1776 by David Mcullough

Great read, er listen. Washington is the man you think he is but he did more then you think he did. People forget that without the army and specifically Washington, the pieces of paper we hold so dear would have been a flash in the pan. People make fun of Australia for being entirely peopled with criminals but at its rock bottom Washington's army wasn't much more then that. The Continental Army was extreamly lucky that it was not demolished a number of times. I never put much stock into the phrase that Washington was the father of our country, its now clear why he was our first president and why more famous, more political men, put him in charge of themselves.

Philosophy Talk - The Language of Fiction

Basically they came to the same conclusion many have before. Movies and books and other works of fiction can be valuable in that they teach about people. Media is written by authors, and so much of the text is realistic behavior. They often teach lessons or explore an issue that can be discussed in non-fiction, but in a more entertaining way in fiction. They allow you too see other perspectives and ask you to step inside the shoes of characters you may never have thought to explore. They allow you to experience more types of lives and possibly to have a better appreciation for living like somebody else. I think fiction teaches empathy.

They can also help you pass time in an enjoyable manner, if that is a value to you.