These are the ten best non-fiction books in March

The recommendation list with the greatest distribution in the German-speaking area appears here every month. Media partners are "Literarische Welt", RBB Kultur, "NZZ" and Radio Österreich 1. Experts choose ten non-fiction books of the month from the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and economics. Worthwhile in March:

Pragmatism as anti-authoritarianism. Edited by Eduardo Mendieta. With a foreword by Robert B. Brandon. Translated by Joachim Schulte, Suhrkamp, ​​454 pages, 34 euros

The philosopher Richard Rorty (1931-2007) predicted the development of political culture into a character like Trump in his 1997 book Achieving Our Country. In the current Nachlass book, Rorty's neo-pragmatism is the central theme: If no authority dictates what is true and correct, we have to recognize opinions, ideas and traditions - and, if in doubt, revise them, according to Rorty's thesis.

Our National Socialism. Speeches in contemporary Germany. S. Fischer, 301 pages, 25 euros

Götz Aly is one of the most interesting and uncomfortable contemporary historians of our time, although or precisely because he did not become a classic professor of history. The book brings together speeches, essays and lectures, all of which deal with coming to terms with the dark German era: National Socialism and the Holocaust. Aly also takes on institutions such as the renowned Munich Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ), which he criticizes for its scholarly edition of Hitler's Mein Kampf.

consciousness culture. Spirituality, Intellectual Integrity and the Planetary Crisis. Berlin Verlag, 204 pages, 22 euros

Metzinger taught philosophy in Mainz and is the author of various books on the ethics of consciousness. In the current work, he asks how we make ourselves honest in order to cope with the great tasks of our time as a human species.

Montaigne. Philosophy in times of war. A biography. C. H. Beck, 330 pages, 29.90 euros

The biographer from the University of Friborg shows Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) as a fascinating person who still teaches us all sorts of manners ("moralistics") today.

The Sportpalast speech 1943. Goebbels and the “total war”. Settlers, 208 pages, 24 euros

“Do you want total war?” With this question, the Nazi propaganda minister swore the Germans to the final battle. The contemporary historian Longerich takes stock of the history, significance and aftermath of Goebbels' notorious speech in February 1943.

Nero. madness and reality. Rowohlt, 576 pages, 34 euros

Was Emperor Nero the Donald Trump of antiquity? Or did other Roman emperors in historiography just have the better lobby? The studied ancient historian Alexander Bätz succeeds in uncovering new substance behind the giant slag of the psychopath Nero.

The Castle of the Writers. Nuremberg '46. Meeting at the abyss. C. H. Beck, 304 pages, 26 euros

When the Nuremberg war crimes trials began, writers and reporters from all over the world accredited themselves to report on the German perpetrators. This book traces how John Dos Passos and Martha Gellhorn, Erika Mann and Erich Kästner lived and wrote at Schloss Faber-Castell near Nuremberg.

Man and power. About builders and destroyers of Europe in the 20th century. Translated by Klaus-Dieter Schmidt. DVA, 592 pages, 36 euros

Are there characteristics that make powerful leaders particularly stand out? How do democrats differ from despots – and what do they not? The British historian Kershaw examines his subject based on twelve powerful figures of the 20th century, including Lenin, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Churchill, de Gaulle, Adenauer and Thatcher.

ecstasies of the present. About the dissolution of boundaries, subcultures and the consciousness industry. Matthew

Everything that is intoxication and ecstasy seems quickly frowned upon these days. But behind the scenes, there is a huge market for our need for self-transcendence. In which forms, from the yoga class to the Ayahuasca ceremony, this book explains.

Love. From the highest of feelings. Translated by Kerstin Schöps, No

Lone Frank is a neurobiologist and science journalist from Denmark. Her book explores love - and why this feeling doesn't work for everyone. It explains why some people enter into loving relationships and others fail.

Tobias Becker, "Spiegel"; Manon Bischoff, "Spectrum of Science"; Natascha Freundel, RBB Culture; Eike Gebhardt, Berlin; Daniel Haufler, Berlin; Knud von Harbou, publicist, Feldafing; Prof. Jochen Hörisch, University of Mannheim; Günter Kaindlstorfer, Vienna; Otto Kallscheuer, Sassari, Italy; Petra Kammann, “Feuilleton Frankfurt”; Jörg-Dieter Kogel, Bremen; Wilhelm Krull, The New Institute, Hamburg; Marianna Lieder, freelance critic, Berlin; Prof. Herfried Münkler, Humboldt University; Gerlinde Pölsler, "Moth"; Marc Reichwein, WORLD; Thomas Ribi, "Neue Zürcher Zeitung"; Prof. Sandra Richter, German Literature Archive Marbach; Wolfgang Ritschl, ORF; Florian Rötzer, "Great