LitQueuelitqueue

After

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife

Mary Roach

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Dataclysm

    Christian Rudder2014

    The founder of OkCupid uses data from social media and dating sites to map human behavior. It focuses on trends in race, beauty, and politics.

    Same wry register, still popular science

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    wry → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    wry → reflective

    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.

    wry → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

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.

    wry → tender

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    wry → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    wry → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    wry → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    wry → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • 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.

    wry → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Heavier

wry → clinical, still investigative journalism

3 more ↓

  • Escape from Camp 14

    Blaine Harden2012

    The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.

    wry → bleak, still investigative journalism

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3

  • Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

    Nick Turse

    A journalist uses declassified documents and veteran interviews to document systemic violence against civilians during the Vietnam War.

    wry → bleak, still investigative journalism

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3

  • None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture

    Joshua E.S. Phillips

    Interviews with veterans of an infantry battalion reveal how ordinary soldiers became involved in the torture of detainees during the Iraq War.

    wry → bleak, still investigative journalism

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+3