Seeking Suggestions: 2008 Dewey Decimal Project

[rsadelle]

It's taken me five and a half years, but I've finally recovered from the burnout I ended up with by the time I graduated from college, and I want to learn something. When I was wandering the shelves at the library, I noticed that each shelving unit in the nonfiction section has a sign describing the Dewey Decimal categories. So then I thought, "I could read my way through this."

This is my plan for 2008: I'm going to read at least one book from each of the ten large categories. I've been struggling with the tension between the artificial limits we place on ourselves and what my boss says about how having policies and procedures free up our energies to focus on other things. So instead of assigning specific categories to specific months, I'm going to just read in whatever order strikes my fancy. I plan to use January through October to make my way through, and then read an additional book from each of two categories (whatever I feel like) in November and December.

And so I'm asking for suggestions of nonfiction you think I might like. Caveat: It must be available from my local library or more than a year old so I can get it through interlibrary loan.

For reference, the Dewey Decimal categories, as listed by Wikipedia:

• 000 - Computer science, information, and general works
  
• 100 - Philosophy and psychology
  
• 200 - Religion
  
• 300 - Social sciences
  
• 400 - Language
  
• 500 - Science
  
• 600 - Technology
  
• 700 - Arts and recreation
  
• 800 - Literature
  
• 900 - History and geography

I already know I want to read How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman (610 G) and (Not that You Asked): Rants, Exploits, and Obsessions by Steve Almond (813 ALMOND). Since I'm going to read more than one book in at least two categories, don't let that stop you from recommending things in the 600s and 800s.