Just in time for Black Friday, I thought I might share with you a few non-fiction books that have made an impression on me this year. I’ll keep this short, I promise.

A Million Little Pieces – James Frey
This book came out right around the time that I got sober, and it both scared and inspired me. It is one young man’s account of his addictions and his reluctant treatment at the Hazelden clinic in the early 90’s. Recommended for anyone who knows someone who has struggled, but not for the faint of heart. Impossible to put down – in a good way!

Fast Food Nation – Eric Schlosser
An unblinking indictment of the unsanitary and exploitative practices of the fast food industry, told with surprising empathy for all of the participants. It also provides an interesting history of the business, from its post-war beginnings to the development of the modern-day franchise system.

The Best Democracy That Money Can Buy – Greg Pallast
From the Florida debacle to the real results of World Bank / IMF globalization, these are the stories that the U.S. media will not publish, as written by an American-born investigative reporter for the U.K. Guardian. Whatever your political leanings, you will be certainly become polarized after addressing these issues.

A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
Last but not least, another great read from the lovable travel writer and sage, Bill Bryson. If you haven’t read A Walk In The Woods, his humorous account of hiking the Appalachian Trail with another 40-something friend, you should. But I digress. Here, Bryson takes on the Natural Sciences, and delivers a well-paced, readable volume of all the stuff you forgot from high school. After spending three years researching and interviewing academics from around the world, he somehow manages to fit in literally everything - from atomic structure to weather patterns, biology to plate tectonics, it’s all covered with his trademark wry humor in this relatively small volume.

So there it is. Maybe not the cheeriest stuff, but I liked them. And remember, if you’re shopping for me I would like a Red Rider BB gun…