Summer Reading 2017: Nonfiction

Nature and science writer Bill Bryson examines some of mysteries of science, and attempts to understand not only what scientists know, but how they know it. Covers the creation of the universe, the size of the Earth, the origins of life, and other topics.

The author presents a memoir of her life in post-revolutionary Iran, focusing on her organization of a group of young women in 1997 who met secretly once a week to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature.

David Sedaris describes the struggles he has had in life due to his voice problems, discussing how his voice has affected his personal relationships, his career, and his family life.

Examines the experiences of the children and husband of Henrietta Lacks, who, twenty years after her death from cervical cancer in 1951, learned doctors and researchers took cells from her cervix without consent which were used to create the immortal cell line known as the HeLa cell; provides an overview of Henrietta's life; and explores issues of experimentation on African-Americans and bioethics.

Strips away all of the technical details and jargon from the study of statistics to offer an easy-to-understand introduction to its basic principles.