Up from Slavery

Michael Jordan

Roland Lazenby2014

A biography of the basketball player from his childhood through his NBA career. It is based on interviews with his family and teammates.

Same earnest register, still rags to riches

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The Education of Henry Adams

Henry Adams

A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

earnest → sardonic, still autobiography

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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.

earnest → clinical, still history

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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.

earnest → bleak, still history

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13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

Amy Morin2015

A psychotherapist lists thirteen habits to avoid to build mental resilience. Each chapter pairs a behavior with strategies for change.

Same earnest register

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Undefeated

Stuart Reardon

A professional rugby player returns home after a career-ending injury. He attempts to reconnect with a woman from his past while he recovers.

Same earnest register

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Party of Two

Jasmine Guillory2020

A lawyer starts a new firm in LA and begins a secret affair with a high-profile politician. They deal with public scrutiny and racial dynamics.

earnest → warm

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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.

earnest → 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.

earnest → 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.

Same earnest register

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The Education of Henry Adams

Henry Adams

A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

earnest → sardonic, still autobiography

pace-1·prose+2·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.

earnest → 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.

earnest → mysterious

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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.

earnest → clinical, still history

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By Hands Now Known

Margaret A. Burnham2022

An investigation into racial violence and legal failures in the Jim Crow South using previously unexamined archives.

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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.

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