After
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
Jeffrey Toobin
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak+1
Rage
Bob Woodward2020
A journalist documents the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest. It relies on recorded interviews.
Same clinical register, still political journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+1

- pace0prose0bleak0
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson2011
A chronological account of the Apple co-founder's life and career based on hundreds of interviews. It details his business tactics and personality.
Same clinical register
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- pace0prose0bleak0
Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari2011
A high-level overview of human history from the evolution of archaic humans to the present. It focuses on how shared myths created modern society.
Same clinical register
pace0·prose0·bleak0

- pace0prose0bleak0
The Gift of Fear
Gavin de Becker1997
A security expert explains how to recognize and use intuition to identify threats. It uses case studies of stalking and violent crime.
Same clinical register
pace0·prose0·bleak0

1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak0
Brain on fire
Susannah Cahalan2012
A journalist documents her sudden descent into psychosis and the medical investigation that eventually identified her rare autoimmune disease.
Same clinical register
pace0·prose0·bleak0

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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+2bleak+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.
Same clinical register
pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1
- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
The Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton2012
A series of 85 essays arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. It details the proposed structure of federal government.
clinical → earnest
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1
- 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.
clinical → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover
clinical → propulsive
- pace0prose0bleak-1
The Woman's Hour
Elaine F. Weiss2018
This history chronicles the final six weeks of the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment in Tennessee. It follows the leaders of both sides.
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Ghost Ship
Clive Cussler2014
Kurt Austin survives a yacht sinking but suffers from conflicting memories. He investigates a global cybercrime conspiracy to find the truth.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Killer Blonde
Laura Levine2004
A freelance writer investigates a murder in the Hamptons after a socialite is killed. She balances the case with her work for a demanding boss.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Two for the dough
Janet Evanovich1996
An inexperienced bounty hunter tracks a man who jumped bail for shooting his friend. She competes with a vice cop to find him first.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James2000
A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.
clinical → earnest
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster
- 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.
clinical → earnest
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

- 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.
clinical → tender
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- 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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

- 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.
clinical → earnest
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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → 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.
clinical → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
Heavier
- pace0prose0bleak+2
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.
clinical → sardonic
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

- pace-1prose0bleak+2
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank2001
A Jewish teenager records her daily life and thoughts while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam.
clinical → earnest
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-1bleak+2
A Child Called "It"
Dave Pelzer1987
A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.
clinical → bleak
pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

- pace0prose0bleak+2
Twelve Years a Slave
Solomon Northup1853
A memoir by a free Black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He details twelve years of labor on Louisiana plantations.
clinical → earnest
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

- pace0prose+1bleak+2
Hiroshima
John Hersey
The book follows six people in Hiroshima during and after the atomic bombing. It records their movements and physical symptoms.
Same clinical register
pace0·prose+1·bleak+2
