Cedric Chin proposes a hierarchy for non fiction books1:
| Description | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk Non-Fiction Book | A framework of ideas | Thinking, Fast and Slow , Principles, High Output Management |
| Branch Non-Fiction Book | Single idea books | Antifragile, Radical Candor |
| Narrative Non-Fiction Book | biographies, memories, history |
Others have promoted a similar hierarchy with trees, often attributed to Elon Musk2,3:
| Trunk | A general knowledge base and 30k foot view of the subject | Lessons of History and Sapiens |
| Branch Non-Fiction Book | A deeper dive, perhaps covering a specific period | /Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War / |
| Leaf Non-Fiction book | Finer Level of detail, single individual or idea | Grant , Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action |
These frameworks are similar, but I lean towards Cedricâs as the carve out for narrative seems appropriate. The commonality, is the acknowledgment of single-idea books (Branch and Leaf in each model). This rings true to me, particularly the observation that the books can be skimmed and the make up a bulk of non fiction.
1. Chin, C. The three kinds of non-fiction books. https://commoncog.com/the-3-kinds-of-non-fiction-book/ (2018).
2. Nobbs, J. Having a Reading Theme. https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/having-a-reading-theme (2020).
3. Wieckowski, A. Tree / Branch/ Leaf Thread. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1346594090167791621.html (2022).