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    Non Fiction

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    Amelito Gonzales
    Nonfiction encompasses all books that are based on real events, people, places rather than fictional narratives. Some key genres of nonfiction include history, biographies, memoirs, travel guides, academic texts, philosophy, journalism, self-help, how-to manuals, and commentary. Nonfiction covers a wide variety of topics from factual accounts to instructional books across many different subjects.

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    Non Fiction

    Uploaded by

    Amelito Gonzales
    114 views2 pages
    Nonfiction encompasses all books that are based on real events, people, places rather than fictional narratives. Some key genres of nonfiction include history, biographies, memoirs, travel guides, academic texts, philosophy, journalism, self-help, how-to manuals, and commentary. Nonfiction covers a wide variety of topics from factual accounts to instructional books across many different subjects.

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    Nonfiction encompasses all books that are based on real events, people, places rather than fictional narratives. Some key genres of nonfiction include history, biographies, memoirs, travel guides, academic texts, philosophy, journalism, self-help, how-to manuals, and commentary. Nonfiction covers a wide variety of topics from factual accounts to instructional books across many different subjects.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    114 views2 pages

    Non Fiction

    Uploaded by

    Amelito Gonzales
    Nonfiction encompasses all books that are based on real events, people, places rather than fictional narratives. Some key genres of nonfiction include history, biographies, memoirs, travel guides, academic texts, philosophy, journalism, self-help, how-to manuals, and commentary. Nonfiction covers a wide variety of topics from factual accounts to instructional books across many different subjects.

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    What Is Nonfiction?

    Nonfiction is a broad genre of writing that encompasses all books that aren’t rooted in
    a fictional narrative.

    Nonfiction writing can be based in history and biography, it can be instructional, it can
    offer commentary and humor, and it can ponder philosophical questions.

    If a book is not rooted in a made-up story, then it is nonfiction.

    9 Essential Genres of Nonfiction Books


    Here are some of the most prominent types of nonfiction genres.

    1. 1. History. Historical nonfiction consists of true accounts of historical eras and events.
    Some histories dwell purely in objective facts, and other histories are refracted through
    the lens of the author’s personal beliefs. In either case, history books must present true
    stories in order to qualify as nonfiction. Famous writers of history include David
    Halberstam and Doris Kearns Goodwin.
    2. 2. Biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. This subset of nonfiction focuses on
    the life story of a particular subject. Biographies are written in the third person about
    someone other than the author. Autobiographies and memoirs are written by the subject
    themselves. While autobiographies and memoirs are, by necessity, written by someone
    who is currently alive at the time of the writing, biographies may profile subjects both
    living and dead.
    3. 3. Travel guides and travelogues. Travelogues are a close cousin of memoirs, and
    they recount an author’s specific experience traveling somewhere. Travel guides tend to
    be more instructive, offering suggestions and practical information for travelers bound
    for a particular destination.
    4. 4. Academic texts. Academic texts are designed to instruct readers on a particular
    topic. Most Americans first encounter academic books in the form of assigned school
    textbooks that form the basis for a yearlong class. Academic texts are also used by
    adults wishing to learn a particular trade, such as car repair or music arranging.
    5. 5. Philosophy and insight. These books are a close cousin of academic texts, and many
    are published by university-affiliated publishing houses. This genre runs the gamut
    from traditional philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Descartes) to scientific theories (Newton,
    Watson & Crick) to analysis of scientific or cultural phenomena.
    6. 6. Journalism. Journalism is a broad subgenre of nonfiction and one that encompasses
    many media. Journalism is most regularly consumed in the form of newspapers and
    magazines, along with monthly journals, TV news reports, and more. Journalism
    reports on true events that typically, but not always, have relevance to a contemporary
    audience. Journalism can also take the form of books. This includes narrative nonfiction
    and true crime books. Some of these books, like Losing Earth by Nathaniel Rich
    and Memphis Rent Party by Robert Gordon straddle the line between journalism and
    history. The best journalism can receive acclaims like the Pulitzer Prize and the
    Peabody and Polk awards.
    7. 7. Self-help and instruction. Self-help books are some of the best-selling books in the
    world of nonfiction. Many of these books concern business success, buoying
    confidence, staying organized, relationship advice, dieting, and financial management.
    8. 8. Guides and how-to manuals. Related to the self-help subgenre, but more focused on
    specific skills is the subgenre of guides and how-to manuals. These include cookbooks,
    musical notations, athletic instructions, and tutorials for home hobbyists.
    9. 9. Humor and commentary. These subgenres are forms of creative nonfiction, where
    analysis and reflection on real-world events are distilled through the prism of an
    author’s point of view. Sometimes that point of view can be humorous, sometimes it’s
    political, and sometimes it’s purely meditative. What prevents this subcategory from
    being fiction is that it is rooted in objective events, both present and historical.

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