You should sample the work of writers who take pride in the quality of their writing & ideas, not just the latest "100 tips to success in business" book.
So much of the writing we read is written by amateur writers who are professionals in some other realm.
I should probably offer suggestions, which is hard; but try this recent nonfiction essay by novelist & essayist Hilary Mantel:
These are both fiction-writers; I'm struggling to think of really high-quality non-fiction writing, but that's just because I haven't read any recently... An example, at least -- Christopher Hitchens covers some of the same territory as Richard Dawkins, but his writing is head & shoulders above.
So much of the writing we read is written by amateur writers who are professionals in some other realm.
I should probably offer suggestions, which is hard; but try this recent nonfiction essay by novelist & essayist Hilary Mantel:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n04/hilary-mantel/royal-bodies
Or read the first few pages of The End by Salvatore Scibona (click "look inside the book" on Amazon):
http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Salvatore-Scibona/dp/B0035G02D...
These are both fiction-writers; I'm struggling to think of really high-quality non-fiction writing, but that's just because I haven't read any recently... An example, at least -- Christopher Hitchens covers some of the same territory as Richard Dawkins, but his writing is head & shoulders above.