Essays & Speeches

These study guides analyze powerful words that have shaped and reflected some of the most influential moments in history. Perfect for exploring the power and craft of rhetoric, this collection covers Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments, among many others.

Publication year 2016Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New AgeTags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness

Publication year 1983Genre Biography, NonfictionTags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

This study guide references the 1990 Oxford University Press edition of James M. McPherson’s Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution. The book is a collection of seven essays originally delivered as lectures, all on the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and his role in the Civil War (1861-1865). The book calls the Civil War era the “Second American Revolution” because, with Lincoln’s help, it brought about a fundamental transformation in the... Read Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution Summary


Publication year 1880Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Russian Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1931Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags History: Asian, History: European, Politics / Government, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: NationTags Arts / Culture, History: U.S., African American Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Gender / Feminism, Music, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World

Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: SexualityTags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Relationships, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year -1Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Plato’s Republic takes the form of a series of dialogues between the first-person narrator (Socrates, Plato's teacher) and various real-life figures. “The Allegory of the Cave,” perhaps the most well-known section of The Republic, takes place as a conversation between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon. In this section, Socrates attempts to illustrate a point about how one can gain knowledge and wisdom and “perceive [...] the Essential Form of Goodness” (paragraph 31, line 10), via... Read Allegory Of The Cave Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: CommunityTags Self Help, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Humor, Philosophy, Inspirational

In his compilation of essays, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum studies the simplicity embedded in everyday experiences. First published in 1989, this collection captivated a global audience, becoming a cultural touchstone as a #1 New York Times bestseller and selling over 7 million copies. Fulghum draws from his life experiences to craft this collection of essays. This collection, which falls within the self-help, motivational, and personal transformation genres... Read All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Summary


Publication year 1940Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Military / War, Class, Depression / Suicide, Education, Science / Nature, Sports, Technology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1922Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Immigration / Refugee

Anzia Yezierska introduces her immigration story by outlining why she came to America—to find hope, romance, and freedom to express herself. When she arrives, she says her body is strong and her “heart and soul pregnant with the unlived lives of generations clamoring for expression” (Paragraph 4). This is not to be, at least immediately. She needs money but cannot find work in factories, so her only options are to work in a kitchen or... Read America and I Summary


Publication year 1921Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: GenderTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Zitkála-Šá’s 1921 book American Indian Stories gathers autobiographical chapters, historical fiction stories, and essays focused on the experiences of the Dakota Sioux and interactions between American Indians and White citizens of the United States. Zitkála-Šá’s works convey a strong sense of independence, pride in Sioux culture, and indignation at injustices committed against American Indians. This study guide references the 2019 Modern Library (Penguin Random House) edition of American Indian Stories.SummaryThe collection begins with an autobiographical... Read American Indian Stories Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: CommunityTags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Biography

American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures (2018) is an essay collection edited by actress and activist America Ferrera with E. Cayce Dumont. The collection contains essays from notable individuals in movie and TV entertainment, food, publishing, public service, comedy, music, and self-help content creation. These first-person accounts all address the often troublesome question of what it means to be American, especially when growing up between different cultures. American Like Me is a New... Read American Like Me Summary


Publication year 1899Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Military / War, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Elbert Hubbard’s essay “A Message to Garcia” tells of the heroic journey of an Army soldier who must deliver a letter to a freedom fighter, and of the need for a similar spirit of determination in the workplace. The work first appeared as a magazine article in 1899 and became a pamphlet and book that reached millions of readers. “Carry a message to Garcia” (3) was a commonly used phrase in America during the first... Read A Message to Garcia Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Mental Illness, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 1838Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: ColonialismTags Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

“A Modell of Christian Charity” is a sermon written by John Winthrop, a Puritan lawyer who served as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, an English colonial settlement around present-day Boston, and the second settlement in New England. A sermon is a speech on a religious subject, usually used for those delivered by clergy in Christian church services. The sermon’s epigraph (a short, introductory quotation or informational text) tells us Winthrop wrote on... Read A Model of Christian Charity Summary


Publication year 1729Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Satire, Irish Literature, Education, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

A Modest Proposal For preventing the Children of Poor People From being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and For making them Beneficial to the Publick is a satirical essay published anonymously in 1729 by Irish author Jonathan Swift. Using irony and hyperbole, the essay mocks heartless attitudes toward the poor among English and Irish elites by proposing that impoverished families sell their infant children to be killed and eaten by the rich. One... Read A Modest Proposal Summary


Publication year 1987Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: LanguageTags Education, Education, Biography, Classic Fiction

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard wrote the autobiographical memoir An American Childhood (1987). In this memoir, Dillard (born in 1945) describes her intellectual development, from her first true intellectual awakening, at 5 years old, through her busy and happy pre-teen years and her turbulent adolescence, to her acceptance at a prestigious private college at age 18. An exploration of her childhood during the 1950s, this memoir operates as a coming-of-age story in which the author... Read An American Childhood Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental HealthTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 1690Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Science / Nature, Age of Enlightenment, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke is a study of how humans think, learn, and retain knowledge. Scholars often focus first on Locke’s philosophical treatises, but his work on epistemology complements and shapes his political thought. Born in 1632, the English philosopher ushered in the Age of Enlightenment and is considered one of the greatest Western philosophers in history. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, first published in 1690, explores the origin and nature... Read An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Summary


Publication year 1711Genre Poem, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Arts / Culture, Age of Enlightenment, Education, Education, British Literature, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1734Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Philosophy, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, Didacticism, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1798Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, Age of Enlightenment, Poverty, Food, Science / Nature, Class, History: European, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus was first published anonymously in 1798. Its core argument, that human population will inevitably outgrow its capacity to produce food, widely influenced the field of early 19th century economics and social science. Immediately after its first printing, Malthus’s essay garnered significant attention from his contemporaries, and he soon felt the need to reveal his identity. Although it was highly controversial, An Essay on the Principle... Read An Essay on the Principle of Population Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Sociology, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Rebecca Solnit’s A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster is a 2009 non-fiction book that examines the behavior of people amid and after disasters as well as the institutional failure that can worsen disasters. Solnit explores five major disasters and detours to discuss several others while providing commentary on contemporary Western culture, anarchism, and the media’s portrayal of disaster victims.Solnit and the many sociologists she cites present an optimistic view... Read A Paradise Built in Hell Summary


Publication year 1756Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Age of Enlightenment, Literary Criticism, Gothic Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 1644Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

As an epigram, Milton quotes Euripides, who wrote: “This is true liberty, when free-born men, having the advise the public, may speak free, which he who can, and will, deserves high praise; who neither can, nor will, may hold his peace; what can be juster in a state than this?” (337). Milton explains that addressing Parliament in the name of the “public good” (337) is no small feat and that any person in this position... Read Areopagitica Summary


Publication year 269Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Society: EconomicsTags Education, Science / Nature, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

A Sand County Almanac is a 1949 nonfiction book by the American naturalist and writer Aldo Leopold. The book is structured as a series of essays, beginning with Leopold’s description of a year on his farm and progressing to a series of essays on humanity’s relationship with nature, culminating in an argument for an ethical approach to the land. Published by Oxford University Press a year after Leopold’s death, the book is credited with having... Read A Sand County Almanac Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Creative Nonfiction, Afro-Caribbean Literature, History: World, Politics / Government, Black Lives Matter, Education, Education, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid is a work of creative nonfiction originally published in 1988. Kincaid shares memories of her home country, Antigua, both while it was under colonial rule and self-governance. She illustrates how life has and hasn’t changed for Antiguan citizens because of government corruption, the legacies of slavery, and the preoccupation with tourism over public welfare. Though the book won no awards, Kincaid has won a plethora of awards for her... Read A Small Place Summary


Publication year 1927Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: LanguageTags The Bloomsbury Group, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction

Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster is considered a seminal work of literary criticism that demystifies the form of the novel as it was understood in the early 20th century. The book is adapted from a series of informal lectures Forster delivered in 1927 at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. Forster was an accomplished novelist as well as a critic, known for the novels Howard’s End and Passage to India, among others... Read Aspects of the Novel Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: EducationTags Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Education, Russian Literature, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1704Genre Novella, FictionThemes Relationships: SiblingsTags Satire, Irish Literature, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Jonathan Swift wrote A Tale of a Tub (published in 1704) not only to expound upon the hypocrisy of religion in early 18th century England, but to explore ideas about critics, oration, ancient and modern philosophies, digressions, and the nature of writing itself. These themes are all underscored with a satirical tone that takes religion, authors, and critics to task. The title refers to the tub that sailors used to toss out to distract whales... Read A Tale Of A Tub Summary


Publication year 1792Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, History: U.S., Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects was written in 1792 by Mary Wollstonecraft. It is often referred to as one of the earliest feminist texts, and Wollstonecraft herself described it as proto-feminist. In it, Wollstonecraft explores the oppression of women by men, and argues that no society can be either virtuous or moral while half of the population are being subjugated by the other half. Ultimately, Wollstonecraft... Read A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Bad Feminist is a collection of essays from writer, scholar, and social critic Roxane Gay. Published in 2014 by Harper Perennial, the New York Times best seller draws together an array of topics, from pop culture to literary discourse to political legislation to personal recollections, in an analysis of society, culture, and politics. Gay tackles modern patriarchy and racism in ways that emphasize the humanity of marginalized people and how those systems of oppression deny... Read Bad Feminist Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: EducationTags Education

“Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education,” Second Edition (2018) is an essay by Matthew L Sanders, who wrote it with incoming college freshman in mind. Its goal is to change the perspective that higher education prepares students for a profitable career. Instead, it teaches students to become learners.In the Introduction, Sanders writes: “The hardest thing for you to know is the thing you think you already know” (xi). Many people think they know... Read Becoming a Learner Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Business / Economics

Harvard-educated Dr. Atul Gawande is a staff writer for The New Yorker, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and founder of two nonprofits aimed at innovating surgical practices around the world. He wrote Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance to explore the attributes that make a good doctor. Published in 2007 as a follow-up to his 2002 National Book Award Finalist Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, Better explores “how situations of... Read Better Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Biography

Ta-Nehisi Coates’s nonfiction book Between the World and Me was published 2015. The book takes the form of a long letter to Coates’s son Samori at age 15, and the title borrows from a poem by famed Black author Richard Wright. The text focuses on the psychological and physical trauma of racial violence that haunts generations of Black people, considering themes like The Precarity of the Black Body in the United States, The Danger of... Read Between the World and Me Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Publication year 1817Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Romanticism / Romantic Period, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

The Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge published Biographia Literaria, his semiautobiographical work on aesthetic theory, in 1817. Charting the history of his literary career and melding amusing autobiographical anecdotes with what Coleridge calls “transcendental philosophy” (91), the text is an influential work of literary criticism. Capturing Coleridge’s political ideas about the French Revolution and the American Declaration of Independence, the work is also an important historical document. In its pages, Coleridge uses 19th-century philosophical ideas... Read Biographia Literaria Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: LanguageTags Self Help, Humor, Arts / Culture, Biography

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott was originally published in 1994. Many of Lamott’s books have been on the New York Times bestsellers list, which qualifies her to offer advice about how to write. She also taught at writing conferences and at UC Davis, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Bird by Bird is a combination of memoir, self-help book, and writing... Read Bird By Bird Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 1941Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, WWII / World War II, History: World, Biography, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1987Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa presents the US-Mexico border as a space ripe for sociocultural, psychological, and historical deconstruction. Speaking from her own experiences growing up in South Texas, Anzaldúa redefines the boundaries between practice and theory, personal history and cultural critique, poetry and prose. Writing in both Spanish and English (and omitting translations at times), Anzaldúa writes as a Chicana woman, in the Chicano language, envisioning a new consciousness borne out... Read Borderlands La Frontera Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Written in 2013, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is a nonfiction book by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The work examines modern botany and environmentalism through the lens of the traditions and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America. Through a series of personal reflections, the author explores the connection between living things and human efforts to cultivate a more sustainable... Read Braiding Sweetgrass Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionTags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Climate Change, Natural Disaster, Education, Technology, History: World, Philosophy

Publication year 2016Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: JoyTags Inspirational, Philosophy, History: World, Self Help, Biography

Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work, written by Dave Isay with Maya Millett and published in 2016, is a collection of brief, first-person narratives about the value and meaning of work. These stories were collected through the oral history project of StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization that records, archives, and shares stories of life in America. StoryCorps and its founder and president, Dave Isay, have received many grants and awards for the organization’s work, including... Read Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: World, Biography, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionTags Black Lives Matter, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric is a genre-bending meditation on race, racism, and citizenship in 21st-century America. Published in 2014, Citizen combines prose, poetry, and images to paint a provocative portrait of the African American experience and racism in the so-called “post-racial” United States. Claudia Rankine is an essayist, poet, playwright and the editor of several anthologies; she is currently the Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University. Citizen is the winner of... Read Citizen: An American Lyric Summary


Publication year 1849Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Transcendentalism, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Henry David Thoreau’s “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” more commonly known as “Civil Disobedience,” originated as a Concord Lyceum lecture given in January 1848 as the Mexican-American War was winding down. The essay and its central thesis—that following one’s conscience trumps the need to follow the law—have profoundly impacted global history, political philosophy, and American thought, notably influencing both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.The text was originally published in an 1849 essay... Read Civil Disobedience Summary


Publication year 1776Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, American Revolution, History: U.S., History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The all-time best-selling published work in American history, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense helped ignite a revolution that changed the world. Released in January 1776, the pamphlet condemned the arbitrary rule of Britain’s King George III and his Parliament, and it urged colonists to rise up against their oppressors and replace colonial rule with a democratic republic of free and equal citizens. Common Sense helped inspire rebel leaders to declare American independence six months later.An e-book... Read Common Sense Summary


Publication year 2002Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Biography

Atul Gawande’s Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science is a collection of essays that weaves narratives from Gawande’s personal experience as a surgical resident together with research, philosophy, and case studies in medicine. Published in 2002, Complications became a 2002 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction. Gawande, a Rhodes Scholar and MacArthur Fellow, is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at... Read Complications Summary


Publication year 1911Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Modernism, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, History: World, Biography

Publication year 1963Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 2004Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Food, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: EconomicsTags Humor, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Animals, Food, American Literature, Journalism, Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy

Publication year 1869Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, Class, Victorian Period, History: World, Philosophy, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1993Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: European, History: Middle Eastern, History: Asian, Literary Criticism, Sociology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Culture and Imperialism is a nonfiction book published in 1993 by the Palestinian American author and academic Edward Said. Originating from a series of lectures that Said delivered in 1985 and 1986, Culture and Imperialism is an expansion of the ideas set out in his groundbreaking earlier work, Orientalism. Considered one of the founders of the field of post-colonial studies, Said looks at how the formerly colonized margins influence the metropolitan centers, and vice versa... Read Culture and Imperialism Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1848Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: NationTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World, Social Justice

Publication year 1955Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: ColonialismTags Philosophy, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government

Discourse on Colonialism is an essay written originally in French by Aimé Césaire and published in 1950. This seminal work by Césaire opens with a thesis that Europe currently suffers from two problems. The first problem is the state of the proletariat and colonialism and the second is its moral hypocrisy. Throughout the essay, Césaire elaborates on this thesis by identifying the proletariat as the colonized laborer and the bourgeois as the European academic, scholar... Read Discourse on Colonialism Summary


Publication year 1838Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Transcendentalism, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionTags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1971Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Ancient Greece, Philosophy, Philosophy

The philosopher Socrates and a man named Euthyphro meet at the court of a magistrate in charge of religious law. They discover that they both have cases to plead there. Socrates explains that he has been accused by a young man named Meletus of corrupting the youth of Athens by questioning the traditional beliefs about the gods and introducing new gods. Euthyphro says that he, too, has received similar accusations before, and that the thing... Read Euthyphro Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: FemininityTags Humor, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Self Help, Biography

Publication year 1998Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Education, Identity: LanguageTags Education, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1946Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Existentialism, French Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

In “Existentialism is a Humanism” (1945), French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre attempts to convince an audience of philosophers and laypeople alike that his philosophy is neither pessimistic, nor relativist, nor quietist, nor subjectivist in the sense of presenting human beings as isolated individuals. He begins by elaborating Christians’ and Marxists’ criticisms of his ideas, then attempts to respond to each. In doing so, he focuses on the key formulation of existentialism, “existence precedes essence.” Then... Read Existentialism is a Humanism Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1972Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Globalization, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1973Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags History: World, Classic Fiction, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Journalism, History, Biography, Humor

Publication year 1953Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Society: WarTags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“Flying Home” is the titular story of Ralph Ellison’s collection published in 1944. It tells the story of Todd, a Black Air Force candidate in flight training school in Macon County, Alabama, during World War II. As one of the first Black people accepted into the school, Todd is determined to prove that his capabilities are equal to those of his white counterparts. The story addresses themes of Fear of Judgment, Opportunities and the American... Read Flying Home Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, African American Literature, American Civil War, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Society: ColonialismTags Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World

Publication year 1796Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1863Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags History: U.S., American Civil War

Publication year 1955Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Midlife, Identity: FemininityTags Inspirational, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Biography, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Gift from the Sea is a 1955 work of inspirational nonfiction literature by American author Anne Morrow Lindbergh. While vacationing on Captiva Island, Florida, Lindbergh explores the questions of how to find a new, more natural rhythm of life and how to gain a deeper relationship with herself and others. To gain inspiration for this, she discusses various shells that she finds on the beach. The first two shells she finds symbolize the importance of... Read Gift From The Sea Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: EducationTags Diversity, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice, Sports

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Publication year 2018Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Biography

Heavy is Kiese Laymon’s 2018 memoir. It won the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the LA Times Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. Earning praise from Alice Walker, The Boston Globe, NPR, Time, and The Paris Review, Heavy acknowledges that “we’ve arrived at the point we have as a country in part because of lies we’ve told ourselves about what America means” (Abdurraquib, Hanif. “Heavy.” 4 Columns, 2018).This guide refers to the... Read Heavy Summary


Publication year 1948Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Travel Literature, History: U.S., Urban Development, Creative Nonfiction, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Creative Nonfiction, History: U.S., American Literature, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Biography

Jeanne Marie Laskas’s Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work was published in 2012 to rave reviews and was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as a “Must-Read Best Books.” Laskas is an English professor at the University of Pittsburgh and has written a wide variety of best-selling nonfiction texts. In Hidden America, Laskas explores the way ordinary Americans live by getting to know her... Read Hidden America Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Creative Nonfiction, Science / Nature, Military / War, Parenting, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Biography

High Tide in Tucson is a series of essays by heralded American novelist Barbara Kingsolver, collected and published in 1995. The essays are wide-ranging in subject matter, addressing topics from politics, to nature, to midcentury domestic life, but all reflect Kingsolver’s observations about herself and the people around her. Prior to her writing career, Kingsolver had a wide range of other professional experiences that influence essays in the book.Most of the essays in High Tide... Read High Tide in Tucson Summary


Publication year 1212Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Natural Disaster, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1977Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy

SummaryHoly the Firm is a 1977 book on Christian spirituality by American naturalist and author Annie Dillard. Dillard, whose 1974 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, is often championed for her ability to describe and narrativize the natural world. In Holy the Firm, Dillard applies this ability to what happened during a three-day period on an island in Puget Sound. Dillard ultimately stayed on this Island for two years... Read Holy the Firm Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Politics / Government

Publication year 2004Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Social Justice, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1928Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Harlem Renaissance, Creative Nonfiction, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

This guide is based on the electronic version of Zora Neale Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” available at the University of Virginia’s Mules and Men website. The original essay was published in the May 1928 edition ofThe World Tomorrow. Hurston’s essay is her explanation of how she experiences being African-American.Hurston opens the essay with the comment that she is “a Negro” and unlike many African-Americans claims no Native American ancestry. Prior to... Read How It Feels To Be Colored Me Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Music, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Biography

Publication year 1926Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Identity: LanguageTags Arts / Culture, Modernism, British Literature, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: LanguageTags Education, Education, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Self Help, Humor

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Natural World: Objects, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Philosophy, Technology, Arts / Culture, Self Help, Information Age, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 2013Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Identity: MasculinityTags Politics / Government, Biography, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, African American Literature

Publication year 1987Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Identity: GenderTags Sociology, Latin American Literature, Education, Education

Publication year 1992Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed (1992) by Croatian essayist and journalist Slavenka Drakulić details life in Communist Eastern Europe, especially the former Yugoslavia (which after 1989 would become eight distinct countries, including Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro). Drakulić wrote this collection in response to the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and dissolution of the USSR; in her view, there was more political coverage than reflections of how communism affected quotidian life. In... Read How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Biography

Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Black Arts Movement, Existentialism, History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin and Raoul Peck is an accompanying text to the 2016 documentary of the same name, directed by Peck. The documentary was released to critical acclaim. It won Best Documentary award at the BAFTA Film Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The text is essentially a transcript of the film, incorporating excerpts of interviews, television features, and films.I Am Not Your Negro... Read I Am Not Your Negro Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The FutureTags Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream'' speech is one of the most celebrated oratory pieces in American history. King delivered the speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963 as the final speech of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Ruston organized the march to advocate for civil and economic rights for Black Americans, which was among the... Read I Have A Dream Speech Summary


Publication year 1978Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental HealthTags Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Disability, History: World, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Susan Sontag’s 1978 book Illness as Metaphor is an 87-page work of critical theory exploring the language we use to describe disease and its victims. The work was originally published in the New York Review of Books as three long-form essays. Sontag wrote Illness as Metaphor while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, though not mentioned in the text. This genre—critical theoretical examinations of social and cultural events or phenomena—was where Sontag established her reputation. Illness... Read Illness As Metaphor Summary


Publication year 1933Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Globalization, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The essay “In Praise of Shadows” was originally published in 1933 in Japan and was written by the Japanese author Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886-1965). His work spanned a wide array of subjects, including the cultural impact of World War II, sexuality, and family relationships. He was especially interested in exploring the cultural differences between Japan and the West. Tanizaki was awarded Japan’s Imperial Prize in Literature in 1949 and wrote novels, short stories, essays, plays, and... Read In Praise of Shadows Summary


Publication year 1983Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: MothersTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, Social Justice

In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens is a collection of essays, speeches, and letters by Alice Walker. The collection was published in 1983. Walker is also a novelist and a poet. Her most famous novel, The Color Purple, was published in 1982 and won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1983. The novel was adapted into a movie as well as a musical. These essays are collected from different books and... Read In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens Summary


Publication year 1958Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The essay “I, Pencil,” also known as “I, Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leonard E. Read,” was first published by the American businessman and libertarian advocate Leonard E. Read in 1958. The essay first appeared in The Freeman, a publication of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEE), a think-tank he co-founded in 1946. Read was a staunch critic of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” an ambitious series of government policies and... Read I, Pencil Summary


Publication year 1946Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Military / War, History: European

Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: FameTags Biography, Humor

Publication year 2008Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Sociology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology

The essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” was written by Nicholas Carr. It was originally published in The Atlantic’s July/August 2008 issue. The essay stirred much debate, and in 2010, Carr published an extended version of the essay in book form, entitled The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. The essay begins and ends with an allusion to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the initial allusion, Carr summarizes... Read Is Google Making Us Stupid? Summary


Publication year 1968Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Social Justice, Religion / Spirituality, History: World

Publication year 1978Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, History: African , Politics / Government, Social Justice, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2020Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Arts / Culture, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Publication year 1995Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2024Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Indian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 1963Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: RaceTags Sociology, African American Literature, Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

This guide is based on the revised version of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," published as the fifth essay in Why We Can't Wait (1964).King's letter is a response to another open letter, "A Call for Unity," published in The Birmingham News and collectively authored by eight Alabama clergymen who argued that the protests were not an appropriate response to conditions in Birmingham.King opens the letter by explaining that he is responding... Read Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary


Genre Collection of Letters, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: FateTags Philosophy, Ancient Rome, Philosophy, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Classical Period, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1929Genre Collection of Letters, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Identity: LanguageTags Inspirational, Arts / Culture, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Letters to a Young Poet is a collection of 10 letters written by the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke to Franz Xaver Kappus, from February 1903 to December 1908. In an introduction to the book, Kappus describes how he came to begin his correspondence with Rilke. At the time, Kappus was a 19-year-old student at an Austrian military school. Though Kappus was set to become a military officer, he held aspirations of instead becoming a... Read Letters to a Young Poet Summary


Publication year 2013Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: CommunityTags Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Education, Psychology, Psychology

Jonathan Kozol’s Letters to a Young Teacher, originally published in 2007, is a collection of letters containing Kozol’s teaching advice for a new first grade schoolteacher named Francesca. The format of this book is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s famous Letters to a Young Poet, which has become a model for advice books for young people in different professions and callings. Although some identifying elements have been changed, the book’s letters represent a real correspondence... Read Letters to a Young Teacher Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Collection of Letters, NonfictionThemes Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Place, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Jewish Literature, History: World, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1987Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: PlaceTags Classic Fiction, Biography, Gender / Feminism, Inspirational, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1865Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: WarTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Military / War, American Civil War, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1924Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Philosophy, French Literature, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Social Justice, Politics / Government

Men Explain Things to Me is Rebecca Solnit’s 19th book. First published in 2014, it is comprised of a collection of essays primarily concerned with gender politics. The first essay explores men silencing women. It begins with Solnit recounting a conversation with “Mr. Very Important” in which he asks her about her writing, only to talk over her and lecture her about a book that, it turns out, she actually wrote. She uses this to... Read Men Explain Things To Me Summary


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Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, Education, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Ancient Greece, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

One of the founding documents of Western philosophy, Plato’s Meno recounts a dialog on the nature of virtue between Socrates and his pupil Meno, a rising star among the leaders of ancient Greece. They discuss how virtue can be recognized, where it comes from, and whether it can be taught.Meno takes place in 402 BCE in Athens; Plato, Socrates’s most famous student, in 385 BCE wrote down his recollection of the conversation. It offers a... Read Meno Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Creative Nonfiction, Humor, Biography

David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day is a collection of twenty-seven essays exploring the author’s childhood in North Carolina, his relationship with his family, his time living in France, and observations about American social life. The book is comprised of two sections, Part One and Part Deux in which the latter half focuses primarily on Sedaris’s time in Normandy, France. Told with sardonic humor, each chapter deploys various levels of fantasy, irony, and other... Read Me Talk Pretty One Day Summary


Publication year 1946Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Philosophy, History: European, Western, German Literature, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy

Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Daughters & SonsTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Korean Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Asian Literature, Biography

Publication year 1925Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Modernism, Education, Education, British Literature, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1931Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1990Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature

“Mother Tongue” explores Amy Tan’s relationship with the English language, her mother, and writing. This nonfiction narrative essay was originally given as a talk during the 1989 State of the Language Symposium; it was later published by The Threepenny Review in 1990. Since then, “Mother Tongue” has been anthologized countless times and won notable awards and honors, including being selected for the 1991 edition of Best American Essays.The original publication of “Mother Tongue,” which this... Read Mother Tongue Summary


Publication year 1929Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Modernism, Education, Education, British Literature, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1997Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental HealthTags Humor, LGBTQ, Biography

Publication year 1836Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Philosophy, Science / Nature, American Literature, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1961Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1972Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: RaceTags Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1955Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Sociology, Existentialism, Black Arts Movement, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

Notes of a Native Son is a collection of nonfiction essays by James Baldwin. Baldwin originally published the essays individually in various literary and cultural commentary magazines between 1948 and 1955. The Beacon Press first republished the essays as Notes of a Native Son in 1955. This study guide refers to the 2012 Beacon Press edition of Notes of a Native Son. Citations to page numbers, however, come from the volume The Price of the... Read Notes of a Native Son Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Publication year 1941Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“Once More to the Lake” is a narrative nonfiction essay written by E. B. White. The essay was originally published in Harper’s Magazine in 1941. White (1899-1985) was an American author best known for his children’s novels, including Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, as well as his contribution as co-author to The Elements of Style, a seminal English-language writing guide. “Once More to the Lake” recounts White’s experience of revisiting, as an adult, a lakefront... Read Once More to the Lake Summary


Publication year 1901Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Philosophy, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, French Literature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self DiscoveryTags History: World, Humor, Arts / Culture, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1939Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: LanguageTags Philosophy, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mythology, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Education, Politics / Government, History: World

Publication year 1859Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Politics & Government, Society: NationTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, History: European, British Literature, Victorian Period, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

On Liberty is a philosophical essay on ethics, society, and politics published in 1859 by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. His work on the subject matter extended back several years, through an illustrious career as a politician and philosopher. Mill’s ideas center on the concept of utilitarianism, which emphasizes efficiency and collective well-being. The book remains in print in the 21st century.SummaryOn Liberty is divided into five chapters: an introduction; “On the liberty of... Read On Liberty Summary


Publication year 1977Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Arts / Culture, Philosophy, History: World, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

On Photography is a 1977 collection of seven essays by American scholar, activist, and philosopher Susan Sontag. The essays were published in the New York Review of Books from 1973 to 1977 before publication in a single volume. Sontag explores the history of photography and its relationship to reality, the fine arts, and sociopolitical power structures. Individual essays explore these various relationships between photography and the world through a different lens before the culminating exploration... Read On Photography Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, American Revolution, Sociology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1874Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: NationTags Philosophy, Existentialism, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Written in 1874 as part of his second Untimely Meditation, Friedrich Nietzsche’s Vom Nutzen und Nachteil der Historie für das Leben or On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life, considers the proper functioning of history in service to human (and specifically German) life and culture.At the outset of his essay, Nietzsche distinguishes between advantageous and disadvantageous historical awareness. The “historical fever” in Germany at the time of writing is a disease in the... Read On The Advantage And Disadvantage Of History For Life Summary


Publication year 1790Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Gender / Feminism, Education, American Literature

Publication year 49Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Classical Period, Philosophy, Ancient Rome, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionTags Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder, PhD, describes how tyrants have dismantled 20th-century republics and replaced them with totalitarian regimes, and how threats to democracies still exist today, including in America. Published in 2017, On Tyranny holds the distinction of being a #1 New York Times bestseller. Dr. Snyder is a Yale professor of European history. His short and pithy book details the methods that demagogues, including Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, have used to degrade... Read On Tyranny Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Opening Skinner’s Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century by Lauren Slater is a work of narrative non-fiction published in 2004 by W.W. Norton & Company. Slater, an American psychotherapist, examines 10 landmark psychological experiments—from B.F. Skinner’s infamous boxes to Harry Harlow’s primates—and, in doing so, she explores larger philosophical questions related to human freedom, the limits of science, and truth in art.Slater provides biographical details of the scientists behind each landmark experiment. She... Read Opening Skinner's Box Summary


Publication year 1496Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Renaissance, Education, Education, Italian Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

One of the most important representatives of Renaissance philosophy, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the Dignity of Man (De hominis dignitate) was presented as a public discourse in 1486 but never published in his lifetime; Pico died in 1494, two years before its initial publication.In his oration, Pico investigates mankind, finding that pure reason is the highest level that man can reach. Alone among creatures, man has a part of every other creature. This... Read Oration on the Dignity of Man Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Arts / Culture, History: World, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Biography

Publication year 1670Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1988Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: MasculinityTags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, LGBTQ, Philosophy

Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

One of the founding documents of Western philosophy, Plato’s dialog Phaedo sets forth some of the most important beliefs of Socrates, who shares these ideas with his disciples just before he is executed in ancient Athens. Phaedo is one of Plato’s most widely read works, second only to his Republic and Symposium. It ponders the nature of the human soul and the possibility of an afterlife.A well-known English translation by Benjamin Jowett is widely available... Read Phaedo Summary


Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

Phaedrus is a dialogue written by Plato around 370 BC. It details a conversation between two characters, Phaedrus and Socrates. As with other dialogues by Plato, the characters are historical, but the conversation is not. The two encounter each other the morning after Phaedrus has heard Lysias, a prominent Athenian and famous orator, give a speech arguing against love. A man not in love, Lysias argues, is to be favored over one who is in... Read Phaedrus Summary


Publication year 1974Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Creative Nonfiction, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard is a personal narrative describing her observations of a creek near her home in Virginia over the course of a year. Dillard, a suburban housewife, uses a first-person narrative voice to describe her walks, paying homage to a tradition of nature writing while posing large questions about the nature of God and wilderness. The author blends research into the natural world, philosophical inquiry, and poetic imagery while engaging... Read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: LanguageTags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice

Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination is an adaptation of three lectures that Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison delivered at the Massey Lectures at Harvard University in 1990. She turned the three-part series into a 91-page book, published in 1992 by Harvard University Press. The lectures concern issues of race in American literature and the ways that writers actively construct whiteness and blackness within literature. Morrison examines the claim that works in the... Read Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination Summary


Publication year 1980Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Literary Criticism, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Psychology, Gender / Feminism, French Literature

Publication year 1907Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Psychology, American Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking (1907) is a philosophical work by the American philosopher and psychologist William James. It consists of eight lectures originally delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston and at Columbia University in New York. James is closely associated with the philosophy of pragmatism, originally formulated by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, and this book is considered the major statement of the ideas and principles of... Read Pragmatism Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Education, Education, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1800Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Arts / Culture, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

“Preface to Lyrical Ballads” is an essay by the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth. In 1798 Wordsworth wrote, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads. Believing that the poems were so novel in theme and style that they required some explanation, Wordsworth wrote a prefatory essay to accompany the second edition of the poems in 1800; he then expanded the essay for the third edition of 1802.The “Preface” is often considered a manifesto... Read Preface to Lyrical Ballads Summary


Publication year 1813Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: WarTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Christian literature, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Fantasy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Food, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2006Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Literary Criticism, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1790Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags History: European, Education, Education, History: World, French Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, first published in 1790, is written as a letter to a French friend of Burke’s family, Charles-Jean-François Depont, who requests Burke’s opinion of the French Revolution to date. Burke is a well-connected politician and political theorist of the late eighteenth century, though this tract would become his first significant work on the subject. In Reflections on the Revolution in France, Burke speaks at length on the development... Read Reflections On The Revolution In France Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Sociology, Military / War, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Regarding the Pain of Others is a book-length essay by Susan Sontag published in 2003. Sontag initially addresses a question posed to writer and anti-war activist Virginia Woolf: “How in your opinion are we to prevent war?” but then, deducing that war is perennial, Sontag uses the remainder of her book to examine the relation between photography and feelings and ideas about war. She insists on discussing specific wars and specific photographers because each work... Read Regarding the Pain of Others Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Climate, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Journalism, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 2022Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Leadership/Organization/Management, History: World, Biography

Publication year 1689Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Second Treatise of Government is a philosophical text written by Enlightenment thinker and “Father of Liberalism” John Locke in 1689. When the treatise was published in the late 17th century, England was in a state of political unrest. King William III and Queen Mary II were in power, as monarch King James II had been deposed two years earlier. This period of history is known as the Glorious Revolution, and it followed years of... Read Second Treatise of Government Summary


Publication year 1841Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, American Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

“Self-Reliance” is one of the most famous and representative works of the transcendentalist philosopher/author Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement of the early- and mid-19th century in the United States. Transcendentalist works stress the purity and goodness of individualism and community with nature, especially over the corruption and conformity of human society and institutions. This essay, published in 1841, is an exploration of self-reliance, or self-sufficiency, as a virtue. Emerson emphasizes... Read Self Reliance Summary


Publication year 1936Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

“Shooting an Elephant,” is an essay by British author George Orwell, first published in the magazine New Writing in 1936. Orwell, born Eric Blair, is world-renowned for his sociopolitical commentary. He served as a British officer in Burma from 1922 to 1927, then worked as a journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and essayist for the remainder of his career, going on to produce celebrated works such as Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949). Before penning this... Read Shooting an Elephant Summary


Publication year 1981Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, Sociology, Arts / Culture, French Literature, Post Modernism, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Publication year 1984Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Society: CommunityTags Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Disability, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Publication year 1968Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Arts / Culture, History: U.S., American Literature, Vietnam War, Journalism, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Slouching Towards Bethlehem is Joan Didion’s 1968 collection of essays that document her experiences living in California from 1961 to 1967. It is her first collection of nonfiction (many of the pieces originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post) and is hailed as a seminal document of culture and counterculture in 1960s California. Didion’s style was part of what Tom Wolfe called “New Journalism,” which emphasized the search for meaning over the reporting of facts... Read Slouching Towards Bethlehem Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Society: CommunityTags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, History: World

Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government

So You Want to Talk About Race is a 2018 non-fiction book written by Ijeoma Oluo, an American author of Nigerian descent whose columns and news articles on race have appeared in The Guardian, The Stranger, and Jezebel, among other places. This guide refers to the first edition published in 2018 by Seal Press. The title gestures to the discourse that is necessary to combat racial oppression in the United States. The book made Bustle’s... Read So You Want to Talk About Race Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: U.S., African American Literature, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Community, Identity: GenderTags Science / Nature, Philosophy, History: World, Politics / Government, Animals, Education, Diversity, Disability, Food, Health / Medicine, Internet Culture / Social Media, Military / War, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Technology, Philosophy

Publication year 2017Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: EconomicsTags History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government, History: U.S., Class, Sociology, Race / Racism

Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation is a 2017 non-fiction collection of 36 essays, poems, and short stories edited by former Granta editor John Freeman and including contributions by Rebecca Solnit, Sandra Cisneros, Edwidge Danticat, Julia Alvarez, Joyce Carol Oates, Ann Patchett, Annie Dillard, Roxane Gay, and more. The text crosses disciplinary boundaries, covering sociology, history, racial and ethnic studies, and gender studies.The personal essays, stories, and poetry in Tales... Read Tales of Two Americas Summary


Publication year 1982Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: LanguageTags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters is a collection of essays written by Annie Dillard and originally published in 1982. Dillard is an American writer whose 1974 narrative nonfiction work Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Throughout the 14 essays of Teaching a Stone to Talk, Dillard touches on themes of nature, God, time, and memory. Some of the essays have received literary awards and distinctions: “Life on... Read Teaching a Stone to Talk Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Collection of Letters, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, Education, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice

Publication year 1994Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: EducationTags Education, Race / Racism, Education, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom is a collection of 14 essays and interviews examining how to transform the multicultural classroom into an inclusive space dedicated to the practice of freedom for all students. “bell hooks” is Gloria Jean Watkins’s pen name, which she chooses not to capitalize so that her work is emphasized more so than her name. She is an acclaimed feminist scholar, cultural critic, writer, and educator. She’s the... Read Teaching to Transgress Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: ClassTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 2017Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: ImmigrationTags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Politics / Government

Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions is Valeria Luiselli’s 2017 book-length essay exploring the influx of undocumented child migrants from Latin America that began in 2014. Through her work as a volunteer translator, Luiselli became intimately aware of what these children experienced, and the essay argues that their inhumane treatment at the hands of American bureaucracy is an unjust denial of due process and the core principles of the American Dream... Read Tell Me How It Ends Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: World

Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Psychology, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help

Publication year 1794Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason is both a defense of Deism and a rejection of the world’s major monotheistic religions. Published in three parts (1794, 1795, 1807), Age of Reason reflects Paine’s belief that a significant religious upheaval would follow in the wake of the American and French Revolutions. In France, privileged orders such as monarchy and aristocracy had been toppled, and the established Catholic Church had not survived the onslaught. Paine feared that... Read The Age Of Reason Summary


Publication year 1837Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Transcendentalism, History: U.S.

“The American Scholar” is a lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson transposed into an essay; it is often classified under transcendentalism. The occasion for the lecture was an address that Emerson gave to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, on August 31, 1837. The subject of the lecture is the role of the American intellectual, as distinct from the European intellectual. Emerson calls for an intellectualism that is engaged, optimistic, and forward-thinking. He believes that... Read The American Scholar Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Mental HealthTags Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Inspirational, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine, Climate Change, Relationships, Sociology

Publication year 2015Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography

Writer and professor Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts, originally published in 2015, is a work of “autotheory”— it combines Nelson’s personal experiences of marriage and motherhood with reflections on the writing process, queer and feminist theory, and psychoanalysis and developmental psychology. This blending of genres gives the book its unconventional form; unlike a more traditional memoir, The Argonauts jumps backwards and forwards in Nelson’s life as she explores ideas and images related to pregnancy, sexuality, identity... Read The Argonauts Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: NationTags History: Asian, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Sociology, Asian Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 1964Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: CommunityTags Race / Racism, History: World, Politics / Government

“The Ballot or the Bullet” is a speech that Malcolm X first delivered at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. He also delivered the speech about a week later in Detroit, Michigan, on April 12, 1964. This guide is based on the latter version of this speech.Malcolm speaks from a personal perspective. He starts by declaring himself a Muslim and by crediting Elijah Muhammad with making him into the man he... Read The Ballot or the Bullet Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Race / Racism, Biography

Publication year 1980Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: CommunityTags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Disability, Biography

Audre Lorde was a poet, essayist, activist, and memoirist whose writings on lesbian feminism and race were integral to second-wave feminism. Lorde was born in New York City on February 18, 1934 to Grenadian immigrant parents. She attended Hunter High School, where she edited the school’s literary magazine. She published her first poem, which had been rejected by an English teacher, in Seventeen magazine. She later attended Hunter College, where she trained to become a... Read The Cancer Journals Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Ta-Nehisi Coates, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, published the essay “The Case for Reparations” in that magazine’s June 2014 issue. It was widely acclaimed and, according to the Washington Post, set a record at the time for the most-viewed article in a single day on The Atlantic website. The essay earned Coates a George Polk Award for commentary in 2014.In the essay, Coates examines the idea of the United States government paying reparations to... Read The Case for Reparations Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Mental Illness, Disability, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 1989Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Science / Nature, History: World

The Control of Nature by John McPhee was published in 1989 and includes three essays/articles reported from different geographic locales that reflect one common theme: man attempting to control nature. McPhee got his start in journalism writing for Time magazine. He has written for The New Yorker for several decades and has published 30 books, including Annals of the Former World, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. He has also taught writing at Princeton... Read The Control of Nature Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Diversity, Education, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1967Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: LanguageTags Philosophy, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, French Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1942Genre Essay / Speech, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Grief / Death, Animals, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), British Literature, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1889Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Philosophy, Victorian Period, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1986Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Italian Literature, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography

First published in Italy in 1986 as I sommersi e i salvati, The Drowned and the Saved, is a collection of eight essays by Primo Levi about his experiences in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. The book was translated into English in 1988 by Raymond Rosenthal. Some critics categorize The Drowned and the Saved as a memoir, while others believe it to be an autobiography; still other critics name this book a treatise in which... Read The Drowned and the Saved Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Identity: Mental HealthTags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Psychology, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse

The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison is a collection of nonfiction essays that are connected thematically by pain and caring. Jamison uses a combination of personal experiences and journalistic approaches to ponder essential questions about both physical and emotional wounds, tenderness, and how people connect through pain. First published in April 2014, this collection premiered at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received considerable acclaim from reviewers across the world... Read The Empathy Exams Summary


Publication year 1947Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Existentialism, French Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Published in 1948 in the wake of World War II, The Ethics of Ambiguity by French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) is a significant contribution to existentialist thought and outlines a practical system of ethics. Human freedom is of the utmost concern to the existentialist, and de Beauvoir argues that with human freedom comes ethical responsibility, countering those philosophers and skeptics who say that existentialism does not give practical guidance on how to live our... Read The Ethics Of Ambiguity Summary


Publication year 1787Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Revolution, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 essays, most of which were published as serialized articles between October 1787 and April 1788, by the American statesmen Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Released under the pseudonym Publius, a common name in ancient Rome derived from the word for “the people” or “of the people,” The Federalist Papers were written to persuade the voters of New York state to ratify the US Constitution. The... Read The Federalist Papers Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags LGBTQ, Existentialism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time (1963) comprises two autobiographical essays in which the author confronts the racial issues and tensions that he believes corrupt and deform American life and the American dream. Baldwin’s essays exemplify and precursor many of the elements and arguments central to the Civil Rights movement. Please note: Throughout the text, Baldwin uses the racial labels/language common at the time he was writing. This study guide, which uses the Vintage Reissue... Read The Fire Next Time Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Black Lives Matter, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

The Fire This Time is a contemporary anthology responding to America’s turbulent racial climate. Jesmyn Ward, associate professor of English at Tulane University, edited the anthology. She has won numerous awards for her fiction writing, and in this book she seeks to present a collection of writing poetry from varied voices to illustrate the current moment and imagine a possible future. The book, which contains 14 essays and four poems, was published in 2016. In her... Read The Fire This Time Summary


Publication year 1996Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Science / Nature, Education, Education, History: World

Publication year 1994Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Education, Education, Mental Illness, History: World, Romance, Canadian Literature

Publication year 1889Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: EconomicsTags Business / Economics, History: World, Biography

Andrew Carnegie wrote “The Gospel of Wealth” in June 1889. Carnegie begins his treatise by identifying what he sees as the most significant problem of modern-day times: “the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship” (1).Carnegie mentions that, in the past, “there was little difference” (1) between the living situations of a leader of a community and those of the members... Read The Gospel Of Wealth Summary


Publication year 1984Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags History: European, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World, French Literature

The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History is a nonfiction essay collection published in 1984 by American historian Robert Darnton. Using folktales, oral histories, letters, and police reports, Darnton explores the attitudes and behaviors of 18th-century French men and women, from indigent peasants to the most celebrated minds of the Enlightenment. The book takes its title from a perplexing incident in the late 1730s, in which a group of Parisian printers’... Read The Great Cat Massacre Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, History: World

Publication year 1843Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Sociology, Transcendentalism, History: World

“The Great Lawsuit” is an essay by Margaret Fuller, an American writer known for her contributions to transcendentalism and the women’s rights movement of the 1800s. It was first published in 1843 in The Dial, a journal she edited at the time. Fuller expanded the piece to create Woman in the Nineteenth Century, a book published in 1845.An early example of feminist writing and a vehicle for transcendental ideas, “The Great Lawsuit” centers on concepts... Read The Great Lawsuit Summary


Publication year 1936Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Journalism, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

In October of 1936, American journalist and novelist John Steinbeck wrote a series of essay-style articles for The San Francisco News on the migration of hundreds of thousands of white farmworkers from the Midwest and the South to work in California’s booming agricultural sector. Known together as The Harvest Gypsies, these seven articles are compiled in the nonfiction book The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath, which was first published in... Read The Harvest Gypsies Summary


Publication year 1873Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Education, Philosophy, Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Education, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1950Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Identity: MasculinityTags Philosophy, Race / Racism, Sociology, Gender / Feminism, Latin American Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Labyrinth of Solitude is a nine-part philosophical and historical essay on Mexican identity and culture. Octavio Paz, a famous Mexican poet and career diplomat, began writing The Labyrinth of Solitude during his time as the Mexican ambassador to France in the late 1940s. Originally published in 1951, the first edition of Paz’s work appeared in Spanish under the title El labertino de la soledad, and it is widely considered to be Paz’s masterpiece. This... Read The Labyrinth of Solitude Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Philosophy, Inspirational, Philosophy, Self Help, Biography

The Last Lecture, published in 2008, is a best-selling memoir that repurposes the final lecture delivered by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The book, which was co-authored with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffery Zaslow, fleshes out Pausch’s lecture, delving into the background behind the speech and detailing the months after its delivery, ultimately becoming a record of Pausch’s life. He admits that “under the ruse of giving an academic lecture... Read The Last Lecture Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novella, FictionThemes Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: AnimalsTags Philosophy, Animals, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Food

Publication year 1942Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Depression / Suicide, Religion / Spirituality, Absurdism, French Literature, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

One of the monuments of 20th-century philosophy, The Myth of Sisyphus, by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, delves deeply into the emptiness of life and how to cope with it. Published in France in 1942, during the darkest days of World War II, the book resonated strongly with French readers and soon had a worldwide following. The 2018 edition of the 1955 English translation by Justin O’Brien forms the basis for this study guide.The book’s... Read The Myth of Sisyphus Summary


Publication year 1926Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Creative Nonfiction, Harlem Renaissance, Inspirational, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, Arts / Culture, Black Lives Matter, Diversity, African American Literature, Education, Education, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

In Langston Hughes’s “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” the writer presents his argument regarding the creative limitations Black Americans face. Initially published in 1926, the essay traces a short, powerful argument that relies both on Hughes’s own identity as an artist as well as his critical observations of US society. As a Black author writing in the early 20th century, Hughes uses the terms “Negro” and “black” interchangeably; this study guide exclusively uses... Read The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionTags History: World, Music, History: U.S., Arts / Culture, Politics / Government, Sociology, Humor, Internet Culture / Social Media

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice

Publication year 1846Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Philosophy, American Literature, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe’s essay “The Philosophy of Composition” first appeared in Graham’s Magazine in 1846. A year earlier, his poem “The Raven” made him a celebrity. In the essay, Poe describes the process he claims to have followed in writing that poem. The essay illustrates Poe’s aesthetic principles according to which a poem must have a certain length, “unity of effect,” and connection among its elements. It also presents his ideas concerning beauty in poetry... Read The Philosophy of Composition Summary


Publication year 1957Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: PlaceTags Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, French Literature

Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962) was born into a family of shoemakers and worked his way up from mail carrier to philosopher. He earned his Doctor of Letters from the Sorbonne in 1927, originally studying the intersection of science and philosophy. Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space attracts readers of all types, including architects, poets, and other creative people. The Poetics of Space represents his journey into the philosophy of the imagination. Bachelard published The Poetics of Space... Read The Poetics of Space Summary


Publication year 1912Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags British Literature, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1951Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Absurdism, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: LanguageTags Grief / Death, Biography

Publication year 2009Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Western, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1999Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Philosophy, Social Justice, Poverty, Business / Economics, Philosophy

Philosopher Peter Singer, known for his uncompromising commitment to utilitarian principles, published his opinion editorial “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” in The New York Times Magazine on 5 September 1999. In the essay, Singer argues that the inhabitants of affluent countries have a moral obligation to donate a significant portion of their wealth to charities that can save lives around the world.Singer begins by describing a situation from the 1998 Brazilian film Central Station... Read The Singer Solution to World Poverty Summary


Publication year 1967Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Sociology, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Guy Debord’s 1967 philosophy text, The Society of the Spectacle, analyzes the phenomena of alienation and argues that alienation’s root cause is located within the economic, political, and cultural spheres of modern society. While previous periods of capitalist development saw the hyper-exploitation of workers, the period of capitalism after WWII saw an improvement in labor conditions for greater numbers of workers in society. However, for Debord, this improvement in work conditions did not translate to... Read The Society of the Spectacle Summary


Publication year 1891Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1903Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags History: U.S., Existentialism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Published in 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk is an important contribution to African-American literature, American literature, and sociology. A collection of 14 essays, the work is Du Bois’s description of the state of the South and African Americans’ lives at the turn of the 20th century. This guide is based on the Amazon Classics Kindle book edition.In “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” Du Bois describes the psychological struggles of African Americans as... Read The Souls of Black Folk Summary


Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Arts / Culture, History: European, Victorian Period, Italian Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1869Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Marriage, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The book-length essay The Subjection of Women was written in 1869 by John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher known for his progressive, utilitarian ideas. The essay includes four chapters and was published in London by Lonmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer publishers. The Subjection of Women is a persuasive argument, laying out the problem of women’s legal, marital, and societal oppression to show that gender equality is necessary to ensure social justice, improve societal progress, and... Read The Subjection of Women Summary


Publication year 1919Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Psychology, Gothic Literature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Uncanny, published in 1919, is one of the most famous of Sigmund Freud’s essays. This is not only because many of his most foundational ideas had their genesis here but because the essay pertains to aesthetics and popular culture, making it both accessible and gripping for a broad readership. The Uncanny is a good example of Freud’s predilection for drawing on aesthetics to support his arguments, and thus a useful introduction to the ideas... Read The Uncanny Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: World, Biography

Publication year 2015Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags American Civil War, History: World, History: U.S., Military / War, Politics / Government

Publication year 1986Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Community, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags LGBTQ, Health / Medicine, American Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1979Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags History: U.S., Journalism, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2008Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Society: ColonialismTags History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World, Humor

Essayist and commentator Sarah Vowell published her historical and social commentary The Wordy Shipmates in 2008. A humorous but seriously critical examination of the Puritan emigrants that traveled with the flagship Arbella from England to Massachusetts in 1630, the book revisits leading Puritan figures and the colonial events and ideologies they created while trying to establish the “city upon a hill” that defined their Christian mission in, what was to them, a New World.Though colonial... Read The Wordy Shipmates Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Arts / Culture, Biography

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard is a work of creative nonfiction and memoir originally published in 1989 by Harper & Row. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dillard explores the triumphs and struggles of her early writing years while also offering advice and guidance to aspiring writers through imaginative anecdotes. Dillard has called the work “an embarrassing nonfiction narrative,” and she distances herself from all but the final chapter about the pilot, Dave Rahm... Read The Writing Life Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Music, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, African American Literature

Publication year 2005Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Grief / Death, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Joan Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, explores her experiences mourning the death of her husband and the severe illness of her daughter in 2003. Didion, an American journalist and essayist, first gained popularity during the 1960s and 70s covering counterculture and Hollywood, but in The Year of Magical Thinking she turns to more intimate material. Didion’s husband John Gregory Dunne died of a heart attack while he and Didion were caring for their... Read The Year of Magical Thinking Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Creative Nonfiction, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, African American Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology

Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Thick: And Other Essays (2019) is a collection of personal essays that explore race, gender, and class in the US. McMillan Cottom is a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an influential public intellectual whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Thick situates McMillan Cottom’s personal experiences within sociological and structural analysis to link her experiences to... Read Thick: And Other Essays Summary


Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: ClassTags Gender / Feminism, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, is a feminist literary collection of essays, prose, poems, and transcripts on the experiences of women of color and Third World women, in a mainly United States context. While many of the contributors may have been lesser-known beforehand, this anthology has become a foundational text in feminist theory. Originally published in 1981, it set precedence by delving... Read This Bridge Called My Back Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: FateTags Philosophy, American Literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1905Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy

Sigmund Freud’s Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality was first published in 1905. Freud expanded it several times in later editions, and it reached its final form in 1924. The book occupies a major place in Freud’s body of work, but it was controversial when it first appeared. Freud pointedly blurs the line between perversions and normal sexual behaviors, and he develops a radically new and surprising theory of human sexuality—in particular, of childhood... Read Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality Summary


Publication year 1938Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags The Bloomsbury Group, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), British Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Three Guineas is a book-length essay structured as a letter from Virginia Woolf to an unnamed correspondent who has asked her for help with his efforts to “prevent war” (3). Three years after receiving the letter, and amidst the rise of fascism across Europe, Woolf has finally decided to respond. As a pacifist, she feels compelled to find a way to prevent another World War, though she is perturbed by the correspondent’s ideas, which ignore... Read Three Guineas Summary


Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionTags Self Help, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

Publication year 1982Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place

Publication year 1919Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: LanguageTags Philosophy, British Literature, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2019Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Publication year 1995Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Love / Sexuality, Biography

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure is a 1995 memoir by American author and activist Dorothy Allison, a native of Greenville, South Carolina. A coming-of-age story that examines feminism and lesbian identity in the context of the patriarchal norms of the South, the book uses both narrative and photographs to tell the stories of the women in Allison’s family and their complex relationships with the men who both loved and abused them. Her... Read Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Summary


Publication year 1861Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

“Utilitarianism” is a philosophical essay written by English philosopher John Stuart Mill in 1863. In this long essay, Mill seeks to provide a definition for the moral philosophy of utilitarianism, which was originally developed by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. As a philosophy, utilitarianism argues that a desire for happiness lies at the heart of all moral considerations. Mill’s essay expanded on the philosophical ideas initially proposed by Bentham and specifically sought to respond to common... Read Utilitarianism Summary


Publication year 1975Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Laura Mulvey’s essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” originally appeared in the autumn 1975 issue of the British film journal, Screen. This study guide refers to the reprint of the essay included in Mulvey’s book Visual and Other Pleasures (Palgrave Macmillan, 2nd edition 2009).Part 1: “Introduction”In the “Introduction” to her 1975 essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” Laura Mulvey announces her agenda: to appropriate psychoanalytic theory “as a political weapon” to expose how “the unconscious... Read Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Summary


Publication year 1854Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Transcendentalism, American Literature, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Walden opens with Thoreau’s explanation of his two-year independent living project on Walden Pond, which spanned from 1845 to 1847. He illuminates his desire to live a solitary, simple life outside of civilization. Over the course of these two years, Thoreau describes his experiences including his immersion in nature, the process of growing his own food, and the pleasure he derives from contemplating the beauty of the woods. He also reflects on the most basic elements... Read Walden Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Book, NonfictionTags Arts / Culture, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The book opens with Berger’s take on Walter Benjamin’s seminal essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Berger therefore establishes the Marxist bent of his work, particularly as he parses out the manner in which the ruling class, and a class of scholars which essentially do its bidding, attach an artificial and untruthful aura to original artworks. They do this as a bid to maintain their oppressive and morally-wrong socioeconomic status... Read Ways Of Seeing Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2014Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: CommunityTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Social Justice, Politics / Government

“We Should All Be Feminists” is an essay by Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adichie is also the author of the novels Half of a Yellow Sun, which won the Orange Prize, and Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. “We Should All Be Feminists” is based on Adichie’s December 2012 TED talk. In the essay’s introduction, Adichie states that her aim in delivering the speech was to challenge stereotypical notions of feminism.Adichie... Read We Should All Be Feminists Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy is a collection of essays by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a regular contributor to The Atlantic and a commentator on matters of race, Black identity, and White supremacy. Published in 2017, the collection focuses on what accounts for America’s inability to escape its White supremacist past, the impact of the Obama presidency on American culture and the writer, and the enduring impact of slavery on the country; the... Read We Were Eight Years in Power Summary


Publication year 1974Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Education, Education, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2002Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: EducationTags Spoken Word Poetry, Free verse, Education, Education, Humor

Publication year 2009Genre Book, NonfictionTags Psychology, Sociology, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Social Science, Psychology, Self Help

Publication year 1852Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Civil War, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

In “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” otherwise known as “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” Frederick Douglass outlines a careful argument against the institution of slavery and more specifically the Fugitive Slave Act. Weaving together ethical, religious, and sociopolitical threads of argument, Douglass points out the ironies of American values, particularly regarding the existence of an economic system based on slavery. Originally drafted and given as a speech in... Read What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The FutureTags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 1927Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: CommunityTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Black Lives Matter, History: African , Sociology, History: World

Publication year 1946Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: LanguageTags Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 1964Genre Book, NonfictionTags History: U.S., Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

Why We Can’t Wait is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s history of the Birmingham protests that took place in 1963 and his effort to explain the aims and goals of the Civil Rights Movement to a national audience. King explores the background of the protests in Birmingham, the importance of nonviolence as the primary approach to protest, how this approach played out in Birmingham, and the aftermath of the protests in an introduction and eight chapters... Read Why We Can't Wait Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Mental HealthTags Psychology, Health / Medicine, Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Society: NationTags American Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., Transcendentalism

Publication year 2020Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Science / Nature, Animals

Publication year 2020Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: ClassTags Humor, LGBTQ, Diversity, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Biography

Publication year 1975Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education, Identity: LanguageTags American Literature, Self Help, Education, Education

Publication year 1974Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: SexualityTags Mythology, Love / Sexuality, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World

Publication year 2021Genre Essay Collection, NonfictionThemes Identity: Mental HealthTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Psychology, Self Help, Psychology, Mental Illness