About this list

Los Angeles Times, 30 Books

This list, curated by the Los Angeles Times, celebrates the 30 best nonfiction books published in the U.S. over the last 30 years. Created in honor of the 30th edition of the L.A. Times Festival of Books, the selection highlights works that have significantly shaped the literary landscape since the festival's inception in 1996. The list was developed by surveying a diverse group of authors, editors, critics, scholars, and other literary experts, ensuring a well-rounded and informed collection. The purpose is to honor influential nonfiction works that continue to spark discussion and reflection among readers.

Who Voted: Authors, editors, critics, and scholars
It does specify exactly how many people where asked to choose books but there are 30 books with 30 different experts/authors that have written comments, so i am going with 30

This list was originally published in 2025 and was added to this site about 1 year ago.