I’m specifically looking for books that I can read that are relatively short/compact but are thought-provoking. As an example, I’m currently reading “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl which is around 100 pages.
The topics can be broad: philosophy, futurism, sci-fi, consciousness, general thinking, logic, existential and more. Something I’d like to avoid are books that are too “pop culture”. I listen to a huge amount podcasts on the topics listed above and when they are designed for a general audience, I find that they tend to barely scratch the surface and lack much depth. Somebody like Yuval Noah Harari is about as pop as I’d go.
It shouldn’t be something I need to print (such as essays available online) as I don’t have a printer and it’s a bit awkward.
One of the reasons I’d like short books is because I read 20mins at a time in short spells. My attention span is lacking and I find it easier to digest short books rather than dedicating myself to anything too lengthily. Unfortunately I have a habit of giving up on those after around 150 pages.
I’m aware that I’m contradicting myself in some sense by asking for short books whilst wanting depth, but thought I’d give it a try.
Appreciate any recommendations you might have.
by Jonography
3 Comments
Whichever book you settle on, I highly recommend checking if your library offers audio books. My attention span has been ruined too but i can easily get through audio books by listening to them when I’m doing chores, walking, or commuting.
The futurological Congress by Stanislav Lem
This might quite fit what you are looking for. Futurism, sci-fi, a Classic without being too much pop culture, and genuinely an interesting read.
There ist also a short story collections by Stanislaw Lem called The Star Diaries which might fit.
I’ve enjoyed the Wadsworth Philosophers Series, an attempt to distill great thinkers’ major contributions into short books. I own On Turing, which presents in 80 pages some of Alan Turin’s major contributions to the field of computer science.
There are some descriptions here: https://www.goodreads.com/series/123278-wadsworth-philosophers-series