How I discovered the Value of Non-Fiction Books Beyond Self-Improvement
For a long time, I held the belief that non-fiction books didn’t really count as “reading.” I equated non-fiction solely with self-improvement books, the kind of content that, let’s be honest, can often be condensed into a 10-minute YouTube video or blog post.
Why spend hours reading through 200 pages when you could get the main points in a quarter of the time?
The rise of YouTube only fueled this belief. Channels offering summaries, book reviews, and actionable takeaways made it easy for me to consume self-help material without cracking open a book.
And for a while, I thought I had found a shortcut to learning. Why read when you can watch?
But recently, I’ve had a change of heart.
Expanding My Definition of Non-Fiction
It wasn’t until I picked up When Breath Becomes Air and The Design of Everyday Things that I realized I had been limiting myself. These books weren’t your typical productivity hacks or feel-good advice manuals.
When Breath Becomes Air — a deeply moving memoir by Paul Kalanithi — was something much more profound. It wasn’t just about bettering myself; it was about understanding life from someone else’s perspective, grappling with mortality, and the fragility of human existence. The emotional weight of the story lingered long after I turned the last page, something a quick video summary could never replicate.
On the other hand, The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman illuminated my growing interest in niche subjects, such as design. This book introduced me to the psychology behind why we interact with products in certain ways, teaching me to see the world differently, with a more analytical and curious mindset. It was far from the “life hacks” I once associated with non-fiction.
Moving Beyond Self-Help
Many people, myself included, tend to pigeonhole non-fiction into the realm of productivity and self-improvement. But in reality, non-fiction spans so much more: memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, niche subjects like design and psychology.
It’s a genre filled with knowledge, experience, and wisdom that transcends the popular motivational tropes often found in best-selling self-help books.
Non-fiction can teach you how to look at the world through the eyes of a designer, a psychologist, or even an astronaut.
While I still don’t read non-fiction as much as I do fiction, I’ve learned that it contains invaluable gems that go beyond the trendy bestsellers. Memoirs and niche topics like design or psychology offer insights that can deeply enrich one’s understanding of life and the world around us.
I find myself gravitating towards books that challenge me to think differently, and that provoke deeper questions rather than providing quick solutions.
Conclusion: Non-Fiction Deserves a Second Look
Non-fiction books, once relegated to the “self-improvement” section of my mind, now hold a deeper significance for me. Yes, there are still countless videos and blog posts that can distil the lessons from these books into bite-sized chunks.
But sometimes, the journey through a book — the ideas, the emotions, the nuances — is worth far more than just the destination.
Whether you’re reading a memoir that tugs at your heartstrings or exploring a niche subject that opens your eyes to new perspectives, non-fiction has the power to add immeasurable value to your life — when you connect with the right book.
Happy Reading!
I would love to get your recommendations and also get to know your favourites — whether fiction or non-fiction!
