamans. This book grips the reader and won't let go!

The family took along camera and sound men as they hoped to document their experience. Check out the link on Amazon for a short video.

Recent Nonfiction

While I don't normally read true crime books, I do recommend The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and his Italian journalist co-author Mario Spezi. Spezi had been involved with reporting a series of murders in the hills around Florence for many years before meeting the American author Douglas Preston. Preston, like many of us, dreamed of living in Italy and moved his family to Florence in 2000. While becoming acquainted with his new surroundings, he met Spezi, learned about the murders and discovered that he lived near one of the murder sites. Soon the authors were working together and developing their own theories about the serial murders. What this book does is bring into question the Italian legal system while causing the reader to ponder how justice is meted out both here and abroad.