Philosophy · Similar reads
Books like The Painted Word
The best books like The Painted Word are Steal Like an Artist, The War of Art, and The Creative Habit. The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe is about art criticism, modern art, cultural gatekeeping. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- Steal Like an Artist
01
Austin Kleon · Self-help
Steal Like an Artist is Austin Kleon's short, illustrated guide to the creative process, built around the premise that nothing is truly original — all creative work is built from and inspired by what came before.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - The War of Art
02
Steven Pressfield · Self-help
The War of Art is Steven Pressfield's short, blunt manual for anyone who creates — or wants to create — and finds themselves blocked, procrastinating, or unable to start.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - The Creative Habit
03
Twyla Tharp · Self-help
The Creative Habit is legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp's account of how creativity works in practice — not as inspiration but as habit, discipline, and preparation.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary →
- Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
04
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace · Business
Creativity, Inc.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - 1984
05
George Orwell · Philosophy
Nineteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's 1949 novel about a future England called Airstrip One, governed by the totalitarian Party under the figurehead Big Brother.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
06
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari · Philosophy
Where Sapiens traced humanity's past and Homo Deus speculated about its future, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century plants itself in the present.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A Guide to the Good Life
07
William Irvine · Philosophy
William Irvine's book is a modern case for reviving Stoic philosophy as a practical guide to living well.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A History of Western Philosophy
08
A History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell · Philosophy
A History of Western Philosophy is Bertrand Russell's single-volume account of Western philosophical thought from the pre-Socratics through Aristotle, the Stoics, medieval Scholasticism, the Renaissance, the empiricists and rationalists, Kant, German Idealism, and the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A Rulebook for Arguments
09
Anthony Weston · Philosophy
A Rulebook for Arguments is Anthony Weston's slim, widely assigned handbook on how to build and judge arguments.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
10
George Saunders · Philosophy
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is George Saunders's account of the graduate fiction workshop he has taught at Syracuse for over twenty years, organized around seven stories by Tolstoy, Chekhov, Turgenev, and Gogol.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - A Theory of Justice
11
John Rawls · Philosophy
A Theory of Justice, published in 1971, is John Rawls's attempt to construct a systematic alternative to utilitarianism in political philosophy.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary → - Anarchy, State, and Utopia
12
Robert Nozick · Philosophy
Anarchy, State, and Utopia is Robert Nozick's 1974 response to John Rawls and a foundational text of libertarian political philosophy.
A kindred philosophy read.
Read the summary →
Books like The Painted Word: quick answers
What are the best books like The Painted Word?
The best books like The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe are Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace, 1984 by George Orwell, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with The Painted Word, such as art criticism, modern art, cultural gatekeeping.
What should I read after The Painted Word?
A natural next read after The Painted Word is Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. A kindred philosophy read. Other strong choices are The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace.
What books are similar to The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe?
The Painted Word centers on art criticism, modern art, cultural gatekeeping. Books with a similar feel include Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace, 1984 by George Orwell, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
