Books like Small is Beautiful
12 books with a reading profile close to Small is Beautiful by Ernst Friedrich Schumacher. Deep, outward-looking and contemplative; a moderate read.
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1
The Road to Serfdom
Also deep and outward-looking · analytical, philosophy
Friedrich August Hayek argues that central economic planning inevitably leads to the erosion of personal freedom and the rise of totalitarian governance.
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2
The Tyranny of Merit
Also deep · analytical, philosophy
Michael Sandel argues that the modern meritocratic ideal—the belief that success is solely a product of individual talent and effort—has fractured democratic society.
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3
Ways of Seeing
by John Berger
Also deep · analytical, philosophy
John Berger examines how the invention of the camera altered the perception of European oil painting by detaching images from their original physical contexts.
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4
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
Also deep · analytical, philosophy
Nassim Nicholas Taleb introduces the concept of antifragility, a property of systems that improve when exposed to stressors, volatility, and disorder.
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5
Other Minds
Also deep and contemplative · analytical, philosophy
In this study of evolutionary biology, Peter Godfrey-Smith traces the development of subjective experience by examining the cephalopod nervous system.
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6
The Real Wealth of Nations
by Riane Eisler, Riane Tennenhaus Eisler
Also outward-looking · analytical, economics
Riane Eisler argues that modern economic systems fail because they exclude the foundational labor of caregiving and environmental stewardship from national accounting.
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7
Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?
by Mark Fisher
Also deep · analytical, philosophy
Mark Fisher examines the pervasive ideological belief that global capitalism is the only viable political and economic system left.
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8
On nineteen eighty-four
by Abbott Gleason, Jack L. Goldsmith
Also deep and outward-looking · analytical, philosophy
This collection of seventeen essays analyzes George Orwell’s dystopian novel through the lenses of political theory, law, and history.
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9
The Order of Time
Also deep and contemplative · analytical, philosophy
Carlo Rovelli dismantles the traditional perception of time as a universal, flowing river.
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10
Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life
Also deep and outward-looking · philosophy, economics
Nassim Nicholas Taleb argues that true understanding and ethical behavior only exist when individuals face personal consequences for their decisions.
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11
Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow
Also deep and outward-looking · analytical, philosophy
The text outlines how humanity, having largely managed the historical threats of famine, war, and plague, is refocusing its efforts on achieving immortality, bliss, and god-like powers.
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12
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