To answer my own question, in case anyone is curious, some of my own favorite books to recommend are the following:

WW2
Survival in Auschwitz, by Primo Levi
With the Old Breed, by Eugene Sledge 

Economics/Society
Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics, by Levitt and Dubner
The Tipping point, and Blink, by Malcom Gladwell
Confessions of an Economic Hitman, by John Perkins (not really strict history, but a fascinating book)

US history:
Lies my Teacher Told me by James Loewage 
Howard Zinn's "A People's History"

World: 
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage 
Guns Germs and Steel (surprise surprise)
මගේම ප්‍රශ්නයට පිළිතුරු දීමට, යමෙකු කුතුහලයෙන් සිටී නම්, නිර්දේශ කිරීමට මගේම ප්‍රියතම පොත් කිහිපයක් පහත දැක්වේ: WW2 Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi With the Old Breed, Eugene Sledge Economics/Society Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics, Levitt සහ Dubner The Tipping point, and Blink, by Malcom Gladwell Confessions of an Economic Hitman, John Perkins විසින් (ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම දැඩි ඉතිහාසයක් නොව, නමුත් සිත් ඇදගන්නා පොතක්) US ඉතිහාසය: Lies my Teacher Told me by James Loewage Howard Zinn&#39;s &quot;A People&#39;s History&quot; World : A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage Guns Germs and Steel (පුදුම පුදුමය)