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The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan

Robert Kanigel

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More like it

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  • Into the Wild

    Jon Krakauer1996

    A journalist reconstructs the journey of Chris McCandless, who died in the Alaskan bush. It uses interviews and diary entries.

    Same elegiac register, still biography

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Denser prose

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.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    elegiac → reflective

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • 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·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Tuesdays with Morrie

    Mitch Albom1994

    A journalist reconnects with his dying college professor for weekly lessons on life. They discuss aging, regret, and love as the professor declines.

    elegiac → tender

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

  • The Code Breaker

    Walter Isaacson2021

    A biography of Jennifer Doudna and the development of CRISPR gene editing. It covers the laboratory race and the subsequent ethical debates.

    elegiac → earnest, still biography

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Last Question

    Isaac Asimov2007

    A short story told in seven vignettes spanning billions of years. Humanity asks a supercomputer if the heat death of the universe can be avoided.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace+1·prose-2·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.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·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.

    elegiac → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·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.

    elegiac → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·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.

    elegiac → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    elegiac → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    elegiac → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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 biography

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

  • Nagasaki

    Susan Southard2015

    A historical account follows five survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki across seven decades of their lives.

    Same elegiac register, still biography

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

  • House of Sticks

    Ly Tran2021

    A Vietnamese girl grows up in Queens while working in her family's sweatshop. She navigates poverty, failing eyesight, and cultural isolation.

    Same elegiac register, still biography

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2