Recommendations based on On the Heights of Despairby Emil M. Cioran

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Myth of Sisyphus

    by Albert Camus
    An essay on understanding the absurdity of life, and realizing there is meaning in even the most mundane tasks.

    Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, ... (Goodreads)

  2. Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits

    by Friedrich Nietzsche
    A philosophical exploration of the human condition and the pursuit of morality.

    This volume presents Nietzsche's remarkable collection of almost 1400 aphorisms in R. J. Hollingdale's distinguished translation, together with a new historical introduction by Richard Schacht. ... (Goodreads)

  3. Critique of Pure Reason

    by Immanuel Kant
    Exploration of the limits of human reason and its limitations in understanding nature.

    'The purpose of this critique of pure speculative reason consists in the attempt to change the old procedure of metaphysics and to bring about a complete revolution', Kant's Critique of Pure Reason ... (Goodreads)

  4. A Confession

    by Leo Tolstoy
    A spiritual journey of self-discovery, examining religious faith and moral responsibility.

    A Confession – an essay by Leo Tolstoy on his religious thoughts -- shows the great author in process of looking for answers to profound questions that trouble all who take them on: "What will come ... (Goodreads)

  5. Existentialism is a Humanism

    by Jean-Paul Sartre
    A philosophical exploration of the human condition, and the implications of freedom and responsibility.

    It was to correct common misconceptions about his thought that Jean-Paul Sartre, the most dominent European intellectual of the post-World War II decades, accepted an invitation to speak on October ... (Goodreads)

  6. Fear and Trembling

    by Søren Kierkegaard
    Philosophical essay exploring the importance of faith, and the human struggle for faith.

    Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and religious author interested in human psychology. He is regarded as a leading pioneer of existentialism and one of the greatest philosophers ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Birth of Tragedy

    by Friedrich Nietzsche
    A philosophical exploration of the nature of tragedy, and its role in the development of culture & civilization.

    A compelling argument for the necessity for art in life, Nietzsche's first book is fuelled by his enthusiasms for Greek tragedy, for the philosophy of Schopenhauer and for the music of Wagner, to ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Symposium

    by Plato
    A philosophical dialogue among ancient Greeks about the nature of love.

    A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as relevant today as ever. In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. ... (Goodreads)

  9. Being and Nothingness

    by Jean-Paul Sartre
    Philosophical exploration of the nature of being and consciousness.

    Being & Nothingness is without doubt one of the most significant philosophical books of the 20th century. The central work by one of the century's most influential thinkers, it altered the course of ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Rebel

    by Albert Camus
    Philosophical meditation on the individual's search for meaning in an absurd world.

    By one of the most profoundly influential thinkers of our century, The Rebel is a classic essay on revolution. For Albert Camus, the urge to revolt is one of the "essential dimensions" of human ... (Goodreads)

  11. Civilization and Its Discontents

    by Sigmund Freud
    Exploration of the psychological underpinnings of human civilization and its discontents.

    It stands as a brilliant summary of the views on culture from a psychoanalytic perspective that he had been developing since the turn of the century. It is both witness and tribute to the late theory ... (Goodreads)

  12. Philosophical Investigations

    by Ludwig Wittgenstein
    Wittgenstein's exploration of language and meaning, challenging traditional philosophical concepts and proposing new ways of understanding language games.

    Philosophical Investigations, ( German : Philosophische Untersuchungen ) is a work by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein . The book was published posthumously in 1953. Wittgenstein discusses ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

    by Ludwig Wittgenstein
    A philosophical treatise on language, logic, and the limits of human understanding.

    Perhaps the most important work of philosophy written in the twentieth century, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was the only philosophical work that Ludwig Wittgenstein published during his life. ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

    by Thomas S. Kuhn
    An analysis of how scientific progress is made, and the role of paradigms and paradigmatic shifts.

    A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

    by Albert Camus
    Philosophical essays on the absurd human condition, questioning the value of life.

    One of the most influential works of this century, this is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan, and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a ... (Goodreads)

  16. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

    by Michel Foucault
    Examines the emergence of the modern prison system and its effects on society.

    Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found, here,. Barely two hundred and fifty years ago a man condemned of attempting to assassinate the King of France was drawn and quartered ... (Goodreads)

  17. Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow

    by Yuval Noah Harari
    An exploration of humanity's future, and the potential paths of our species.

    Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed, New York Times, bestseller and international phenomenon, Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning ... (Goodreads)

  18. Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?

    by Mark Fisher
    Critique of late capitalism, exploring the oppressive power of neoliberalism.

    After 1989, capitalism has presented itself as the only realistic political-economic system. What effects has this “capitalist realism” had on work, culture, education and mental health? Is it ... (Goodreads)

  19. Speak, Memory

    by Vladimir Nabokov
    Autobiographical journey exploring the intimate memories of author's past.

    This is an older alternate cover edition for ISBN 0141183225/ 9780141183220. A newer edition may be found here . From one of the 20th century's great writers comes one of the finest autobiographies ... (Goodreads)

  20. Modern Man in Search of a Soul

    by C.G. Jung
    A collection of essays exploring the human psyche, spirituality, and the search for meaning in modern life.

    A provocative and enlightening look at spiritual unease and its contribution to the void in modern civilization Considered by many to be one of the most important books in the field of psychology, ... (Goodreads)

  21. Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects

    by Bertrand Russell
    Collection of essays on religion, morality, and philosophy, arguing against the existence of God and criticizing organized religion.

    Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself – questions about man's place in the ... (Goodreads)

  22. The State and Revolution

    by Vladimir Lenin
    Exploring the idea of a socialist state, and the role of the working class in revolution.

    1917-ci ilin avqust-sentyabr aylarında yazılan yaradıcı marksizmin bu görkəmli əsəri – “Dövlət və inqilab” dövlət nəzəriyyəsinin öz dərinliyi və əhatəliliyi cəhətdən misilsiz elmi şərhidir, ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Universe in a Nutshell

    by Stephen Hawking
    A concise and accessible explanation of the most complex theories in physics, from the Big Bang to black holes.

    Stephen Hawking’s phenomenal, multimillion-copy bestseller, A Brief History of Time, introduced the ideas of this brilliant theoretical physicist to readers all over the world. Now, in a major ... (Goodreads)

  24. Ethics

    by Baruch Spinoza
    Exploration of morality and the laws of nature, framed in a rationalist argument.

    Published shortly after his death, the Ethics is undoubtedly Spinoza's greatest work - an elegant, fully cohesive cosmology derived from first principles, providing a coherent picture of reality, and ... (Goodreads)

  25. A Brief History of Time

    by Stephen Hawking
    Exploring the depths of time and space and the emergence of the universe.

    In the ten years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's classic work has become a landmark volume in scientific writing, with more than nine million copies in forty languages sold ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Art of War

    by Sun Tzu
    Ancient Chinese military treatise outlining strategies for success in battle.

    Twenty-Five Hundred years ago, Sun Tzu wrote this classic book of military strategy based on Chinese warfare and military thought. Since that time, all levels of military have used the teaching on ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients

    by Irvin D. Yalom
    A guide to the principles of psychotherapy, exploring the relationship between therapist and patient.

    Acclaimed author and renowned psychiatrist Irvin D. Yalom distills thirty-five years of psychotherapy wisdom into one brilliant volume. The culmination of master psychiatrist Dr. Irvin D. Yalom’s ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. If This Is a Man • The Truce

    by Primo Levi
    A memoir of Primo Levi's time in Auschwitz and his journey home. The Truce follows his travels through war-torn Europe.

    'With the moral stamina and intellectual poise of a twentieth-century Titan, this slightly built, dutiful, unassuming chemist set out systematically to remember the German hell on earth, steadfastly ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Second Sex

    by Simone de Beauvoir
    A philosophical exploration of the history, struggles and oppression of women in society.

    Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir’s masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of “woman,” and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality ... (Goodreads)