3 Nonfiction Book Recommendations

This month I decided to share three nonfiction books I’ve recently read that have made an impact on me in some way. Whether it’s changing my view of the world and my place in it, re-evaluating my relationships, or simply teaching me something new, the following three books have stood out to me this year.

 

1.    1. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

This book, as one review calls it, is truly a ‘hymn of love to the world’. The author, who is native American, blends both indigenous ideas with science to describe the natural world around us in a beautifully poetic way.

Despite it’s long page count, it’s easy to read along as it flows from one chapter to another. There were many quotable moments and it left me feeling both at peace and restless to go outside.

My biggest takeaways from the book that have altered the way I view the world are:

    -the concept that the world is a ‘communion of subjects’ not a ‘collection of objects’

    -the mindfulness of everything around me, where they all came from, and practicing reciprocity

    -the lessons that exist in the natural world that must be learned

 

2.       2. It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn

This book explores the concept of generational trauma and how our family inevitably impacts us, our behaviors and our problems. The author deep dives into both the science and the stories of how trauma can be passed down from previous generations and how to start the healing process to overcome them.

It’s a short book that reads quickly and does a good job of balancing science with the stories of people, so it never gets bogged down by either. The author also includes reflection questions to help you identify and reflect to begin healing old wounds.

My biggest takeaways from this book were:

    -we are impacted by so much more than just what we experience in our lifetimes

    -learn to accept the love we get not the love we think we should have

    -understanding and healing is the only thing that prevents us from passing this trauma

 

3.       3. You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy

As the title suggests, this book is on listening and how we can all do better at it. The author explains what listening actually means and gives tips on how to do it better. I read this book because this is a skill I’m trying to improve upon, and it definitely delivered.

The author does a good job of not only explaining the concept of listening but also debunks the popularized ideas of what listening should be. It’s a difficult subject to advise on but she does a good job of laying out examples and explaining the concepts and how they can be applied.

My main takeaways were:

-listen to listen not to respond

-use the support response to avoid injecting your own opinion

-always think ‘why is this person telling me this’ to help yourself understand the speaker, what does the story mean to them

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I’ve also made blog posts about Shady Characters (linked here) which was a really fun read and In the Flo (linked here) which is another life-changing book for me, if you want to check those out.

One of my goals this year has been to read more, and I’m happy to say that I’ve done well with it so far. These were only the nonfiction titles that stood out to me, I will likely make another post with some of the fun fiction novels I’ve read.

Please Comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!