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The Sense of Style
by Steven Pinker • 2014
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
4.04
9k+
The Sense of Style Summary
The Sense of Style 88%
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
by Steven Pinker 2014
4.04
9k+ ratings
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 87%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
The Crisis of Narration
by Byung-Chul Han • 2023
We drown in information but starve for stories. A philosophy of what happens when narration dies.
3.91
3k+
The Crisis of Narration Summary
The Crisis of Narration 87%
We drown in information but starve for stories. A philosophy of what happens when narration dies.
by Byung-Chul Han 2023
3.91
3k+ ratings
The Logic of Sense
by Gilles Deleuze • 1969
Sense is not a thing but an event, a surface effect where language meets the world.
4.29
1k+
The Logic of Sense Summary
The Logic of Sense 87%
Sense is not a thing but an event, a surface effect where language meets the world.
by Gilles Deleuze 1969
4.29
1k+ ratings
The Lonely Voice
by Frank O'Connor • 1961
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
3.89
246
The Lonely Voice Summary
The Lonely Voice 87%
The short story speaks for the outsider the novel was never built to see.
by Frank O'Connor 1961
3.89
246 ratings
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
by Alain de Botton • 2008
From cargo ships to rocket launches, a philosopher finds why work delights and disappoints us.
3.62
6k+
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work Summary
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work 87%
From cargo ships to rocket launches, a philosopher finds why work delights and disappoints us.
by Alain de Botton 2008
3.62
6k+ ratings
Writing and Difference
by Jacques Derrida • 1967
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
4.00
8k+
Writing and Difference Summary
Writing and Difference 87%
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
by Jacques Derrida 1967
4.00
8k+ ratings
Arguably
by Christopher Hitchens • 2011
Tyranny, religion, empire, sentimentality: what remains after clarity and history have their say.
4.20
10k+
Arguably Summary
Arguably 87%
Tyranny, religion, empire, sentimentality: what remains after clarity and history have their say.
by Christopher Hitchens 2011
4.20
10k+ ratings
The Longing for Less
by Kyle Chayka • 2020
The clean lines of minimalism hide a messy history: Zen monks, art rebels, and $8,200 stereos.
3.45
1k+
The Longing for Less Summary
The Longing for Less 87%
The clean lines of minimalism hide a messy history: Zen monks, art rebels, and $8,200 stereos.
by Kyle Chayka 2020
3.45
1k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 87%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
Linguistic Fingerprints
by Roger J. Kreuz • 2023
The hidden patterns in your words identify you better than fingerprints: stylometry reads them.
3.50
20
Linguistic Fingerprints Summary
Linguistic Fingerprints 87%
The hidden patterns in your words identify you better than fingerprints: stylometry reads them.
by Roger J. Kreuz 2023
3.50
20 ratings
Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster • 1927
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
3.80
5k+
Aspects of the Novel Summary
Aspects of the Novel 87%
A novelist dismantles fiction into its working parts: story, plot, and the characters who breathe.
by E.M. Forster 1927
3.80
5k+ ratings
Style
by Joseph M. Williams • 1981
Clarity is structural, not mysterious. The diagnostic principles that tell you exactly what to fix.
4.21
2k+
Style Summary
Style 87%
Clarity is structural, not mysterious. The diagnostic principles that tell you exactly what to fix.
by Joseph M. Williams 1981
4.21
2k+ ratings
Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 87%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
Several Short Sentences About Writing
by Verlyn Klinkenborg • 2012
Writing isn't about flow or formulas; it's about one clear sentence, then another.
4.13
4k+
Several Short Sentences About Writing Summary
Several Short Sentences About Writing 87%
Writing isn't about flow or formulas; it's about one clear sentence, then another.
by Verlyn Klinkenborg 2012
4.13
4k+ ratings
Technopoly
by Neil Postman • 1992
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
3.97
5k+
Technopoly Summary
Technopoly 87%
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
by Neil Postman 1992
3.97
5k+ ratings
The Wisdom of the Heart
by Henry Miller • 1941
Modern men are half-alive and call it progress. The cure starts when the thinking stops.
4.03
663
The Wisdom of the Heart Summary
The Wisdom of the Heart 87%
Modern men are half-alive and call it progress. The cure starts when the thinking stops.
by Henry Miller 1941
4.03
663 ratings
How to Write a Sentence
by Stanley Fish • 2011
A few logical forms generate all possible sentences. Master them, and content follows.
3.48
3k+
How to Write a Sentence Summary
How to Write a Sentence 87%
A few logical forms generate all possible sentences. Master them, and content follows.
by Stanley Fish 2011
3.48
3k+ ratings
Wordcraft
by Jack R. Hart • 2021
Writing isn't magic. A step-by-step method for clear, powerful prose, from idea to final polish.
4.13
107
Wordcraft Summary
Wordcraft 87%
Writing isn't magic. A step-by-step method for clear, powerful prose, from idea to final polish.
by Jack R. Hart 2021
4.13
107 ratings
In Emergency, Break Glass
by Nate Anderson • 2022
Nietzsche saw your smartphone coming: the 19th-century antidote to an age of endless scrolling.
3.91
323
In Emergency, Break Glass Summary
In Emergency, Break Glass 87%
Nietzsche saw your smartphone coming: the 19th-century antidote to an age of endless scrolling.
by Nate Anderson 2022
3.91
323 ratings
Rational Choice and Security Studies
by Michael E. Brown • 2000
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
3.78
9
Rational Choice and Security Studies Summary
Rational Choice and Security Studies 87%
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
by Michael E. Brown 2000
3.78
9 ratings
Nonconformity
by Nelson Algren • 1996
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
4.07
268
Nonconformity Summary
Nonconformity 87%
Real writing means siding with the damned, risking obsession, and refusing to comfort.
by Nelson Algren 1996
4.07
268 ratings
A World Without "Whom"
by Emmy J. Favilla • 2017
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
3.72
491
A World Without "Whom" Summary
A World Without "Whom" 86%
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
by Emmy J. Favilla 2017
3.72
491 ratings
Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection
by Carl Sagan • 1973
Searching for alien intelligence is now a testable science, and the silence is a message in itself.
4.25
2k+
Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection Summary
Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection 86%
Searching for alien intelligence is now a testable science, and the silence is a message in itself.
by Carl Sagan 1973
4.25
2k+ ratings
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1
by Bernard Stiegler • 2014
Industry has seized control of our shared symbols, destroying desire, community, and the self.
3.77
81
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1 Summary
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1 86%
Industry has seized control of our shared symbols, destroying desire, community, and the self.
by Bernard Stiegler 2014
3.77
81 ratings
The Art of Intimacy
by Stacey D'Erasmo • 2013
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
3.93
248
The Art of Intimacy Summary
The Art of Intimacy 86%
Fiction's real intimacy lives in the subjunctive, the white space, and the shared glance.
by Stacey D'Erasmo 2013
3.93
248 ratings
The Perfectionists
by Simon Winchester • 2018
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
4.15
7k+
The Perfectionists Summary
The Perfectionists 86%
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
by Simon Winchester 2018
4.15
7k+ ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 86%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
More Baths, Less Talking
by Nick Hornby • 2012
A book column about what a middle-aged man actually read, not what he pretended to.
3.88
2k+
More Baths, Less Talking Summary
More Baths, Less Talking 86%
A book column about what a middle-aged man actually read, not what he pretended to.
by Nick Hornby 2012
3.88
2k+ ratings
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro
by Vladimir Nabokov • 1981
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
4.26
2k+
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro Summary
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro 86%
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
by Vladimir Nabokov 1981
4.26
2k+ ratings
In Praise of Risk
by Anne Dufourmantelle • 2011
To avoid risk is to refuse life. A philosopher's argument for love, beauty, and freedom.
4.12
613
In Praise of Risk Summary
In Praise of Risk 86%
To avoid risk is to refuse life. A philosopher's argument for love, beauty, and freedom.
by Anne Dufourmantelle 2011
4.12
613 ratings
How to Live
by Derek Sivers • 2021
The case for 27 incompatible ways to live, and the one surprise that resolves them all.
4.16
3k+
How to Live Summary
How to Live 86%
The case for 27 incompatible ways to live, and the one surprise that resolves them all.
by Derek Sivers 2021
4.16
3k+ ratings
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy
by Richard Brian Davis • 2009
When logic dissolves, a Cheshire Cat grins, and philosophy begins.
4.12
2k+
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy Summary
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy 86%
When logic dissolves, a Cheshire Cat grins, and philosophy begins.
by Richard Brian Davis 2009
4.12
2k+ ratings
The Translator's Invisibility
by Lawrence Venuti • 1994
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
3.79
272
The Translator's Invisibility Summary
The Translator's Invisibility 86%
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
by Lawrence Venuti 1994
3.79
272 ratings
Flatline Constructs
by Mark Fisher • 2018
Reality flatlined into the undead where cybernetics, gothic horror, and theory-as-fiction converge.
4.13
345
Flatline Constructs Summary
Flatline Constructs 86%
Reality flatlined into the undead where cybernetics, gothic horror, and theory-as-fiction converge.
by Mark Fisher 2018
4.13
345 ratings
Against the Machine
by Paul Kingsnorth • 2025
The West lost its soul; a machine grew in the gap, now coming to replace us.
3.95
3k+
Against the Machine Summary
Against the Machine 86%
The West lost its soul; a machine grew in the gap, now coming to replace us.
by Paul Kingsnorth 2025
3.95
3k+ ratings
The Art of Nonfiction
by Ayn Rand • 2001
Skip the mystique: nonfiction writing is a system, and the outline is its non-negotiable start.
3.98
537
The Art of Nonfiction Summary
The Art of Nonfiction 86%
Skip the mystique: nonfiction writing is a system, and the outline is its non-negotiable start.
by Ayn Rand 2001
3.98
537 ratings
Elogio de la duda
by Victoria Camps • 2016
Certainty is the enemy of democracy. Doubt is its immune system.
3.79
176
Elogio de la duda Summary
Elogio de la duda 86%
Certainty is the enemy of democracy. Doubt is its immune system.
by Victoria Camps 2016
3.79
176 ratings
A History of India, Vol. 1
by Romila Thapar • 1990
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
3.63
2k+
A History of India, Vol. 1 Summary
A History of India, Vol. 1 86%
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
by Romila Thapar 1990
3.63
2k+ ratings
Science Fiction
by David Seed • 2011
How space voyages, aliens, and time travel turned science fiction into the literature of ideas.
3.31
554
Science Fiction Summary
Science Fiction 86%
How space voyages, aliens, and time travel turned science fiction into the literature of ideas.
by David Seed 2011
3.31
554 ratings
Letters to a Young Contrarian
by Christopher Hitchens • 2001
Thinking for yourself will cost you friends and comfort. This is why you do it anyway.
4.13
13k+
Letters to a Young Contrarian Summary
Letters to a Young Contrarian 86%
Thinking for yourself will cost you friends and comfort. This is why you do it anyway.
by Christopher Hitchens 2001
4.13
13k+ ratings
Building Great Sentences
by Brooks Landon • 2013
Grammar explains the parts. Here is the construction kit for sentences that move, linger, and land.
4.05
788
Building Great Sentences Summary
Building Great Sentences 86%
Grammar explains the parts. Here is the construction kit for sentences that move, linger, and land.
by Brooks Landon 2013
4.05
788 ratings
Borges on Writing
by Jorge Luis Borges • 1973
Plausibility trumps truth, short stories hinge on a situation, and great poems arrive unbidden.
4.07
1k+
Borges on Writing Summary
Borges on Writing 86%
Plausibility trumps truth, short stories hinge on a situation, and great poems arrive unbidden.
by Jorge Luis Borges 1973
4.07
1k+ ratings
How Fiction Works
by James Wood • 2008
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
3.99
8k+
How Fiction Works Summary
How Fiction Works 86%
How do novels create the illusion of a thinking mind? A master critic explains the techniques.
by James Wood 2008
3.99
8k+ ratings
Slavoj Zizek
by Tony Myers • 2003
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
3.82
266
Slavoj Zizek Summary
Slavoj Zizek 86%
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
by Tony Myers 2003
3.82
266 ratings
How to Do Nothing
by Jenny Odell • 2019
Your attention is being mined. The most radical response: do nothing.
3.65
57k+
How to Do Nothing Summary
How to Do Nothing 86%
Your attention is being mined. The most radical response: do nothing.
by Jenny Odell 2019
3.65
57k+ ratings
The Society of the Spectacle
by Guy Debord • 1967
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
4.03
24k+
The Society of the Spectacle Summary
The Society of the Spectacle 86%
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
by Guy Debord 1967
4.03
24k+ ratings
Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric
by Ward Farnsworth • 2010
Why great prose works: the ancient rhetorical devices that power it, catalogued and made visible.
4.16
488
Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric Summary
Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric 86%
Why great prose works: the ancient rhetorical devices that power it, catalogued and made visible.
by Ward Farnsworth 2010
4.16
488 ratings
A Sense of the Mysterious
by Alan Lightman • 2005
The creative fire behind cold equations: a physicist-novelist on what science shares with art.
3.82
671
A Sense of the Mysterious Summary
A Sense of the Mysterious 86%
The creative fire behind cold equations: a physicist-novelist on what science shares with art.
by Alan Lightman 2005
3.82
671 ratings
Geek Sublime
by Vikram Chandra • 2013
Why great code feels elegant: the answer may lie in ancient Indian aesthetics, not algorithms.
3.28
1k+
Geek Sublime Summary
Geek Sublime 86%
Why great code feels elegant: the answer may lie in ancient Indian aesthetics, not algorithms.
by Vikram Chandra 2013
3.28
1k+ ratings
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