Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court

Bob Woodward

A journalistic account of the Supreme Court from 1969 to 1975. It uses internal interviews to show the private negotiations between justices.

pace+1·prose0·bleak-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-1·prose+2·bleak-1

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.

clinical → bleak, still history

pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

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.

clinical → sardonic, still history

pace0·prose+2·bleak0

Neon Gods

Katee Robert2021

In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

clinical → tense

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Starter Villain

John Scalzi2023

A substitute teacher inherits his uncle's secret supervillain business, including a volcano lair and talking cats.

clinical → wry

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Playing with Fire

Gena Showalter2006

A barista gains elemental superpowers after being poisoned and must flee from a government agent. They eventually work together to escape.

clinical → playful

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-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+2·prose-1·bleak-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+2·prose-1·bleak-2

Bad Blood

John Carreyrou2018

A journalist tracks the rise of Elizabeth Holmes and the eventual exposure of her multibillion-dollar blood-testing startup as a fraud.

clinical → propulsive, still journalism

pace+2·prose0·bleak-1

The Frontier in American History

Frederick Jackson Turner1920

A series of essays arguing that the American character and democracy were shaped by the continuous expansion into the western wilderness.

Same clinical register, still history

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-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-1·prose+2·bleak-2

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·bleak-1

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.

clinical → elegiac, still history

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

Dee Brown

A chronological account of the displacement and slaughter of Native Americans by the U.S. government in the late 19th century.

clinical → elegiac, still history

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

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.

Same clinical register, still history

pace0·prose0·bleak+1