Intellectual, factual books you've enjoyed reading?

Not things like that "Twilight" crap.

I mean like, For example, books like "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett and such.

I need recommendations for this summer - I enjoy reading about medieval europe (and Asia), biographies, astronomy, alchemy....basically anything that will really get me thinking.

Anything you'd like to mention?

Thanks!Intellectual, factual books you've enjoyed reading?
i absolutely LOVED "A People's Tragedy" by Orlando Figes. its a history of the Russian Revolution, so its not fiction but its in turns fascinating, hilarious, depressing and uplifting.



another non-fiction that was well worth the time spent reading it was "King Leopold's Ghost" by Andrew Hochschild. its about the Belgian colonization of the Congo in the 19th century. a real eye-opener.



if you are only in the mood for utterly sublime fiction however, i urge you to read "Rumo %26amp; His Miraculous Adventures" by Walter Moers. yes the protagonist is a dog with horns but its the best book i've ever read. insanely funny, extremely violent, completely entertaining and last but not least, TRULY romantic.



happy reading.



** also, i just looked to my left and was reminded to reccommend the "Gormenghast Trilogy" by Mervyn Peake. they are three very intelligent novels about a massive castle and its inhabitants. the writing is extremely descriptive and very atmospheric... the kind of book you can live in for weeks.
what is this book thing in which you speakIntellectual, factual books you've enjoyed reading?
the da vinci code
Anything by Herman Hesse. Siddhartha, Demien, and Steppenwolf.



These books aren't exactly "factual" but they are classics and will certainly get you thinking.Intellectual, factual books you've enjoyed reading?
Angels %26amp; Demons by Dan Brown
If you enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth", I'd suggest Umberto Eco, best known for "Name of the Rose".

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Arturo Perez-Reverte is another.

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Won't say these guys are totally factual, but use history to tell tales.
These are all nonfiction, but aren't dry and dusty reading. They're thought-provoking and written with a sly sense of humor. I believe they're all out in paperback now.



The Female Brain by louann Brizendine, M.D. She explains why a man can't remember the subject of an argument--or even if there was one--two years ago, but the woman can remember the exact setting and words exchanged.



Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. The first sentence on the dust jacket describes the theme the best: "Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink?"



How Doctors Think? Jerome Groopman, M.D. He describes how a doctor decides within 18 seconds of talking to a patient the diagnosis and course of treatment. It should be required reading for doctors as well as patients to get the most out of their medical encounters.