How to Find Non-Fiction Books Worth Reading and Avoid Wasting Time and Money on Fluff

Each year, over two million books are published — and most of them are fluff. Just because a book is on the bestseller list doesn’t mean it’s worth your time.

The reputation of the author and great marketing can push a fluff book all the way to the top. It’s great for authors and publishers but terrible for you, the reader.

I have hundreds of books in my library, but only a handful are worth rereading or recommending.

I have three choices for the rest: keep them, donate them, or dump them.

• Keeping them might seem easy, but they are a hassle to transport. I learned this the hard way when I moved house two years ago.
• Donating them means I’m passing on the problem, wasting someone else’s time.
• Dumping them involves hidden costs, as I must pay to dispose of them.

To avoid this headache, choose valuable books from the start.

What Makes a Book Valuable?

A valuable book is one you want to read again. I have about 20 books on my must-read-again list despite having read many more. On the other hand, a fluff piece is a book you should have stopped reading halfway…