After
Three Cups of Deceit
Jon Krakauer2011
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak+1
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.
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+1

- pace0prose0bleak-1
Zero Fail
Carol Leonnig2021
An investigative history of the Secret Service from the Kennedy assassination to the Trump administration. It details security lapses and culture.
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose0bleak-1
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
Michael Moss2013
An investigation into how food companies use laboratory science to optimize the addictive qualities of processed snacks and meals.
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose0bleak0
Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit
Barry Estabrook
An investigation into the Florida tomato industry. It covers the chemical engineering of flavor and the labor abuses of migrant workers.
clinical → earnest, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak0
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish
John Hargrove
A former orca trainer describes the physical and psychological effects of captivity on whales at SeaWorld. He details specific safety incidents.
clinical → tense, still investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
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-2

- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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·bleak-1

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

- pace-1prose+2bleak-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·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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·bleak-1

To recover
- pace0prose-1bleak-2
Love Is Blind
Lynsay Sands2006
A clumsy woman removes her glasses to appear attractive to a suitor, resulting in physical comedy and accidents. They navigate a Regency romance.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace0prose-1bleak-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.
clinical → propulsive
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-1bleak-2
The Boy Next Door
Meg Cabot2002
A gossip columnist looks after her neighbor's pets after an attack and falls for the man she thinks is the woman's nephew. It is told in emails.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace0prose-1bleak-2
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating
Rachel Gibson2006
A mystery writer and a detective go on dates while lying about their professions. They eventually collaborate on a real-life murder case.
clinical → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace0prose-1bleak-2
The Rooster Bar
John Grisham2017
Three law students realize their school is a scam and drop out to pose as lawyers. They steal identities to survive and pay off their debts.
clinical → sardonic
pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster
- pace+1prose0bleak-1
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
John Carreyrou
An investigative reporter tracks the rise and fall of the blood-testing startup Theranos. It follows the whistleblowers who exposed the fraud.
clinical → propulsive, still investigative journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
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·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
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-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-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.
clinical → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

- pace+1prose-1bleak-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.
clinical → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower
- pace-2prose+2bleak-2
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-2

- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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·bleak-1

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

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak-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.
clinical → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1
Heavier
Same clinical register, still investigative journalism
- pace0prose0bleak+1
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.
pace0·prose0·bleak+1

- pace0prose0bleak+1
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+1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak+1
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 investigative journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak+1

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