Best Nonfiction Books of August 2024, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
It’s August. Maybe you’re still seeking a beach read, maybe you’re gearing up for a more serious September. Our favorite nonfiction books hit both notes—they tackle weighty subjects, but with engrossing, accessible, and narrative storytelling. Be sure to check out our full list of the Best Nonfiction of August 2024, as well as our Best Books of the Month, and Best Books of the Year So Far.
On a dark night in Dallas, the body of an affluent white man was left for dead in a poor Black neighborhood. A man was swiftly arrested for the heinous crime, a jury spent about an hour deliberating his fate, and he was locked away for 35 years. But Ben Spencer didn’t murder Jeffrey Young, as reams of evidence proved. He was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time—and the investigation and his trial were bungled at every turn. This was by design, as NPR reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty reveals in her gasp-inducing narrative about how the whims of chance, politics, racism, and our country’s laws make it shockingly easy to wrongly convict somebody, and nearly impossible to win their freedom. Written with the drama of a John Grisham novel, the character-building of The Wire or Charles Dickens, this David and Goliath story will provoke outrage, and action. Because, as this book proves beyond any reasonable doubt, what happened to Ben could happen to nearly anyone. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
When I read The Boys of Riverside, I was taken back in time to when I first saw Remember the Titans at the cinema. Thomas Fuller delivers a thought-provoking American underdog story that hits all the right beats. Where the Titans fought through racial prejudice, these football boys face a different foe—no one believes they can win for the simple fact that they're an all-deaf team. Every chapter is a fascinating look into the lives of the players, coaches, families, and Riverside community at large, diving into such topics as drug abuse, the vilification of sign language, and even the urbanization of farmland. It all plays a part in how this team comes together on the football field. A story of defeat and victory, of haves versus have-nots, and overcoming adversity, the narrative will make you want to read on, and even though you know the ending, it offers surprises and nail-biting moments along the way. One of the best books I've read all year; ultimately, it's an inspiring story that will speak to sports fans, deaf communities, allies, and more. —Ben Grange, Amazon Editor
Veteran journalist Anupreeta Das excels in offering an expansive view of not just Bill Gates, but of America's obsession of tech geniuses: how we deify them, how we vilify them (when convenient), how they work under illustrious, altruistic guises to “make the world a better place," and how dominant a force they are in our lives, our politics, and the shape of the world. While this isn't a minute-by-minute account of Gates' life, it excellently positions him within our broader cultural landscape. From comparisons to Andrew Carnegie and U.S. Steel to more contemporary leaders like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Das entertainingly peels back the curtain on how Gates (and others) take on an almost mythic status, which is often painstakingly refined by philanthropy. As the title suggests, Das paints Gates in the myriad roles he's played, and doesn't shy away from the complicated—his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, alleged infidelities, his explosive anger. Satisfying, immersive, and page-turning—Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King wrestles with Gates’ place in contemporary society and history, and is filled with juicy observations that are impossible not to repeat to those around you. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
I picked up Stephanie Kiser’s debut memoir, about nannying for the richest New Yorkers, fully expecting a story in the vein of The Devil Wears Prada—you know, Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 dishy tell-all that sold over 13 million copies and was made into a movie that earned Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination. And there are plenty of eye-popping moments about unfathomably wealthy, out-of-touch Manhattanites with over-the-top demands for their children’s care. But the similarities end there. Kiser has also crafted a thoughtful, nuanced take on class, race, age, and sexism by weaving in her own experience growing up on the edge of poverty, struggling to stay afloat in college, and setbacks as she chases that ever-elusive American dream. Her astute observations—about motherhood in America, about the way we treat people we hire in service and caregiving roles—give readers plenty to think about, in the vein of Maid. Come for the gossip, stay for the deep reflection this book is likely to provoke. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
I’ll be honest—I thought there was no way Jane Rosenberg could sustain an entire book about courtroom sketching. And I was so wrong. I was totally riveted by Rosenberg’s witty, observant writing about her heart-pounding job rapidly crafting images of America’s Most Wanted. Photos are not allowed in federal court, and besides, she makes a convincing case that courtroom sketches capture more passion and drama than any camera ever could. And there is plenty of passion and drama in Rosenberg’s reflection of her 40-year career—she was in the room where everyone from the Boston Bombers to Harvey Weinstein to Bill Cosby to Donald Trump to Tom Brady to Ghislaine Maxwell to mobster John Gotti faced the court of law. Her take on these larger-than-life, sometimes infamous characters, and each courtroom’s small human moments (some of which are horrifying and hard to read), add a new dimension to splashy conviction headlines. I read this in a single afternoon, and have been talking about it since. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
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