10 Light Reads That Are Incredibly Informative

It can feel like any informational read is as thick as a phone book and just as dull. Useful information doesn’t have to come from a textbook. Informational reads are all around us in our indie bookstores and Kindle downloads. It’s the start of the weekend and the time to catch up on your reading material. Get more reading in this weekend with these light but informational reads.

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (48 pages)

Henry David Thoreau wrote On the Duty of Civil Disobedience to show his disgust with the government during the Mexican-American war. The argument Thoreau makes in these 48 pages is how citizens should think for themselves and not let their government overrule their consciences. An excellent read if you’re looking for something to debate about with a friend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gratitude by Oliver Sacks (49 pages)

Author and neurologist Dr. Sacks wrote Gratitude in his final years of life. Diagnosed with metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to new areas of the body, Sacks reflects on a life well-lived. “My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” That statement alone is one of many that will have you reflecting on what gratitude is.

 

 

 

 

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (72 pages)

What do you consider a battlefield? Is it the board room, the kitchen, or somewhere overseas? Whatever you consider being a warzone, how to “battle” it came from the ancient teachings of Sun Tzu and the Chinese military. Still relevant today as it was years ago, you’ll learn why you strategize how you do in any confrontation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman (160 pages)

Maria Sibylla Merian was one of the first naturalists to observe live insects. She was also the first one who followed the transformation of the caterpillar to the butterfly. A beautifully illustrated biography, The Girl Who Drew Butterflies, shows how one woman’s passion largely contributed to science.

 

 

 

 

 

Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin (210 pages)

Is it possible that something more significant than the Black Death afflicted so many lives? Between 1918 – 1919, an outbreak of the flu affected more than one-third of the world’s population. Nobody will ever know the total amount of people who died, but it ranges between 50 to 100 million. Fitting for this time of year when everyone goes to the drugstore to get their flu shot!

 

 

 

 

Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear (240 pages)

Searching for inspiration, author Kyo Maclear finds herself in city parks birdwatching. While these birds aren’t as exotic as birds you’d see in the Amazon, Maclear enjoys her new hobby and finds new meaning in life. Birds Art Life will motivate you too to find new purpose in life without having to leave the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (242 pages)

Ever wonder how the dictionary came about? It took two men, sanity, and a lot of patience. Here we are years later with a vast history documented by the Oxford English dictionary. Find out how it all went down in The Professor and the Madman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson (259 pages)

Before it was a George Clooney film, The Men Who Stare at Goats was a book. Jon Ronson revisits the 1979 US military, where some of the most gifted minds thought that you could kill a goat by staring at it. This idea was one of many bizarre ideas that came about from the military. Spend a day reading, and you’ll find out.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin (336 pages)

After you read Tamara Shopsin’s book, you’ll see how a book over 300 pages can be a light read. Shopsin, illustrator for the New York Times and New Yorker, recounts what life was like growing up in Greenwich Village during the 70s. The way she describes her family, especially her father Kenny, you’ll be rolling on the floor laughing. Laughter always makes books go quick!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t base your reading goal on short stories versus novellas versus novels. As long as it is a good read and you take something away from it, you’ve met your goal. Although, if you want to read lengthier novels, and read lots of them, you can make that your goal by learning how to speed read. Find out more about how you can speed read without sacrificing comprehension with one of our online courses today.