The Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex won the National Book Award for nonfiction, and wins the Rob Gonzalez Book Award™ for being just plain awesome.

To set the scene, the book dives into the history of whaling. In particular it chronicles the rise and fall of Nantucket island, the Saudi Arabia of its day and the producer or the fuel that powered the industrial revolution: whale oil. The meat of the book is the chronicle of the most famous expedition of the 19th century, and the story that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick. Although a couple other whaleships were eventually sunk by angry whales, the Essex was the first, and the events surrounding its demise are simply incredible. The ship was struck by an old sperm whale about as far from shore as one can possibly imagine, and its sinking precipitated one of the greatest and horrific adventures of all time.

I read it in one sitting, and I 100% recommend it to pretty much anyone.