Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, narrated by the author (Random House Audio)

Most stories are highly imaginative and thus able to conjure things that are beyond the natural world. And that, of course, is much more interesting than reading about world politics or economics. However, to brand non-fiction as bland would be wrong. In the recent years (some may argue since the beginning of literature itself), many works of non-fiction have been as powerful and creative as many fictional books out there, making readers realize that understanding world issues or people’s experiences is important too. Here are five of what we consider to be the best non-fiction books of the 21st century.

Namita Gokhale, 63, has written 19 books, both fiction and non fiction. She is also a grandmother, publisher, and one of the founding directors of the world’s largest literature festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival, which has seen a record-breaking number of 250 to 300 thousand book lovers from all over the world.