After
Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
Jeremy Scahill
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
- pace0prose+1bleak0
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
Steve Coll
A detailed account of CIA and ISI operations in Afghanistan leading up to 9/11. It focuses on bureaucratic shifts and intelligence failures.
pace0·prose+1·bleak0
- pace-1prose0bleak0
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Thomas E. Ricks
A journalist examines the planning and execution of the 2003 Iraq invasion. It focuses on the disconnect between military strategy and reality.
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
Three Cups of Deceit
Jon Krakauer2011
An investigative report into Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute. It details financial mismanagement and fabricated memoir claims.
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Nuclear War
Annie Jacobsen2024
A minute-by-minute account of a hypothetical nuclear strike on the United States based on military protocols.
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak0
Rise and Kill First
Ronen Bergman2018
A chronological history of Israel's state-sponsored assassination units, from the pre-state era to the modern day.
Same clinical register, still military history
pace0·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
clinical → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
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.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-1prose+2bleak-1
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012
A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.
clinical → reflective
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
clinical → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover
- pace0prose-1bleak-2
The Sentinel
Lee Child2020
A drifter helps an IT manager targeted by criminals after a cyberattack. He uses physical force to protect the man and uncover a conspiracy.
clinical → propulsive
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace0prose-1bleak-2
The Rooster Bar
John Grisham2017
Three law students realize their school is a scam and drop out to pose as lawyers. They steal identities to survive and pay off their debts.
clinical → sardonic
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-1bleak-2
Thraxas
Martin Millar
An overweight, beer-drinking private investigator with minor magical abilities solves crimes in a corrupt fantasy city.
clinical → wry
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace0prose-1bleak-2
Redshirts
John Scalzi2012
Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown2003
A symbologist and a cryptologist flee the police while solving puzzles hidden in art. They search for a secret regarding the Holy Grail.
clinical → propulsive
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Nuclear War
Annie Jacobsen2024
A minute-by-minute account of a hypothetical nuclear strike on the United States based on military protocols.
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
The Sun and Her Flowers
Rupi Kaur2017
A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.
clinical → earnest
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
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.
clinical → tender
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
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.
clinical → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
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.
clinical → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
clinical → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
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.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
clinical → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
clinical → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1
Heavier
- pace-1prose0bleak+1
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.
clinical → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace-1·prose0·bleak+1
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Nuclear War
Annie Jacobsen2024
A minute-by-minute account of a hypothetical nuclear strike on the United States based on military protocols.
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+1bleak+1
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943
Antony Beevor
A chronological account of the battle for Stalingrad using primary sources. It details the military strategy and the starvation of soldiers.
clinical → bleak, still military history
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1
- pace-1prose+1bleak+1
Als die Soldaten kamen: Die Vergewaltigung deutscher Frauen am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs
Miriam Gebhardt
A historical study of the mass sexual violence committed by Allied soldiers in Germany in 1945. It uses archival records and victim testimonies.
Same clinical register, still military history
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1
- pace0prose0bleak+1
Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad
William Craig
A chronological account of the 1942-1943 battle between German and Soviet forces. It uses survivor interviews to detail the siege and starvation.
clinical → bleak, still military history
pace0·prose0·bleak+1