A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette

Judith Thurman

A biography of the French author Colette. It covers her literary career, her time as a mime, and her many public relationships.

Same meditative register, still biography

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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.

Same meditative register

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Antifragile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

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

meditative → reflective

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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.

meditative → mysterious

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Alpine for you

Maddy Hunter2003

A woman leads a group of senior citizens on a tour of the Swiss Alps. When a passenger dies, she must investigate her fellow travelers.

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How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf

Molly Harper2011

A librarian in Alaska finds her neighbor caught in a trap and discovers he is a werewolf. They investigate a series of local attacks together.

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Real Murders

Charlaine Harris1990

A librarian in a small Georgia town belongs to a club that studies famous crimes. A real murder occurs that mimics a historical case.

meditative → wry

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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.

meditative → 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.

meditative → 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.

meditative → earnest

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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.

Same meditative register

pace-1·prose+1·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.

meditative → mysterious

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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.

meditative → dreamlike

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Adolf Hitler

John Toland1976

A detailed chronological account of Hitler's life based on interviews with his associates and previously private documents.

meditative → clinical, still biography

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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.

meditative → bleak, still biography

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland

Christopher R. Browning

A clinical study of how middle-aged German reserve policemen became mass killers in occupied Poland. It uses trial records to track their actions.

meditative → clinical, still microhistory

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