As an avid reader, it’s tough for me to choose one book and call it my favourite.  On an average year, including all formats, I read between 150 and 200 books.  That might sound like an insanely large number, but it makes more sense when you take into account that I favour audiobooks and usually listen to them at 2.75 times the speed.  Some of you might think that’s cheating, but I don’t think so.  Before the advent of writing, humans had a long tradition of oral storytelling, so I guess I’m just being retro.  

So, since I can’t just choose one book, I will introduce a few that fall under a category I especially enjoyed this year: the history of things.  Although I love fiction, I read much more non-fiction, and for some reason, in 2025, I came across many books that explain how simple things are made and how they influenced civilization or just one person’s life.  I hope my suggestion will pique your curiosity.

Custodian of Wonders - Eliot Stein

If I had to choose a favourite in the books I’m listing in this column, this would be it.  Eliot travelled the world in search of people who work on slowly disappearing jobs, then interviewed them.  Each section - including one about Japanese miso barrel makers- is chock-full of fascinating traditional knowledge and ancestral know-how, but is also poignant because we’re constantly reminded that the artisans are practicing a dying craft.  It’s a thought-provoking read.

Carpet Diem - George Bradley

This light-hearted book tells the story of how the author got into oriental rugs and turned collecting them into a hobby.  From his first forays in the field - and how he got swindled almost immediately - to his admission to an exclusive club of rug collectors, we follow his adventures as though we were in the room with him when it all happened.  Even if you don’t especially care about rugs, it makes for a funny read that’ll teach you a thing or two along the way.

Threads of Empire - Dorothy Armstrong

(Yes, I read two books about rugs this year!)  Via a selection of famous rugs, this book takes the reader on a journey through the history of the people who made them, who collected them, and how this meeting of cultures shaped, to varying extent, the world in which we live today.  One of the rugs discussed is Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s famous jinbaroi vest, kept at the Kyoto National Museum.  Although more academic than Bradley’s Carpet Diem, it’s a great read for history lovers.

Rope - Tim Queeney

Although rope may seem mundane, through this book Queeny manages to show that it has, in fact, been one of the important building blocks of human civilizations across history and that without it, many milestones and things we take for granted would have never come to be or pass.  This work is a chronological journey through the evolution of rope and its various usages.  Of all the books I presented today, it probably is the least approachable, but I definitely recommend giving it a try; it’ll change how you view the world.

Ingrained - Callum Robinson

Somewhere between an autobiography and an essay, this book follows Robinson’s journey from commercial woodworker to independent hand-crafted wood furniture shop owner.  As he retells his hardships and successes with a touch of humour, he also shares some of the knowledge proper to his craft.  Unpretentious, this book will leave you wanting to visit Scotland to see Robinson’s store.