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Unscripted Gets Some Scribes

Non-fiction gets real

By Kate Torgovnick
Published: Mar 24, 2008

If the choice between spending a few hours with a book versus quality time in front of a TV set tuned to a reality show leaves you reaching for the remote, think again. There’s plenty of reading material out there to satisfy your reality jones. Here are a few suggestions for those in need of a non-fiction fix.

Already love: The Apprentice

Must Read: Seducing the Boys Club by Nina DiSesa
Nina DiSesa is the chairman of McCann Erickson New York, one of the biggest advertising firms in the world. In this book, she talks about the lessons she learned on the way to the top—like how not to cry at work and how to handle difficult clients. The basic point is that women can make it in the business world without turning into Omarosas.

Already love: Intervention

Must read: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
New York Times reporter David Sheff’s son, Nic, always played sports and brought home ‘A’s. That is, until he turned 17 and became a methhead. Sheff tells how this addiction affected everyone—his younger children, his second wife, and Nic, of course. It’s honest and disturbing, with fascinating info about this scary drug.

Already love: Project Runway

Must read: Jeans by James Sullivan
Even Tim Gunn gives his stamp of approval on the book jacket. This is a surprisingly fun-to-read timeline of the cultural history of denim, showing how it’s been embraced by every segment of American culture over the years. Random fact you’ll learn while reading: Brigham Young once referred to jeans as “fornication pants.”

Already love: The 2008 Democratic primary

Must read: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72
In 1972, during the Democratic primary that pitted George McGovern against Hubert Humphrey in a showdown that never seemed to end, Hunter S. Thompson was along for the ride. You’ll be eerily reminded that we’ve been here before. The book also goes on to the general election against Nixon.

Already love: Anything on the Discovery Channel

Must read: The Heartless Stone by Tom Zoellner
Tom Zoellner travels to 10 countries—bribing diamond smugglers
in Africa and watching as industry top dogs make secret deals in
England—to find out where diamonds come from, what makes the
diamond industry tick, and how a shiny rock became such a hot
commodity in the first place.

Already love: Cheerleader Nation

Must read: CHEER! by, um, me
College cheerleading isn’t what you think. It’s like an extreme sport—
back, head, and neck injuries abound, yet top cheerleaders say the
risk is part of the appeal. It's a sport where people get hefty
scholarships, where steroids and drug use are surprisingly frequent,
and where people stay in college for 6, 7, even 8 years. For this book,
I followed three college teams for a year.

Already love: American Idol

Must read: This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin
Ever wondered why you can listen to certain songs over and over again
and always love them, while others grate on your nerves? In this book,
Daniel Levitin explores the science of sound. Since he’s a former
music producer with a PhD in neuroscience, his take on things is pretty fascinating.

Already love: Top Chef

Must read: Heat by Bill Buford
New Yorker writer Bill Buford gets a gig in the kitchen of Babbo, Mario
Batali’s Italian food mecca, and moves on to tackle the kitchens of
the finest restaurants in Italy and England. As one chef in the book notes,
it’s “food and drink, food and drink until you feel like you’re on drugs.”

Already love: Anything on the Travel Channel

Must read: My Kind of Place by Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean is the queen of creative nonfiction, who’s classic The Orchid
Thief hit the big screen via Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay as the
twisted movie Adaptation. In this collection of essays, Orlean climbs
Mt. Fuji, plays baseball with Cuban Little Leaguers, observes the
World Taxidermy Championships, and much more. As always, her
writing is touching and ethereal.

Already love: Survivor

Must read: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Maybe you saw the Sean Penn directed movie this year? Well, this is the
book it was based on, about Chris McCandless, an Emory graduate
who one day gives all his money away to charity, disappears, and
travels across the country, eventually trekking through the Alaskan
wilderness for 112 days. Let’s just say, it doesn’t end well.

Already love: America’s Next Top Model, Make Me a Supermodel

Must read: Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women by Michael Gross
We all know the modeling world is filled with drugs, eating disorders, and
lecherous men. But that doesn’t make it any less fun to read about. In this
book, Esquire contributor Michael Gross interviews hundreds of models and
fashion industry types to get the real story. Plus, a detailed history of the industry.

Kate Torgovnick is Dame's editor-at-large. Her book, CHEER!, is in book stores now. It's a narrative nonfiction romp through the world of competitive college cheerleading that's been called "the Friday Night Lights of a new generation." Read more at KateTorgovnick.com.

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