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Genres › Essays

Walden
Henry David Thoreau
48 days •
ⓘ 1854 • Not just a reference for pithy thinkpieces on smartphones, Thoreau's sojourn by Walden Pond is an early social experiment seeking self-reliance, self-fulfillment, and happiness.
Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau
4 days •
ⓘ 1849 • Disgusted by the Mexican-American War and slavery, Thoreau urges citizens to right their government's wrongs and be agents of positive change - even if it means breaking unjust laws.
Common Sense
Thomas Paine
10 days •
ⓘ 1776 • Written as the American British colonies wavered over the question of independence, Paine's concise and approachable arguments convinced the colonies to become a country.
A Modest Proposal
Jonathan Swift
2 days •
ⓘ 1729 • Swift suggests, to solve their economic woes, that impoverished Irish sell their children as food for the rich. A cutting satire mocking the heartless and savage way in which the wealthy look down on the poor.
All Things Considered
G.K. Chesterton
23 days •
ⓘ 1908 • Essays and musings on wine, fairy tales, and windswept hats from one of England's most celebrated writers.
The Souls of Black Folk
W.E.B. Du Bois.
27 days •
ⓘ 1903 • A collection of essays and landmark in both the history of African-American literature and in the history of sociology. W.E.B. Du Bois argues it is beneath the dignity of a human to beg for rights inherently granted to all men and women.
Essays
Ralph Waldo Emerson
25 days •
ⓘ 1841 • A collection of Emerson's essays, including Self-Reliance, Compensation, The Over-Soul, and The Poet.
Anarchism and Other Essays
Emma Goldman
22 days •
ⓘ 1910 • Influential essays on feminism and sexuality, anarchism and political violence from Russian-American philosopher Emma Goldman.
Nature
Ralph Waldo Emerson
6 days •
ⓘ 1836 • Emerson's classic transcendentalist essay, finding that reality and the divine can be understood through nature.
Philosophical Dictionary
Voltaire
34 days •
ⓘ 1764 • A collection of alphabetically-organized articles in which Voltaire explores Christianity, God, morality and other subjects.
Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases
Ida B. Wells
4 days •
ⓘ 1892 • The famous pamphlet from Ida B. Wells detailing her research on lynching in the United States.
1001 Afternoons in Chicago
Ben Hecht
29 days •
ⓘ 1921 • A collection of sketches of Chicago from Ben Hecht's Chicago Daily News column. "Journalism extraordinary; journalism that invaded the realm of literature."
Discourse on the Method
Rene Descartes
8 days •
ⓘ 1637 • A philosophical treatise discussing skepticism -- to Descartes, the process of approaching everything with doubt and clear of preconceived notions.
The Land of Little Rain
Mary Hunter Austin
14 days •
ⓘ 1903 • A collection of unforgettable essays and short stories on the American Southwest, from its sweeping landscapes to the people who call it home.
Eureka: A Prose Poem
Edgar Allan Poe
12 days •
ⓘ 1848 • An adaptation of Poe's lecture, describing his conception of the universe and of man's relationship with God. Many ideas presage 20th-century discoveries and theories on the beginnings of the universe.
A Pickle For The Knowing Ones
Timothy Dexter
3 days •
ⓘ 1802 • Written by the eccentric businessman Timothy Dexter - who once faked his own death to see how people would react - this work discusses politics, the clergy, and more. Note it includes odd spelling and capitalization.
Tom Brown's School Days
Thomas Hughes
33 days •
ⓘ 1857 • The classic English story of Tom Brown's trials, successes, and lasting friendships within a Victorian boy's boarding school.
Culture and Anarchy
Matthew Arnold
21 days •
ⓘ 1869 • A series of Victorian-era essays examining the nature of culture, the value of classes, and the future of society.
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