LitQueuelitqueue

After

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

Same playful register, still popular science

1 more ↓

  • The Violinist's Thumb

    Sam Kean2012

    A collection of anecdotes explaining how DNA influences human traits, history, and medical oddities. It uses specific cases like JFK and Einstein.

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Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Righteous Mind

    Jonathan Haidt2012

    A social psychologist examines the intuitive origins of human morality. He explains how these instincts drive political and religious divides.

    playful → analytical, still psychology

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  • The Red Book: Liber Novus

    C.G. Jung2009

    A psychologist records his visions and internal dialogues in an illuminated manuscript created during a period of intense self-exploration.

    playful → dreamlike, still psychology

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  • Doktor Faustus

    Thomas Mann1948

    A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.

    playful → elegiac

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Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    playful → tender

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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.

    Same playful register

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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.

    playful → earnest

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Slower

3 more ↓

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

    playful → meditative

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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.

    playful → 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.

    playful → mysterious

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Heavier

playful → elegiac, still psychology

3 more ↓

  • The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide

    Robert Jay Lifton

    A psychological study of how physicians in the Third Reich rationalized their participation in the Holocaust. It uses interviews with survivors.

    playful → clinical, still psychology

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+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.

    playful → sardonic

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  • 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.

    playful → earnest

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+3