LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Gatekeepers

Chris Whipple2017

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Lincoln

    David Herbert Donald1995

    A biography following Abraham Lincoln's political career and presidency, emphasizing his passive leadership style and response to events.

    clinical → earnest, still political history

    pace-1·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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

    pace-1·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-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    clinical → reflective

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power

    Susan Page

    A biography of Nancy Pelosi's political career, from her upbringing in Baltimore to her role as Speaker of the House.

    clinical → earnest, still political history

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-1

  • Dark Lover

    J. R. Ward2005

    A vampire king seeks revenge against the slayers who killed his parents while protecting a woman discovering her own supernatural heritage.

    clinical → propulsive

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Hot mahogany

    Stuart Woods2008

    A lawyer guards a former spy with amnesia who restores antique furniture. They uncover a conspiracy linked to the man's service in Vietnam.

    clinical → wry

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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+1·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+1·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+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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-2·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-2·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-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Coming of the Third Reich

    Richard J. Evans2003

    A historical account of the political and social conditions that allowed the Nazi party to take power. It covers Germany up to 1933.

    Same clinical register, still political history

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Adolf Hitler

    John Toland1976

    A detailed chronological account of Hitler's life based on interviews with his associates and previously private documents.

    Same clinical register, still biography

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+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.

    clinical → bleak, still biography

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2