WHO'S ON TOP: NONFICTION

Top 5 Nonfiction:

Hardcover:

1. THINGS THAT MATTER, by Charles Krauthammer

2. KILLING JESUS, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

3. THE BULLY PULPIT, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

4. DAVID AND GOLIATH, by Malcolm Gladwell

5. I AM MALALA, by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Spotlight:

THE BULLY PULPIT

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of Team of Rivals, captures the Progressive Era through the story of the broken friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, culminating in their running against one another for president in 1912.

Paperback:

1. PROOF OF HEAVEN, by Eben Alexander

2. QUIET, by Susan Cain

3. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, by Piper Kerman

4. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell

5. THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, by Erik Larson

Spotlight:

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY

Erik Larson

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor.

Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.

The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims.

E-Books:

1. TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, by Solomon Northup

2. KILLING JESUS, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

3. THINGS THAT MATTER, by Charles Krauthammer

4. DAVID AND GOLIATH, by Malcolm Gladwell

5. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SECRET SIX, by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

Spotlight:

UNDISPUTED TRUTH

Mike Tyson and Larry Solman

A bare-knuckled, tell-all memoir from Mike Tyson, the onetime heavyweight champion of the world—and a legend both in and out of the ring.

Philosopher, Broadway headliner, fighter, felon—Mike Tyson has defied stereotypes, expectations, and a lot of conventional wisdom during his three decades in the public eye. Bullied as a boy in the toughest, poorest neighborhood in Brooklyn, Tyson grew up to become one of the most thrilling and ferocious boxers of all time—and the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But his brilliance in the ring was often compromised by reckless behavior. Years of hard partying, violent fights, and criminal proceedings took their toll: by 2003, Tyson had hit rock bottom, a convicted felon, completely broke, the punch line to a thousand bad late-night jokes. Yet he fought his way back; the man who once admitted being addicted to everything” regained his success, his dignity, and the love of his family. With a triumphant one-man stage show, his unforgettable performances in the Hangover films, and his newfound happiness and stability as a father and husband, Tyson’s story is an inspiring American original.

Brutally honest, raw, and often hilarious, Tyson chronicles his tumultuous highs and lows in the same sincere, straightforward manner we have come to expect from this legendary athlete. A singular journey from Brooklyn’s ghettos to worldwide fame to notoriety, and, finally, to a tranquil wisdom, Undisputed Truth is not only a great sports memoir but an autobiography for the ages.

Disclaimer: All blurbs come from Goodreads.com, all list come from NYTimes.com.