Caesar: Life of a Colossus

Chancellorsville

Stephen W. Sears1996

A detailed tactical history of the 1863 Civil War battle. It tracks the movements of Lee and Jackson against the Union army.

Same clinical register, still military history

pace0·prose0·bleak0

History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides

A contemporary account of the 5th-century BC conflict between Athens and Sparta. It focuses on military strategy and political speeches.

Same clinical register, still military history

pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

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.

Same clinical register

pace0·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.

clinical → meditative

pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

The Hating Game

Sally Thorne2016

Two executive assistants at a publishing house compete for a single promotion through a series of psychological games and mutual sabotage.

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

The Score

Elle Kennedy2016

A college senior has a one-night stand with a hockey player to get over a breakup. They continue the arrangement as graduation approaches.

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

The Spanish Love Deception

Elena Armas2021

A woman convinces a colleague she dislikes to fly to Spain and pose as her boyfriend for a wedding. They have four weeks to prepare the ruse.

pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

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+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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+2·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

clinical → earnest

pace+2·prose-1·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.

clinical → meditative

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.

clinical → mysterious

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

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-1·prose+2·bleak0

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

pace+1·prose+1·bleak+2

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

pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

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

pace+1·prose0·bleak+2