{"id":136822,"date":"2025-11-12T21:59:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T05:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/12\/20-nonfiction-book-recommendations-most-written-by-women-for-holiday-gifts-and-the-year-ahead\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T21:59:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T05:59:34","slug":"20-nonfiction-book-recommendations-most-written-by-women-for-holiday-gifts-and-the-year-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/11\/12\/20-nonfiction-book-recommendations-most-written-by-women-for-holiday-gifts-and-the-year-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Nonfiction Book Recommendations, Most Written By Women, For Holiday Gifts And The Year Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every year I come out with a list, in no particular order, of the best nonfiction books I\u2019ve read in the preceding 12 months (I will provide links at the end to previous years\u2019 lists) along with short descriptions of what I liked about each. This year I couldn\u2019t narrow it down to 15, so you get 20 recommendations. Call it literary inflation.<\/p>\n

Also, after last year\u2019s list was published, I got an email from a reader who decried that I had so few titles by female authors on my list (fair enough). This time I made a special effort to include a majority of books written by women.<\/p>\n

One last thing before we get to it: I\u2019ll note that almost all the links go to Amazon because that is still the easiest place to get information about and to ultimately purchase most books. I do encourage you to go to your local independent bookstore instead if you\u2019re able to.<\/p>\n

Alright then, here we go:<\/p>\n

Arctic Dreams<\/a> by Barry Lopez<\/p>\n

It holds up. Much of the Arctic has been lost since this book was written, but you can still experience something of its wonders.<\/p>\n

Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet<\/a> by Hannah Ritchie<\/p>\n

Yet, we are not doomed. Most of us could use a reminder of that, as well as some practical advice on how to make the future less awful than it otherwise might be.<\/p>\n

The Last Stand of the Raven Clan: A Story of Imperial Ambition, Native Resistance and How the Tlingit-Russian War Shaped a Continent<\/a> by Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees<\/p>\n

Russia wasn\u2019t any better at invading foreign countries 220-some years ago than it is today. Maybe they should give it up. Although it does result in some satisfying reads.<\/p>\n

For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World\u2019s Favorite Drink and Changed History<\/a> by Sarah Rose<\/p>\n

Is there anything the British didn\u2019t steal? That being said, you can\u2019t help but admire the tenacity of the chief protagonist.<\/p>\n

The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World\u2019s Great Drinks<\/a> by Amy Stewart<\/p>\n

After all that imperialism, you\u2019re probably going to need something a little stronger than tea. You might as well drink in this handsome volume while you\u2019re at it. Get boozing!<\/p>\n

Anatomy of a Rose: Exploring The Secret Life of Flowers<\/a> by Sharman Apt Russell<\/p>\n

Botany isn\u2019t all about booze. It\u2019s only mostly about booze. Anyhow, this book is an accessible and beautifully written entry into the science behind flowers.<\/p>\n

The Sirens\u2019 Call: How Attention Became the World\u2019s Most Endangered Resource<\/a> by Chris Hayes<\/p>\n

You are, at this very moment, reading an article about books you might want to read. So you are probably not one of the people most in need of this particular book. You will nonetheless enjoy it, and will find yourself nodding along.<\/p>\n

Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service<\/a> by Michael Lewis, Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell<\/p>\n

As I write this, we are in the longest federal government shutdown in history. \u201cDOGE Impact\u201d has been cited as the leading reason for job cuts so far this year. Federal workers have been devalued and demonized. Here you will find many stark examples of why that is unfair, unwise, and wrong.<\/p>\n

Abundance<\/a> by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson<\/p>\n

The only thing worse than Trump is the mindless army of sycophants catering to his every whim. Even so, today\u2019s Democrats need to remember how their predecessors actually got things done if they are ever going to successfully banish fascism back to the annals of history. Do not miss this bold vision for the future of politics and progress.<\/p>\n

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II<\/a> by Sonia Purnell<\/p>\n

Virginia Hall was among the most competent clandestine fighters of fascism in WWII despite (or maybe because of) being someone who\u2019d be criticized as a DEI hire today. It\u2019s an unforgettable real-life spy thriller full of lessons that we still haven\u2019t learned.<\/p>\n

The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice<\/a> by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon<\/p>\n

Maybe fighting out in the open is more your thing. For any lover of freedom, the women profiled herein are an inspiration.<\/p>\n

Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman\u2019s Search for Justice in Indian Country<\/a> by Sierra Crane Murdoch<\/p>\n

Not a feel-good story, albeit an important one. You know what? Maybe don\u2019t read this on a rainy day.<\/p>\n

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)<\/a> by Tom Vanderbilt<\/p>\n

I acquired a copy of this book years ago and put off reading it, not because it didn\u2019t look great, but in the hope that it would become obsolete with the arrival of the self-driving future. Yeah, not a chance on that one. Just as relevant today as it was when it was written, and set to be relevant indefinitely, you will get a better grasp on all the things we get wrong about driving, not to mention human nature.<\/p>\n

Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures<\/a> by Katherine Rundell<\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019d like to read about some of the animals we are killing. It is a testament to Rundell\u2019s writing that this book is a delight, considering its subject matter.<\/p>\n

Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals<\/a> by Christopher J. Preston<\/p>\n

This title pairs perfectly with the previous one. Again, the planet is not doomed, people just need to get off their asses and do something about the real problems in the world.<\/p>\n

A Love Affair with Birds: The Life of Thomas Sadler Roberts<\/a> by Sue Leaf<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook these great little biographies that abound in the literary world. The stakes are just right in this overview of the life of the \u201cfather of Minnesota ornithology.\u201d You really do not need or want to always be reading about a head of state or whatever to gain real insight into the past and into people, then and now.<\/p>\n

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex<\/a> by Mary Roach<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in the mood, you will be entertained. Roach\u2019s approach is not always for me, though this book is my favorite of hers that I\u2019ve read thus far.<\/p>\n

Cuba: An American History<\/a> by Ada Ferrer<\/p>\n

Ah, Cuba. Made me feel like I was back in Havana, smoldering stogie clenched firmly between my teeth.<\/p>\n

Everything Lost Is Found Again: Four Seasons in Lesotho<\/a> by Will McGrath<\/p>\n

Lesotho has been in the news a few times recently as a result of Donald Trump making fun of its obscurity and\/or slapping a huge unreasonable tariff on it. The president\u2019s nonsense aside, McGrath has produced here a moving, hilarious, tragic, and ultimately enlightening chronicle of his (McGrath\u2019s) time there.<\/p>\n

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World\u2019s Most Notorious Diaries<\/a> by Rick Emerson<\/p>\n

\u201cUnmask Alice\u201d was given to me by a dear friend to read on my plane ride to Europe because she \u201cneed[ed] someone to be as enraged about the satanic panic\u201d as she was. It did not disappoint. Keep an eye on the publisher, BenBella Books, which really puts out some exciting stuff.<\/p>\n

Finally, just in case you need 75 more nonfiction recommendations, here are links to the previous installments:<\/p>\n

15 Best Nonfiction Books To Read Yourself Or Give As Gifts, None Of Them Memoirs Or About Politics<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books You Dare Not Overlook For Your 2024 Reading List<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Of The Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books To Add To Your Reading List In 2023 And Beyond<\/a><\/p>\n

15 More Excellent General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Second Year Of The Pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Worst Year Of Everyone\u2019s Life<\/a><\/p>\n

It is my solemn guarantee that if you spend more time reading nonfiction than you do on social media, you will be better at your job, you will feel better about yourself, and people of all genders will find you more sexually intriguing. Go out there and take that to the bank.<\/p>\n

\n

Jonathan Wolf is a civil litigator and author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Your Debt-Free JD<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate link). He has taught legal writing, written for a wide variety of publications, and made it both his business and his pleasure to be financially and scientifically literate. Any views he expresses are probably pure gold, but are nonetheless solely his own and should not be attributed to any organization with which he is affiliated. He wouldn\u2019t want to share the credit anyway. He can be reached at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>jon_wolf@hotmail.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 20 Nonfiction Book Recommendations, Most Written By Women, For Holiday Gifts And The Year Ahead<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every year I come out with a list, in no particular order, of the best nonfiction books I\u2019ve read in the preceding 12 months (I will provide links at the end to previous years\u2019 lists) along with short descriptions of what I liked about each. This year I couldn\u2019t narrow it down to 15, so you get 20 recommendations. Call it literary inflation.<\/p>\n

Also, after last year\u2019s list was published, I got an email from a reader who decried that I had so few titles by female authors on my list (fair enough). This time I made a special effort to include a majority of books written by women.<\/p>\n

One last thing before we get to it: I\u2019ll note that almost all the links go to Amazon because that is still the easiest place to get information about and to ultimately purchase most books. I do encourage you to go to your local independent bookstore instead if you\u2019re able to.<\/p>\n

Alright then, here we go:<\/p>\n

Arctic Dreams<\/a> by Barry Lopez<\/p>\n

It holds up. Much of the Arctic has been lost since this book was written, but you can still experience something of its wonders.<\/p>\n

Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet<\/a> by Hannah Ritchie<\/p>\n

Yet, we are not doomed. Most of us could use a reminder of that, as well as some practical advice on how to make the future less awful than it otherwise might be.<\/p>\n

The Last Stand of the Raven Clan: A Story of Imperial Ambition, Native Resistance and How the Tlingit-Russian War Shaped a Continent<\/a> by Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees<\/p>\n

Russia wasn\u2019t any better at invading foreign countries 220-some years ago than it is today. Maybe they should give it up. Although it does result in some satisfying reads.<\/p>\n

For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World\u2019s Favorite Drink and Changed History<\/a> by Sarah Rose<\/p>\n

Is there anything the British didn\u2019t steal? That being said, you can\u2019t help but admire the tenacity of the chief protagonist.<\/p>\n

The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World\u2019s Great Drinks<\/a> by Amy Stewart<\/p>\n

After all that imperialism, you\u2019re probably going to need something a little stronger than tea. You might as well drink in this handsome volume while you\u2019re at it. Get boozing!<\/p>\n

Anatomy of a Rose: Exploring The Secret Life of Flowers<\/a> by Sharman Apt Russell<\/p>\n

Botany isn\u2019t all about booze. It\u2019s only mostly about booze. Anyhow, this book is an accessible and beautifully written entry into the science behind flowers.<\/p>\n

The Sirens\u2019 Call: How Attention Became the World\u2019s Most Endangered Resource<\/a> by Chris Hayes<\/p>\n

You are, at this very moment, reading an article about books you might want to read. So you are probably not one of the people most in need of this particular book. You will nonetheless enjoy it, and will find yourself nodding along.<\/p>\n

Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service<\/a> by Michael Lewis, Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell<\/p>\n

As I write this, we are in the longest federal government shutdown in history. \u201cDOGE Impact\u201d has been cited as the leading reason for job cuts so far this year. Federal workers have been devalued and demonized. Here you will find many stark examples of why that is unfair, unwise, and wrong.<\/p>\n

Abundance<\/a> by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson<\/p>\n

The only thing worse than Trump is the mindless army of sycophants catering to his every whim. Even so, today\u2019s Democrats need to remember how their predecessors actually got things done if they are ever going to successfully banish fascism back to the annals of history. Do not miss this bold vision for the future of politics and progress.<\/p>\n

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II<\/a> by Sonia Purnell<\/p>\n

Virginia Hall was among the most competent clandestine fighters of fascism in WWII despite (or maybe because of) being someone who\u2019d be criticized as a DEI hire today. It\u2019s an unforgettable real-life spy thriller full of lessons that we still haven\u2019t learned.<\/p>\n

The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice<\/a> by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon<\/p>\n

Maybe fighting out in the open is more your thing. For any lover of freedom, the women profiled herein are an inspiration.<\/p>\n

Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman\u2019s Search for Justice in Indian Country<\/a> by Sierra Crane Murdoch<\/p>\n

Not a feel-good story, albeit an important one. You know what? Maybe don\u2019t read this on a rainy day.<\/p>\n

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)<\/a> by Tom Vanderbilt<\/p>\n

I acquired a copy of this book years ago and put off reading it, not because it didn\u2019t look great, but in the hope that it would become obsolete with the arrival of the self-driving future. Yeah, not a chance on that one. Just as relevant today as it was when it was written, and set to be relevant indefinitely, you will get a better grasp on all the things we get wrong about driving, not to mention human nature.<\/p>\n

Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures<\/a> by Katherine Rundell<\/p>\n

Perhaps you\u2019d like to read about some of the animals we are killing. It is a testament to Rundell\u2019s writing that this book is a delight, considering its subject matter.<\/p>\n

Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals<\/a> by Christopher J. Preston<\/p>\n

This title pairs perfectly with the previous one. Again, the planet is not doomed, people just need to get off their asses and do something about the real problems in the world.<\/p>\n

A Love Affair with Birds: The Life of Thomas Sadler Roberts<\/a> by Sue Leaf<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overlook these great little biographies that abound in the literary world. The stakes are just right in this overview of the life of the \u201cfather of Minnesota ornithology.\u201d You really do not need or want to always be reading about a head of state or whatever to gain real insight into the past and into people, then and now.<\/p>\n

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex<\/a> by Mary Roach<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in the mood, you will be entertained. Roach\u2019s approach is not always for me, though this book is my favorite of hers that I\u2019ve read thus far.<\/p>\n

Cuba: An American History<\/a> by Ada Ferrer<\/p>\n

Ah, Cuba. Made me feel like I was back in Havana, smoldering stogie clenched firmly between my teeth.<\/p>\n

Everything Lost Is Found Again: Four Seasons in Lesotho<\/a> by Will McGrath<\/p>\n

Lesotho has been in the news a few times recently as a result of Donald Trump making fun of its obscurity and\/or slapping a huge unreasonable tariff on it. The president\u2019s nonsense aside, McGrath has produced here a moving, hilarious, tragic, and ultimately enlightening chronicle of his (McGrath\u2019s) time there.<\/p>\n

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World\u2019s Most Notorious Diaries<\/a> by Rick Emerson<\/p>\n

\u201cUnmask Alice\u201d was given to me by a dear friend to read on my plane ride to Europe because she \u201cneed[ed] someone to be as enraged about the satanic panic\u201d as she was. It did not disappoint. Keep an eye on the publisher, BenBella Books, which really puts out some exciting stuff.<\/p>\n

Finally, just in case you need 75 more nonfiction recommendations, here are links to the previous installments:<\/p>\n

15 Best Nonfiction Books To Read Yourself Or Give As Gifts, None Of Them Memoirs Or About Politics<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books You Dare Not Overlook For Your 2024 Reading List<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Of The Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books To Add To Your Reading List In 2023 And Beyond<\/a><\/p>\n

15 More Excellent General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Second Year Of The Pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n

15 Best General-Interest Nonfiction Books Read During The Worst Year Of Everyone\u2019s Life<\/a><\/p>\n

It is my solemn guarantee that if you spend more time reading nonfiction than you do on social media, you will be better at your job, you will feel better about yourself, and people of all genders will find you more sexually intriguing. Go out there and take that to the bank.<\/p>\n

\n

Jonathan Wolf is a civil litigator and author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Your Debt-Free JD<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate link). He has taught legal writing, written for a wide variety of publications, and made it both his business and his pleasure to be financially and scientifically literate. Any views he expresses are probably pure gold, but are nonetheless solely his own and should not be attributed to any organization with which he is affiliated. He wouldn\u2019t want to share the credit anyway. He can be reached at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>jon_wolf@hotmail.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post 20 Nonfiction Book Recommendations, Most Written By Women, For Holiday Gifts And The Year Ahead<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year I come out with a list, in no particular order, of the best nonfiction books I\u2019ve read in the preceding 12 months (I will provide links at the end to previous years\u2019 lists) along with short descriptions of what I liked about each. This year I couldn\u2019t narrow it down to 15, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":136772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1244793141-scaled-qbuCcM.jpg?fit=2560%2C2111&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}