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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari2018

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • So You Want to Talk About Race

    Ijeoma Oluo2018

    A series of essays explaining concepts like privilege, intersectionality, and systemic racism in modern America.

    meditative → earnest, still essays

    pace+1·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Confessions

    Augustine of Hippo

    A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

    Same meditative register

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    meditative → reflective

    pace0·prose+2·bleak-1

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    meditative → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Modern Romance

    Aziz Ansari2015

    A comedian and a sociologist analyze how technology and culture have changed dating. It uses data and interviews to compare eras.

    meditative → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Building a Second Brain

    Tiago Forte2022

    A guide to a digital organization system designed to store and retrieve ideas, notes, and information for long-term projects.

    meditative → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank

    Erma Bombeck1976

    A collection of essays observing the daily frustrations and domestic absurdities of suburban family life in the 1970s.

    meditative → playful, still essays

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    Neil deGrasse Tyson2017

    A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.

    meditative → playful

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    meditative → playful

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    meditative → earnest

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Confessions

    Augustine of Hippo

    A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

    Same meditative register

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

  • How to Read a Book

    Mortimer J. Adler1940

    This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

    meditative → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Self-Reliance and Other Essays

    Ralph Waldo Emerson1993

    A collection of 19th-century lectures advocating for individualism and nonconformity. The prose is dense, formal, and philosophical.

    Same meditative register, still essays

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Animal Farm

    George Orwell1945

    Farm animals overthrow their human owner to run the farm themselves. The pigs gradually seize control and establish a new hierarchy.

    meditative → sardonic

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Diary of a Young Girl

    Anne Frank2001

    A Jewish teenager records her daily life and thoughts while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam.

    meditative → earnest

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • A Child Called "It"

    Dave Pelzer1987

    A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.

    meditative → bleak

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1