Rising Tide: the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America

April 1865: The Month That Saved America

Jay Winik2001

This history focuses on the final thirty days of the American Civil War. It details the surrender at Appomattox and the Lincoln assassination.

pace0·prose0·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.

propulsive → clinical

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

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.

propulsive → sardonic

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

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.

propulsive → meditative

pace-2·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.

propulsive → wry

pace0·prose-2·bleak-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.

Same propulsive register

pace0·prose-2·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.

propulsive → playful

pace0·prose-2·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.

propulsive → playful

pace+1·prose-2·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.

propulsive → playful

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

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.

propulsive → earnest

pace+1·prose-2·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.

propulsive → meditative

pace-2·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.

propulsive → mysterious

pace-2·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.

propulsive → dreamlike

pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

Churchill's Secret War: The British Empire and the Ravaging of India During World War II

Madhusree Mukerjee

An investigation into the 1943 Bengal Famine. It examines how Winston Churchill’s wartime policies contributed to millions of Indian deaths.

propulsive → bleak, still political history

pace-1·prose-1·bleak+1

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Simon Sebag Montefiore

A history of Stalin’s inner circle and private life from the 1920s to his death. It focuses on the social dynamics of the Soviet leadership.

propulsive → cold, still political history

pace0·prose-1·bleak+1

Animal Farm

George Orwell1945

Farm animals overthrow their human owner to run the farm themselves. The pigs gradually seize control and establish a new hierarchy.

propulsive → sardonic

pace0·prose-1·bleak+1