Do you know the difference between fiction and nonfiction books? Fiction is the creation of the author’s mind while nonfiction is factual. Almost anything you can see or touch you can read about in a nonfiction book. This includes the past (history books) and the future (scientific theory; but not science fiction). The topics covered in a nonfiction book can range from everything (an encyclopedia) to a single item (such as lace-making).

To begin exploring the world of nonfiction books the internet can show you a list of the one hundred greatest nonfiction books of the twentieth century. Another way to discover the variety of nonfiction books is to simply wander the shelves of your local library.

A lot of nonfiction concerns itself with politics and social history; but other popular selections include cookbooks, travel and hobbies, as well as psychology and biographies. The nonfiction section of a library is organized according to the Dewey Decimal System. Named for its inventor, John Dewey, the system assigns a call number consisting of three digits to the left of the decimal point and as many as four digits to the right of the decimal in addition to several letters of the author’s last name. This creates a unique “Call Number” for each volume. The call number can be found by looking up the topic in the library data base or, in some cases, in the card catalog.

These steps should be enough to start you on the path to broadening your knowledge. Do yourself a favor and pick up a nonfiction book today.