Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

Denise Kiernan2013

Interviews with women who worked in the secret city of Oak Ridge during WWII. They performed enrichment tasks without knowing the final goal.

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Either/Or

Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

earnest → meditative

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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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The Annals of Imperial Rome

Tacitus1956

A Roman historian chronicles the reigns of emperors from Tiberius to Nero. He focuses on the corruption of power and the decline of political liberty.

earnest → sardonic, still history

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Leadership

Doris Kearns Goodwin2018

A study of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, and Lyndon Johnson. It examines how they developed and used their leadership skills.

Same earnest register, still biography

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His Excellency: George Washington

Joseph J. Ellis

A chronological study of Washington's character and leadership. It focuses on his evolution from a young soldier to a national figurehead.

earnest → meditative, still biography

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The King's Speech

Mark Logue2010

A therapist uses unconventional methods to help King George VI overcome a stammer as the monarch prepares to lead Britain through World War II.

earnest → warm, still biography

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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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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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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.

earnest → dreamlike

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Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

John Ehle

A historical account of the Cherokee Nation's political struggles and their forced removal from ancestral lands in the 1830s.

earnest → elegiac, still biography

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Hitler: A Study in Tyranny – A Classic Biography: Authoritative and Readable, Abridged

Alan Bullock

A detailed biography of Adolf Hitler that focuses on his rise to power and his psychological control over the German state.

earnest → clinical, still biography

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Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Dee Alexander Brown

A chronological history of the displacement and systematic destruction of Native American tribes in the late 19th century.

earnest → elegiac, still history

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