Books like The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work
12 books with a reading profile close to The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton. Contemplative; a moderate read.
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1
The Consolations of Philosophy
Also contemplative · philosophy, accessible
Alain de Botton pairs six common human afflictions with the teachings of specific historical philosophers to demonstrate how logic applies to emotional pain.
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2
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
by John Green
Also contemplative · philosophy, accessible
John Green evaluates the current geological age through a series of personal essays that assign star ratings to facets of the human-dominated world.
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3
Bad Feminist
by Roxane Gay
philosophy, accessible
Roxane Gay uses this collection of essays to analyze the contradictions between feminist ideology and contemporary pop culture.
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4
The Devil and Miss Prym
by Paulo Coelho, Amanda Hopkinson
philosophy, accessible
A mysterious stranger enters the isolated village of Viscos carrying eleven bars of gold and a heavy question.
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5
Exit West
by Mohsin Hamid
Also contemplative · philosophy, accessible
Saeed and Nadia meet in an unnamed city teetering on the edge of civil war.
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6
A Man Without a Country
accessible, literary
This collection of short essays serves as a final public address on the state of American life and the health of the planet.
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7
The Word for World Is Forest
philosophy, literary
On the planet Athshe, human colonists from Earth have established a logging colony to strip the world of its timber.
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8
Scout, Atticus & Boo
accessible, literary
Mary McDonagh Murphy chronicles the lasting influence of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird through a series of structured interviews with prominent writers, public figures, and Lee’s close associates.
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9
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
Also contemplative · philosophy, literary
Edward Abbey recounts his seasons as a seasonal ranger at Arches National Monument in the late 1950s.
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10
Intimations
by Zadie Smith
philosophy, literary
Written during the early months of the 2020 pandemic, this collection consists of six essays that analyze the sudden contraction of physical space and the expansion of internal reflection.
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11
The Other Wind
Also contemplative · philosophy, literary
In this concluding volume of the Earthsea cycle, the sorcerer Alder seeks out the archmage Ged because he can no longer sleep.
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12
On Love
Also contemplative · philosophy, accessible
Alain de Botton tracks the trajectory of a romantic relationship between two passengers, Chloe and Alice, who meet on a flight from Paris to London.
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