Madness

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger1945

A teenager leaves his prep school early to spend three days wandering New York City alone before returning home.

Same elegiac 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.

elegiac → meditative

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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.

elegiac → 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.

elegiac → mysterious

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You're Never Weird on the Internet

Felicia Day2015

The actress and creator of 'The Guild' recounts her life as a homeschooled child, her gaming addiction, and her career in digital media.

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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.

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-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.

elegiac → propulsive

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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.

elegiac → 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.

elegiac → 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.

elegiac → 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.

elegiac → meditative

pace-1·prose+1·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.

elegiac → mysterious

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-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.

elegiac → dreamlike

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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.

elegiac → bleak, still investigative journalism

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

Bellevue

David M. Oshinsky2016

A chronological account of America's oldest public hospital, detailing its evolution from a colonial almshouse to a modern medical center.

Same elegiac register, still medical history

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Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

Nick Turse

A journalist uses declassified documents and veteran interviews to document systemic violence against civilians during the Vietnam War.

elegiac → bleak, still investigative journalism

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