Nonfiction is a true account, representation or narrative of subjects understood as fact. The nonfictional subject may be truly accurate or perhaps not, meaning it could give a true or false version of the subjects that are in question. However the authors of the nonfictionalized accounts believe them to be accurate. Nonfiction is one of two main types of divisions used in writing, the other is fiction. 

There are many types of nonfiction; of the many types of nonfictional writing would be anything from this list. 

Self Help

How-To

Memoir

Biography

Informational

Reference

Cookbooks 

Self-help books are there to try and help people improve aspects of their lives from weight loss to self-esteem. Of course there is a broader range of nonfiction self-help books designed make life a lot easier and fulfilling for the reader. 

How-to books are there if you want to learn how to put an engine together or to decorate your house etc. They are nonfictionalized manuals if you like, designed to give you step by step instructions on different tasks whether it be from how to count to 10 or how to learn how to program a computer, there is sure to be a book for you out there. 

Memoir type of nonfiction books is a type of autobiography written as a story form and is in many ways like a novel, and will use most of the techniques more common in fiction. 

Biographies are a very common type of nonfictional writing, books that are written by somebody, about somebody else. Usually about the more famous and inspiring people of the world, whether they are still with us or long been buried. 

Informational nonfiction books are very similar to how-to books in the way that they cover many a different range of specific interests but its informational rather than teaching how to. 

Reference non-fiction books, are encyclopedias if you like. Again they are information and can be based on one or many different subjects covered in a single book. 

Cookbooks are again exactly like How-to, in the way that they show you how to cook specific recipes for food. Show me a grandmother without a cookbook and I’ll show you a grandfather without a story to tell his grand kids. 

Nonfiction vs. Fiction, well they are the total opposite. Nonfiction is based on fact, or at least fact as the author sees it at the time, and fiction is based on the dreams and fantasy of the current author. Fiction vs. Nonfiction is truth vs. creativity and imagination.  So when it comes to you to choose the book you now wish to read, it comes down to Nonfictional vs. fictional, do you want fact or fantasy? 

So go ahead, make your choice....Fictional vs. Nonfictional. If you want a good read about some imaginary story, straight from the mind of the author, go get you fiction. If you want to stick with what is real, pick up nonfiction, you can find any of these in any library or book store, online or offline.