From Lisa:  "Each category would have histories, biographies, memoirs, how to books, informational books, essays, technical books and so forth related to the subject matter.  Not necessarily books that would be classified under each of the Dewey decimal classes."

"Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Outsiders Still: Why Women Journalists Love - and Leave - Their Newspaper Careers by Vivian Smith

Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History by Victoria Sherrow

Bill Gates: The Path to the Future by Jonathan Gatlin

House of Lost Worlds: Dinosaurs, Dynasties, and the Story of Life on Earth by Richard Conniff

1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall"

 I, too, see many possibilities for nonfiction memoirs, biographies, etc., fitting in lots of the areas.  Sports of all types fit, too.  Many sports are very technical such as sailing and isn't dance an artistic form?  Team sports could fit Class 100 as there is certainly a psychological aspect to this type of competition.  Use your imagination and just state how your selection qualifies.  This is your challenge to design within a framework.

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology

Class 200 – Religion

Class 300 – Social sciences

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science

Class 600 – Technology

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

Class 900 – History & geography  

My lists begin here. Thanks for the help Lisa.  

Here is a book I have just finished that is quite good but I have filled many categories so I'll list it here.  The Cause Lost: Myths and Realities of the Confederacy by William C. Davis, 7/27/2017.  The author looks at many of the myths and beliefs that have arisen around the Civil War,. focusing primarily on the Confederacy.  In addition, he does nice biographical sketches of many of the key men involved in directing war efforts from the South.  Three is a really good chapter about all the myths that surround Stonewall Jackson and they are still believed.  One must take care in choosing a book about this Confederate general as a number of the authors have little factual background about the man.

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works  Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson, M.D., 2/20/2017, 4 stars   Book focuses on a story to define four different approaches to change.  Also included are examples of how the tale helped others succeed.

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology  Choteau Creek, a Sioux Reminiscence by Joseph Iron Eye Dudley, 1/16/2017, 3.5 stars   Included are tales of how the beliefs and incidents in the family and community of the Native Americans affected their lives and how their philosophy of life affected the day to day lives of the family.

Class 200 – Religion:  The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux, 5/14/2017, 3 stars   This is an autobiography written by a devout woman whose life as a nun and member of the Carmel community is all too brief.  She dedicated her life to Jesus and spent much of her time in prayer and reading the Bible which she quotes endlessly in the recounting of how she lived.  The book is read by many the world over.

Class 300 – Social sciences  Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. 8/13/2017, 3 stars  This is a tale about German youth who lived during Hitler's 12-year rampage through our world.  Many were indoctrinated into the Nazi philosophy and believed whatever the Nazi leaders told them.  As the years went on more and more youth became disillusioned, some to the level that they began issuing pamphlets about what was really happening.  The most famous was the White Rose group, all of whom were eventually captured and executed by the Nazis.  Nevertheless, their efforts sparked similar efforts thoughout Europe.  I found the brainwashing of children turned my stomach where even eight-year-olds came to believe his lies and propraganda.  And, when the Allies were ending the war it was the youth who suffered as the young soldiers (12, 13 and older) fought to their deaths for Hitler.  The Russians mowed them down by the dozens.  The Americans took many prisoner and tried to show them the real story but some of them thought it was only propagandy spouted by Germany's enemies.  May we never experiences another period like this while I live.

Class 400 – Language  

Class 500 – Science:  A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking , 7/18/2017, 3.5 stars  A fascinating look at time, space, black holes and the theories that describe what is happening.  It's a slow read but a good one, especially if you live with an electrical engineer who can help you undestand it all.

Class 600 – Technology  Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt, 1/24/2017, 5 stars  An exciting and fascinating discussion of the women who helped make space travel possible.  Their talent, their intelligence and their dedication to sicence and discovery of the planets in our galaxy makes this a wonderful read.  I loved it.

Class 700 – Arts & recreation  Open by Andre Agassiz, 1.20.2017, 4.5 stars  Having enjoyed watching this talented tennis professional on the court for years I was pleased to read about his life.  Young Agassiz was driven by his father from his crib until he entered professional play.  Even then his father critiqued his games and his moves.  He opens his heart and discusses his career and life both the good and the bad.  

Class 800 – Literature  Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend by John E. Miller, in process

Class 900 – History & geography  To Marry an English Lord by Gail McCall and Carol McD. Wallace, 1/21/2017, 2 stars. Not worth the time to read.  Imagine weathly families and daughters moving to England to seek royal spouses.  It's frivolous and foolish.  While it was true, I found this book a great disappointment.

I'm aiming for 6 or 8 categories.

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology

Class 200 – Religion

Class 300 – Social sciences

     Devil in the White City - Erik Larson (365 Penal and related Institutions)

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science

     The Outermost House - Henry Beston (508.744 Natural Science)

Class 600 – Technology 

          Rise of the Rocket Girls - Nathalia Holt (629 Other branches of Engineering)

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

     What the Stones Remember - Patrick Lane (811.5 American Poetry in English)

Class 900 – History & geography

     The Road to Little Dribbling - Bill Bryson 6/23  (914.104 History and Travel in Europe-Great Britain)  Enjoyable, expect to spend time looking up the places he travels online.

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology

Class 200 – Religion

Class 300 – Social sciences

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science

Class 600 – Technology

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

Class 900 – History & geography  

My List:

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology

Class 200 – Religion

• The Sound of Gravel :: Ruth Wariner

This is the autobiography of a young woman who lives in and eventually escapes a fundamentalist Mormon colony in Mexico.

Class 300 – Social sciences

• Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America :: Jill Leovy

Written by the former LATimes crime columnist, this book did an amazing job of bringing the problems of muder in the inner city to life. In the book, she follows several cases from beginning to end, showcasing an amazing empathy for the homocide detectives, the victims, the perpetrators and the families behind each of those groups. A truly eye-opening read.

• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir :: J. D. Vance

Written as a first person narrative, this memoir reflects the larger picture of what is occuring in the rust belt and appalachia. The author does an excellent job of linking his experiences to wider and disturbing trends in our country. Want to understand underachievement and drug addiction in the midwest, then this book is a great place to start.

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science

Class 600 – Technology & Medicine

• The Big Five: Five Simple Things You Can Do to Live a Longer, Healthier Life :: Sanjiv Chopra, David Fisher

Summing up this book:Take a walk on a sunny day to the coffee shop, when you're there have some coffee and maybe some nuts for a snack, sit and relax for a while.  Pretty easy stuff to incorporate into your everday life to gain significant health benefits.

• Anticancer, a New Way of Life :: MD, PhD, David Servan-Schreiber

So I'm on a big health kick in my January reading. Both this book and The Big Five above are excellent resources for small, tiny little changes I can make to my lifestyle to gain significant health rewards.

This book was written by an MD diagnosed with brain cancer at 31. As he started traditional therapy for his cancer, he wanted to understand what else he himself could do to increase his chances for survival. The results are this book. He intersperses his own experiences throughout the book, along with similar stories from other people. A really good read - and the changes are beyond easy to make. Have a glass of wine every day? Sign me up!!

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

• Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby :: Sarah Churchwell

Keeping with the non-fiction theme, this book is a review of The Great Gatsby, exploring how events, trends and Fitzgerald's own life and acquintances influenced the novel.

Class 900 – History & geography  

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works  Browsing: A Year of Reading, Collecting and Living With Books by Michael Dirda (28 Reading) This a collection of columns written in 2012  for The American Scholar.  Fifty columns about book collecting, new books, old books, under rated books, the joy of book stores, conventions, some personal and political musings and quite a bit about the pleasures of physical books.  A wonderful book that caused me to nod my head  when he spoke of a book I've read, order from PBS a number I haven't read and add a lot of titles to my reminder list to order in the future.  

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology

Class 200 – Religion

Class 300 – Social sciences

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science  Why Things Break : Understanding the World By the Way It Comes Apart by Mark Eberhart (620.1 Engineering mechanics and materials science)

Class 600 – Technology  Steal the Menu: A Memoir of Forty Years in Food by Raymond Sokolov (641-Food and Drink)  An interesting look at how food criticism and the social/historical importance of food has been regarded has changed as well a look at how journalism itself has changed.  It's a very workmanlike book but I was expecting more passion regarding the subject of food.  I was thinking more along the lines of Ruth Reichl's writing.  I hadn't realized that the author was a journalist/scholar who stumbled into the food world rather than a cook or gourmet who became a journalist.  Still it was worth reading for the overview of the food world and how it has changed.     

Class 700 – Arts & recreation  The Eternal Summer: Palmer, Nicklaus and Hogan in 1960, Golf's Golden Year by Curt Sampson (796.352 Golf)

Class 800 – Literature  FB Eyes: How J Edgar Hoover's Ghostreaders Framed African American Literature by William J. Maxwell (810.09896 African American Literature)

Class 900 – History & geography  Mapping the Paddocks by Chester Eagle (994 History of Australia)  A memoir of the author growing up on a farm in Australia during the Depression and World War ll.  While the cricket metaphors were a bit heavy handed, it was an interesting look at growing up in rural Australia and a young boy's life.

Class 000 – Computer science, information & general works

Class 100 – Philosophy & psychology Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg. Finished in July. Rating B

     Facebook COO Sandberg reflects on life after the sudden death of her husband and, along with co-author Adam Grant share practical ideas for overcoming adversity. An inspiring and heartfelt book.

Class 200 – Religion Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Finished in July. Rating: A+++ for the audio book.

     So, it might be a stretch to put this in the religion category, but Noah's memoir does focus a bit on his mother's religious fervor and practices. This was fabulously done in the audio version read by the author.

Class 300 – Social sciences Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. Finished on January 4th. Rating: A

                    J.D. Vance is a self-desribed hillbilly whose grandparents moved from the rural south to a small Ohio town in what is now part of the "rust belt" in order to seek a better life. They only partially fullfilled that dream as their lives and the lives of their extended family encountered unemployment, underemployment, unacceptance, alcoholism, drug addiction, and family discord/violence. The book has been touted as a explanation of the votes of poor whites in the last presidential election, and to some extent it provides that but it is really much more.

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science For All the Tea in China: Espionage, Empire, and the Secret Formula for the World's Favourite Drink by Sarah Rose. Finished in July. Rating: B

     Robert Fortune was a Scottish botanist, gardener, and plant hunter who travels into China in 1848 to steal Chinese tea-growing and harvesting secrets for the East India Company. A little gem of a book.

Class 600 – Technology

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

Class 900 – History The Black Count by Tom Reiss Finished on January 28. Rating: A+

An excellent historical biography of the nearly forgotten father of writer Alexander Dumas. He was a brave, heroic and principled man who led several key battles during the French Revolution. He was also bi-racial and fell out of favor with Napoleon and the other powers-that-be when he returned home after a two-year imprisonment. I just loved all of the rich contextual background about the French Revolution. The book is a Pulitzer Prize winner.