Three Women

Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette

Judith Thurman

A biography of the French author Colette. It covers her literary career, her time as a mime, and her many public relationships.

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No Archive Will Restore You

Julietta Singh2018

The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

Same meditative register

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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.

Same meditative register

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Antifragile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

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

meditative → reflective

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Beautiful Bastard

Christina Lauren2013

An MBA intern and her demanding media executive boss engage in a series of sexual encounters while competing at work. It is an erotic romance.

meditative → playful

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The Lost Symbol

Dan Brown2009

Symbologist Robert Langdon follows a trail of Masonic puzzles through Washington D.C. monuments to save his kidnapped mentor.

meditative → propulsive

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Walking Disaster

Jamie McGuire2013

This novel retells the events of 'Beautiful Disaster' from the perspective of Travis Maddox. It follows his college years and obsession with Abby.

meditative → propulsive

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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.

meditative → playful

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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.

meditative → playful

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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.

meditative → earnest

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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.

Same meditative register

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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.

meditative → mysterious

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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.

meditative → dreamlike

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Random family

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc2003

Two women and their extended families navigate poverty, romance, and prison in the Bronx over ten years of immersion reporting.

meditative → bleak, still narrative nonfiction

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Adolf Hitler

John Toland1976

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

meditative → clinical, still biography

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In the Garden of Beasts

Erik Larson2011

The American ambassador and his daughter live in 1933 Berlin as the Nazi party seizes power. They observe the shift from socialites to witnesses.

meditative → tense, still narrative nonfiction

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