Best Nonfiction Books of the Century So Far

Narrowing down the best nonfiction books of the century so far was no easy feat. Not only is the category broad, but the popularity of true stories has greatly increased over the last 26 years. In fact, many of the bestselling books, books that have inspired countless conversations and even steered pop culture, have been nonfiction.

This makes sense once you consider how our relationship with reality changed in the 2000s. As the popularity of reality shows rose, so too did memoirs. No longer were they mostly reserved for celebrities and politicians—readers wanted stories about regular, everyday people. Out came books about overcoming adverse childhoods, and even collections of humorous life experiences. We also got a few notable culinary memoirs, and graphic memoirs gained traction.

And of course, the public’s hunger for real stories extended past the personal. Some science nonfiction releases of the 2000s reshaped everything we thought we knew about American history, medicine, and more, and new forms of nonfiction emerged.

No matter the genre, one thing is for certain: the best nonfiction bo...