After
On the Origin of Species
Charles Darwin2013
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
4 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from, nothing slower
More like it
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Bill Gates2021
A technical proposal for reaching net-zero emissions. It breaks down the sources of carbon and suggests policy and technological solutions.
analytical → clinical, still science
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
- pace+1prose0bleak+2
Under a White Sky
Elizabeth Kolbert2021
A journalist visits scientists attempting to solve environmental crises through geoengineering and genetic intervention.
analytical → wry, still science
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2
- pace+1prose0bleak0
A short history of nearly everything
Bill Bryson2003
A survey of scientific discovery from the Big Bang to modern particle physics. It focuses on the eccentric personalities and accidents of history.
analytical → tense, still science
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
- pace+1prose0bleak0
Cosmos
Carl Sagan1980
A survey of the history of science and the origins of the universe. It traces human discovery from ancient libraries to modern space exploration.
analytical → meditative, still science
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose0bleak0
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Todd Gilbert2006
A psychologist explains why the human brain is poor at predicting what will bring future satisfaction. It uses experiments to show cognitive bias.
analytical → wry, still science
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace0prose+2bleak0
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.
analytical → playful
pace0·prose+2·bleak0
- pace0prose+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.
analytical → meditative
pace0·prose+2·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+2bleak0
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.
analytical → meditative
pace0·prose+2·bleak0
- pace+1prose+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.
analytical → reflective
pace+1·prose+2·bleak+1
- pace0prose+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.
analytical → mysterious
pace0·prose+2·bleak+1
Faster
- pace+3prose0bleak+2
The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus
Richard Preston
A factual account of the origins and outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers. It tracks the path of Ebola from the jungle to a Maryland lab.
analytical → tense, still science
pace+3·prose0·bleak+2
- pace+3prose-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.
analytical → earnest
pace+3·prose-1·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+3prose-1bleak0
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.
analytical → tender
pace+3·prose-1·bleak0
- pace+3prose-1bleak0
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.
analytical → playful
pace+3·prose-1·bleak0
- pace+3prose-1bleak0
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.
analytical → playful
pace+3·prose-1·bleak0
Heavier
- pace+2prose0bleak+3
Animal Farm
George Orwell1945
Farm animals overthrow their human owner to run the farm themselves. The pigs gradually seize control and establish a new hierarchy.
analytical → sardonic
pace+2·prose0·bleak+3
- pace+1prose0bleak+3
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank2001
A Jewish teenager records her daily life and thoughts while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam.
analytical → earnest
pace+1·prose0·bleak+3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-1bleak+3
A Child Called "It"
Dave Pelzer1987
A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.
analytical → bleak
pace+2·prose-1·bleak+3
- pace+2prose0bleak+3
Twelve Years a Slave
Solomon Northup1853
A memoir by a free Black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He details twelve years of labor on Louisiana plantations.
analytical → earnest
pace+2·prose0·bleak+3
- pace+2prose+1bleak+3
Hiroshima
John Hersey
The book follows six people in Hiroshima during and after the atomic bombing. It records their movements and physical symptoms.
analytical → clinical
pace+2·prose+1·bleak+3
