I think this author is talking about a subset of non-fiction books, and we may as well call them "non-fiction idea" books, where the writer has a single idea they want to convince you of. On Tyranny does that. And sure, maybe books like Checklist Manifesto and The Goal could have been reduced to a hundred tight pages.
The hundred page idea definitely doesn't apply to non-fiction in general though. I can't imagine a history book or a biography covering what they need in a hundred pages. I don't think Chip War could be reduced.
> And sure, maybe books like Checklist Manifesto and The Goal could have been reduced to a hundred tight pages.
The Checklist Manifesto came from a New Yorker article. The article was perfect, the book is repetitive and full of stuff (building plans for a office tower are a checklist β sure, and at that point the word has lost all its meaning).
Read the article! Really, itβs great. Skip the book.
And the book is rather thin already, not some 600 pager.
The hundred page idea definitely doesn't apply to non-fiction in general though. I can't imagine a history book or a biography covering what they need in a hundred pages. I don't think Chip War could be reduced.