7 Nonfiction Books to Make You Sound Smart at Parties

7 Nonfiction Books to Make You Sound Smart at Parties Its the holiday season, which for some, means lots of extra social engagements. Whether you need to impress your new significant others parents, bond with your great aunt with the hopes shell include you in her will, or find some common ground with your teenage cousin, these recent nonfiction books will give you fodder for conversation and help make you sound smart at parties. Or you know, theyre interesting nonfiction books to read at home while you avoid going to parties. Either way. Nothing is more impressive than being able to talk about science that wasnt explained in The Martian. Read the slim book Seven  Brief Lessons on Physics by  Carlo Rovelli  and youll be the resident expert. Not only will you get the science, youll have the passion and the nuance to speak authoritatively on physics without boring everyone to death. So youve already got your holiday menu planned out and your brother announces his girlfriend is paleo. Instead of reading annoying blogs, check out How to Eat Paleo (When You Dont Live in a Cave) by  Cynthia Flick Spivey, illustrated by  Joya Rose Groves. Its a no-nonsense approach to what a paleo diet is all about with beautiful, whimsical illustrations. I was always rolling my eyes at any mention of a paleo diet until I read this slim book that makes it sound more like a lifestyle than a fad diet. Music is a safe topic with everyone from your heavy metal loving, motorcycle driving co-worker to your jazz enthusiast uncle. Sound like an intelligent and informed music critic who can discuss every genre after reading  Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty by Ben Ratliff. Itll change how you listen toâ€"and talk aboutâ€"music. Your aunt just cant understand why your teenage cousins are always on their phones. Give her a lowdown on what her daughters are up to after reading American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales. This well-researched examination of how teens use social media is eye-opening without being overly alarmist. Do you sit through family holiday gatherings watching football and wonder what it the hell is going on, or are you a diehard fan that sets up multiple TVs so you can watch more than one game at a time? Either way, the  The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football by S.C. Gwynne is an interesting read on how two coaches revolutionized the game by developing modern playbooks. Its been easy to lose hope this year, but the collection of essays in We Gon  Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang can reaffirm your believe in the potential for real, meaningful cultural change. Youll feel better about any conversations where race comes up after reading this book. Your grandpa might think the internet is the worst thing to happen to world, but after reading Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art by Virginia Heffernan, youll have plenty of anecdotes to convince him there is beauty in the internet. What interesting nonfiction books have given you conversation rule? What books are more fun  than going to a cocktail party?   Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.