After
Collected Writings: Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters
Thomas Paine
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from
More like it
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A History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell1945
A chronological survey of philosophers from the Pre-Socratics to the mid-20th century. It links their ideas to the social conditions of their eras.
earnest → wry, still history
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- pace0prose0bleak+1
On Sparta
Plutarch2005
A collection of biographical sketches and sayings detailing the rigorous social customs and military discipline of ancient Sparta.
Same earnest register, still history
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Art of Loving
Erich Fromm1956
A psychoanalyst argues that love is a skill to be practiced rather than a feeling to be found. He categorizes love into five distinct types.
Same earnest register, still philosophy
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Hidden Figures
Margot Lee Shetterly2016
A history of the Black female mathematicians at NASA who calculated flight trajectories by hand. It spans from WWII through the space race.
Same earnest register, still history
pace0·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
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The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Joseph Campbell1949
A study of the 'monomyth,' outlining the universal structural stages found in hero stories across global mythologies and religions.
Same earnest register, still philosophy
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Denser prose
- pace0prose+1bleak+2
Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison
Michel Foucault
A philosophical history examines the shift from public torture to modern prison surveillance. It analyzes how power controls the body.
earnest → clinical, still history
pace0·prose+1·bleak+2
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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.
earnest → playful, still philosophy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+1bleak+1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
earnest → meditative
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1
- pace0prose+1bleak+1
Orientalism
Edward W. Said1978
A scholarly critique of how Western academics and artists represent the Middle East to justify imperial power.
earnest → clinical, still history
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1
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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.
earnest → meditative, still philosophy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
Faster
- pace+2prose-2bleak+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.
Same earnest register
pace+2·prose-2·bleak+1
- pace+2prose-2bleak0
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.
earnest → tender
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0
3 more ↓ ↑
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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.
earnest → playful
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0
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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.
earnest → playful
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0
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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.
Same earnest register
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0
Slower
- pace-1prose+1bleak0
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.
earnest → playful, still philosophy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
- pace-1prose+1bleak+2
The Souls of Black Folk
W.E.B. Du Bois1903
A collection of 1903 essays examining the psychological and social effects of racism in America through the concept of double consciousness.
earnest → elegiac, still history
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+1bleak0
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.
earnest → meditative, still philosophy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
- pace-1prose+1bleak+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.
earnest → mysterious, still philosophy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1
- pace-1prose-1bleak+1
The Lessons of History
Will Durant1968
A concise survey of recurring patterns in human history across biology, religion, and economics. It summarizes themes from a ten-volume series.
earnest → tense, still history
pace-1·prose-1·bleak+1
Heavier
earnest → elegiac, still history
- pace0prose-1bleak+3
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dee Alexander Brown
A chronological history of the displacement and systematic destruction of Native American tribes in the late 19th century.
pace0·prose-1·bleak+3
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Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Dee Brown
A chronological account of the displacement and slaughter of Native Americans by the U.S. government in the late 19th century.
pace0·prose-1·bleak+3
3 more ↓ ↑
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Auschwitz
Laurence Rees2005
A chronological history of the camp's evolution from a Polish barracks to a site of mass industrial murder, based on archival research.
earnest → clinical, still history
pace0·prose-1·bleak+3
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By Hands Now Known
Margaret A. Burnham2022
An investigation into racial violence and legal failures in the Jim Crow South using previously unexamined archives.
pace0·prose0·bleak+3
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The Great Hunger: Ireland 1845 - 1849
Cecil Woodham-Smith
A detailed record of the Irish Potato Famine, focusing on the failure of British government policy and the resulting mass starvation.
pace0·prose0·bleak+3