As an English graduate, my exposure to non-fictions was only through journal articles that I had to read for writing papers (If you can count journal articles as non-fiction at all). I used to think that people are incapable of 100% not being bias. Hmm . . . I think I am still holding on to this thought.
I was always suspicious with books that are classified as non-fictions. I believed that there had to be some elements of fiction in them - whether the writer exaggerates or understates the events, views and etc.
Also, I admit that I was clouded by my judgement. When I heard non-fiction, I tend to associate it with self-help books. I don't know why. I don't have a logical explanation to that. And what's the problem with self-help books? They just simply don't work on me. Or, maybe I just have not found the right ones. I feel like I am at an age where preaching does not work anymore. I like conversation better.
Lately, though, since I started my master in International Relations, I have been trying to read non-fictions more (particularly the ones that are connected to IR or Politics). And . . . I have to admit that there are actually quite good non-fiction books, like really really good ones. And, I don't only read politics, but I have been also trying to read biography and even self-help book.
The moral of the story is . . . Don't say no to something that you have not tried.
But I guess there is an explanation to my shifted perception. Although in my undergrad we talked a lot about social issues, politics and psychology - we did it in connection with literary works. So the focus was to decode the literary works and to better understand the social phenomena of certain time periods through that literary works. Now, however, we talk about all those subjects not only to understand them but also to find ways to potentially change them through the means of politics and policies. In other words, because the focus of my learning environment has shifted, so does my interests. I no longer just refer to fictional works to talk about social issues - instead, by reading non-fiction books I will be able to refer to real historical events.
I guess what I am trying to say is that - I have been trying to be open-minded about books. I am trying to not compartmentalise my reading based on my bias perception about certain genres. And . . . As I have recently learned, fiction or non-fiction do not matter much. What's more important is whether the writing resonates or challenges your perception in a constructive fashion. If it does, then none of it really matters.
At this point, I have not read non-fictions that much. But I look forward to reading them in the future.
These are non-fiction books that have changed my mind about the genre.
- Educated by Tara Westover
- Becoming by Michele Obama
- The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
- Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman
- Grit by Angela Duckworth
- Mindfuck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America by Christopher Wylie (Currently Reading)
- Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein (Will read it once I am finished with Mindfuck)
If you have any recommendation, please leave it the comment!
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| Courtesy of https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/02/amazon-books-opens-first-east-bay-outpost-in-broadway-plaza/ |
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