Malcolm X

Rosemary

Kate Clifford Larson2015

A biography of Rosemary Kennedy, documenting her early life, her forced lobotomy, and her subsequent decades of institutionalization.

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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.

Same elegiac register, still history

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The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson2015

A memoir of the author's relationship with her partner and her pregnancy. It mixes personal narrative with academic theory on gender and family.

elegiac → meditative

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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.

elegiac → clinical, still history

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Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

Walter Isaacson

A chronological account of Franklin's life from his printing apprenticeship to his diplomatic career and scientific experiments.

elegiac → earnest, still biography

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Vampires Are Forever

Lynsay Sands2008

A woman suspects her business partner is a vampire after he attempts to bite her. He tries to convince her they are fated mates.

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The Mane Event

Shelly Laurenston2007

A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.

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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.

elegiac → playful

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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.

elegiac → playful

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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.

elegiac → earnest

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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.

elegiac → clinical, still history

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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.

elegiac → meditative

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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.

elegiac → mysterious

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Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

John Ehle

A historical account of the Cherokee Nation's political struggles and their forced removal from ancestral lands in the 1830s.

Same elegiac register, still biography

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Hitler: A Study in Tyranny – A Classic Biography: Authoritative and Readable, Abridged

Alan Bullock

A detailed biography of Adolf Hitler that focuses on his rise to power and his psychological control over the German state.

elegiac → clinical, still biography

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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.

Same elegiac register, still history

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