Countdown 1945

Rise and Kill First

Ronen Bergman2018

A chronological history of Israel's state-sponsored assassination units, from the pre-state era to the modern day.

tense → clinical, still history

pace0·prose0·bleak0

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.

tense → clinical, still history

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

Either/Or

Søren Kierkegaard1992

A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

tense → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

tense → bleak, still history

pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch

Sally Bedell Smith

A chronological biography of Elizabeth II covering her private life, public duties, and interactions with world leaders.

tense → earnest, still history

pace-1·prose0·bleak-2

Fifty Shades of Grey

E.L. James2000

A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.

tense → earnest

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Neon Gods

Katee Robert2021

In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

Same tense register

pace0·prose-1·bleak-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.

tense → playful

pace+1·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.

tense → playful

pace+1·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.

tense → earnest

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

The Frontier in American History

Frederick Jackson Turner1920

A series of essays arguing that the American character and democracy were shaped by the continuous expansion into the western wilderness.

tense → clinical, still history

pace-2·prose+1·bleak-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.

tense → meditative

pace-2·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.

tense → mysterious

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

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.

tense → clinical, still history

pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943

Antony Beevor

A chronological account of the battle for Stalingrad using primary sources. It details the military strategy and the starvation of soldiers.

tense → bleak, still military history

pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

By Hands Now Known

Margaret A. Burnham2022

An investigation into racial violence and legal failures in the Jim Crow South using previously unexamined archives.

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1