The Best Nonfiction Books of 2024

This is one of the 759 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Bloomberg, 14 Books

In an outstanding year for serious nonfiction, these writers excelled at shedding light on complex and underexplored topics.
Selected by Stephen L. Carter, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a professor of law at Yale University and author of “Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster.”
First book ranked, rest unranked

This list was originally published in 2024 and was added to this site over 1 year ago.

View: List Grid Table
Cover of 'Nuclear War' by Annie Jacobsen
Nuclear War

Annie Jacobsen

Cover of 'The Invention Of Prehistory' by Stefanos Geroulanos
The Invention Of Prehistory

Stefanos Geroulanos

Cover of 'Combee' by Edda L. Fields-Black
Combee

Edda L. Fields-Black

Cover of 'The Right To Oblivion' by Lowry Pressly
The Right To Oblivion

Lowry Pressly

Cover of 'Silk' by Aarathi Prasad
Silk

Aarathi Prasad

Cover of 'Naples 1925' by Martin Mittelmeier
Naples 1925

Martin Mittelmeier

Cover of 'Life As No One Knows It' by Sara Imari Walker
Life As No One Knows It

Sara Imari Walker

Cover of 'Four Points Of The Compass' by Jerry Brotton
Four Points Of The Compass

Jerry Brotton

Cover of 'The Notebook' by Roland Allen
The Notebook

Roland Allen

Cover of 'Why Machines Learn' by Anil Ananthaswamy
Why Machines Learn

Anil Ananthaswamy

Cover of 'The Rebel's Clinic' by Adam Shatz
The Rebel's Clinic

Adam Shatz

Cover of 'Savings And Trust' by Justene Hill Edwards
Savings And Trust

Justene Hill Edwards

Cover of 'The Roads To Rome' by Catherine Fletcher
The Roads To Rome

Catherine Fletcher

Cover of 'Cosmic Connections' by Charles Taylor
Cosmic Connections

Charles Taylor