After
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Michael Lewis
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
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Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System from Crisis — and Themselves
Andrew Ross Sorkin
A chronological account of the 2008 financial crisis told through the private meetings of CEOs and government officials.
sardonic → propulsive, still business
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- pace0prose0bleak-1
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Peter Thiel
A venture capitalist outlines his philosophy for creating new things rather than competing in existing markets. It is a series of short essays.
Same sardonic register, still business
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- pace0prose0bleak0
The Psychopath Test
Jon Ronson2011
A journalist interviews psychologists and suspected psychopaths in corporate and criminal settings to understand how the diagnosis is applied.
sardonic → wry, still investigative journalism
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- pace0prose0bleak0
She Said
Jodi Kantor2019
Two journalists investigate sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, detailing the process of breaking the story.
sardonic → tense, still investigative journalism
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1 more ↓ ↑
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Games People Play
Eric Berne1964
A psychiatrist categorizes the unconscious social maneuvers people use to manipulate others. He outlines specific patterns of behavior and payoff.
Same sardonic register
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Denser prose
- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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.
sardonic → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
sardonic → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
sardonic → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-1prose+2bleak0
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012
A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.
sardonic → reflective
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- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
sardonic → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

To recover
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
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.
sardonic → propulsive
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- pace0prose-1bleak-1
The 4-Hour Workweek
Timothy Ferriss2006
A guide to lifestyle design that explains how to automate a business and outsource life tasks to achieve a four-hour workweek.
sardonic → wry, still business
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3 more ↓ ↑
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Plum Lucky
Janet Evanovich2007
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum chases a man who stole a horse and a bag of money. Her grandmother and a mysterious ally join the pursuit.
sardonic → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Medusa
Clive Cussler2009
The NUMA team investigates a missing undersea lab and a bathysphere attack. They uncover a corporate plot involving a deadly virus and jellyfish.
sardonic → propulsive
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace-1prose-1bleak-1
The cat who blew the whistle
Lilian Jackson Braun1994
A journalist and his two Siamese cats investigate a missing railroad enthusiast and a bank scandal. It is a small-town mystery.
sardonic → playful
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster
- pace+1prose-1bleak-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.
sardonic → earnest, still business
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak0
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.
sardonic → earnest
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

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

- pace+1prose-1bleak-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.
sardonic → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace+1prose-1bleak-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.
sardonic → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower
- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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.
sardonic → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
sardonic → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
sardonic → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
sardonic → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
sardonic → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
Heavier
sardonic → clinical, still investigative journalism
- pace0prose0bleak+2
Evicted
Matthew Desmond2016
Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they face eviction. It documents the mechanics of the private rental market and extreme poverty.
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- pace0prose0bleak+2
The Jakarta Method
Vincent Bevins2020
A history of the US-backed mass killings of Indonesian leftists and how that strategy was exported globally during the Cold War.
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak+2
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.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

- pace0prose0bleak+2
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.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+2
- pace-1prose0bleak+2
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.
sardonic → bleak, still investigative journalism
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2