Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

Frozen in Time

Mitchell Zuckoff2013

A US cargo plane crashes in Greenland during WWII. The narrative covers the survival of the crew and a modern recovery mission to find the wreck.

Same propulsive register, still history

pace+1·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.

propulsive → clinical, still history

pace0·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.

propulsive → bleak, still history

pace0·prose+2·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.

propulsive → meditative

pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

The Ancestor's Tale

Richard Dawkins2004

A biological history of life on Earth told in reverse. It starts with modern humans and meets 'concestors' at every major evolutionary branch.

propulsive → earnest, still popular science

pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → playful, still popular science

pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → earnest, still popular science

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → tender

pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → playful

pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → earnest

pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → clinical, still history

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

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.

propulsive → meditative

pace-1·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.

propulsive → mysterious

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

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.

propulsive → clinical, still history

pace0·prose0·bleak+2

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·prose+1·bleak+2

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·prose+1·bleak+2