
After
Bad Pharma
Ben Goldacre2013
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
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Three Cups of Deceit
Jon Krakauer2011
An investigative report into Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute. It details financial mismanagement and fabricated memoir claims.
sardonic → clinical, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
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Detroit
Charlie LeDuff2013
A journalist returns to his hometown to report on its economic collapse and political corruption. He weaves his family history into the city's ruin.
Same sardonic register, still whistleblower
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- pace0prose0bleak-1
The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health
T. Colin Campbell
A scientist examines the relationship between animal product consumption and chronic disease. It argues for a whole-food, plant-based diet.
sardonic → clinical, still popular science
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
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Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit
Barry Estabrook
An investigation into the Florida tomato industry. It covers the chemical engineering of flavor and the labor abuses of migrant workers.
sardonic → earnest, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
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Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
John Hargrove
A former orca trainer describes the physical and psychological effects of captivity on whales at SeaWorld. He details specific safety incidents.
sardonic → tense, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-1prose+2bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
sardonic → playful, still popular science
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- pace-1prose+2bleak-1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
sardonic → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
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Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1
Karl Marx2015
An analysis of the capitalist mode of production focusing on commodities, surplus value, and the exploitation of labor.
sardonic → clinical
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- pace-1prose+2bleak-2
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.
sardonic → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace0prose+2bleak-1
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012
A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.
sardonic → reflective
pace0·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover
- pace+2prose-1bleak-2
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.
sardonic → playful, still popular science
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
David and Goliath
Malcolm Gladwell2013
A series of case studies arguing that perceived disadvantages can become strengths. It covers topics from dyslexia to the civil rights movement.
sardonic → earnest, still popular science
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3 more ↓ ↑
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Starter Villain
John Scalzi2023
A substitute teacher inherits his uncle's secret supervillain business, including a volcano lair and talking cats.
sardonic → wry
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The Sentinel
Lee Child2020
A drifter helps an IT manager targeted by criminals after a cyberattack. He uses physical force to protect the man and uncover a conspiracy.
sardonic → propulsive
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Artemis
Andy Weir2017
A porter and smuggler on a lunar colony takes a high-stakes sabotage job to pay off a debt. She uses technical knowledge to solve problems.
sardonic → propulsive
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster
- pace+2prose-1bleak-2
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.
sardonic → playful, still popular science
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+2prose-1bleak-1
The Sun and Her Flowers
Rupi Kaur2017
A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.
sardonic → earnest
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-1bleak-2
Pillow Thoughts
Courtney Peppernell2016
A collection of short poems and prose pieces organized by emotional state. It focuses on themes of heartbreak, healing, and loneliness.
sardonic → tender
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- pace+2prose-1bleak-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.
sardonic → playful
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- pace+2prose-1bleak-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.
sardonic → earnest
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2
Slower
- pace-1prose+2bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
sardonic → playful, still popular science
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-1prose+2bleak-1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
sardonic → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+2bleak-2
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.
sardonic → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-1prose+2bleak-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.
sardonic → mysterious
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- pace-1prose+2bleak-1
The Red Book: Liber Novus
C.G. Jung2009
A psychologist records his visions and internal dialogues in an illuminated manuscript created during a period of intense self-exploration.
sardonic → dreamlike
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1
Heavier
sardonic → clinical, still investigative journalism
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Evicted
Matthew Desmond2016
Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they face eviction. It documents the mechanics of the private rental market and extreme poverty.
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

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The Jakarta Method
Vincent Bevins2020
A history of the US-backed mass killings of Indonesian leftists and how that strategy was exported globally during the Cold War.
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

3 more ↓ ↑
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Escape from Camp 14
Blaine Harden2012
The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
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- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam
Nick Turse
A journalist uses declassified documents and veteran interviews to document systemic violence against civilians during the Vietnam War.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
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None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture
Joshua E.S. Phillips
Interviews with veterans of an infantry battalion reveal how ordinary soldiers became involved in the torture of detainees during the Iraq War.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+1