No harm in asking; however, open ended general request threads tend to go nowhere.
There are a variety of /lit/ image-board mosaics detailing various topics and genera for suggestions. The best we have here is "the last book you read" threads, which invite people to state why they found a given book worth pursuing.
Still, I'll throw a few out there.
1. Politics:
How to Stop a War: The Lessons of Two Hundred Years of War and Peace by James F. Dunnigan. Conflict is always a popular political topic. The nature of conflict resolution less so, but no less full of geeky, fun detail.
Cracks in the Constitution by Ferdinand Lundberg. Enlightening survey against common misconceptions about the attributes, scope, and history of the American constitution.
The Washington Pay-off by Robert N. Winter-Berger. Somewhat dated as an expose of how things get done behind the headlines. The technical details of lobbying differ today, but the general system as Winter-Berger describes it remains in full force.
>>>/pdfs/ for suggestions, obviously.
2. Philosophy:
I have a 1960s era general guide to various philosophers. The title escapes me at the moment. For more modern philosophy, online resources are sufficient. Anyway, the idea here is you'll go farther, faster with solid professional/academic guides. Hardcore types don't bother asking, they go right to the source. See >>>/philosophy/ for a few suggestions.
3. Science (specifically space):
Megastructures: Science and Speculation by Paul Lucas. Although, this comes at you from the idea of writing SciFi.
In that regard, pretty much any modern hard SciFi role playing game.
The Orion's Arm website.
There are some interesting (if dated) general guides by Feynman, Asimov, etc. You'd do better by asking the respective boards for what's hot these days.
4. Religion:
Asimov's Guide to the Bible by Isaac Asimov. While willing to engage in speculation, Asimov clearly labels it as such when he does so. One common weakness of bible studies is a narrow focus. Asimov provides a broad context to the history, geography, and culture surrounding what the bible presents exclusively in the foreground.
Messiah by Gore Vidal. Without familiarity of early christian history, this falls flat as merely a nasty satire. With familiarity, one might appreciate the humor and drama of a modernized novelization of that history.
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. If hagiography and cartoonish presentations of christianity put you off, you might find Greene's profound (if occasionally satirical) take more to your liking.
