If you loved

Books like This is water

A short, sharp shock of empathy that reframes the crushing boredom of daily adult life into an opportunity for profound connection. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with This is water.

contemplative
sobering
grounded
quietly uplifting

01
Consider the lobster, and other essays
David Foster Wallace · 2005
A dizzying, hyper-articulate plunge into the absurdities and moral anxieties of modern American life.
Shares:
- earnest
- wry
02
Infinite Jest
David Foster Wallace · 1996
A sprawling, tragicomic labyrinth of footnotes and hyper-articulate despair that asks what it means to be entertained to death.
Shares:
- earnest
- wry
03
The life you can save
Peter Singer · 2009
A rigorously logical yet deeply humane challenge to rethink what it means to live an ethical life.
Shares:
- contemplative
- earnest
- urgent
04
The daily stoic
Ryan Holiday
A daily anchor of ancient wisdom designed to quiet the noise of modern life and fortify the mind.
Shares:
- grounded
05
The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch · 2008
A pragmatic, joyful masterclass in living fully, delivered from the threshold of mortality.
Shares:
- earnest
06
All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten
Robert Fulghum · 1986
A warm, nostalgic embrace that reminds you to look for profound wisdom in the simplest moments of daily life.
Shares:
- earnest
- wry
07
Excellent Advice for Living
Kevin Kelly
A pocket-sized mentor offering a rapid-fire distillation of hard-won truths for a well-lived life.
Shares:
- grounded
- earnest
08
Chop Wood Carry Water
Joshua Medcalf
A grounding modern fable that strips away the noise of ambition to reveal the quiet power of daily, unglamorous practice.
Shares:
- contemplative
- grounded
- earnest
09
Make Your Bed
William H. McRaven
A bracing, no-nonsense guide to building resilience and purpose, starting with the simplest of daily habits.
Shares:
- grounded
- earnest
10
Very good lives
J. K. Rowling
A deeply affecting and reflective address that transforms the fear of failure into a catalyst for self-actualization.
Shares:
- contemplative
- earnest
11
On Looking
Alexandra Horowitz
A gentle invitation to wake up and notice the hidden wonders scattered across your daily routine.
Shares:
- contemplative
- earnest
12
How to be a person
Dan Savage
A profane, hilarious, and surprisingly practical survival guide for the messy transition into adulthood.
Shares:
- wry

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