Essays & Short Works
Memory
An in-depth series of chapters devoted to the use of our memory system; as the title suggests, how to develop our memory system, how to trai…
The Book of Life
Faith and reason, love and virtue, morality and mortality! In these two short volumes the famous novelist, essayist, and playwright, Upton S…
Common Sense
Common Sense, Paine's pro-independence monograph published anonymously on 10 January 1776, spread quickly among literate colonists. Within t…
He Can Who Thinks He Can
Do you have what it takes to be the person you want to be? This is a neat self help book in plain English by the New Thought Movement author…
Character Building
Character Building is a compilation of speeches, given by Mr. Booker T. Washington, to the students and staff of the Tuskegee Normal and Ind…
Apology of Socrates
The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399 BC against the charg…
Tales of Old Japan
Tales of Old Japan by Lord Redesdale is a collection of short stories focusing on Japanese life of the Edo period (1803 - 1868). It contains…
The Souls of Black Folk
The Souls of Black Folk is a well-known work of African-American literature by activist W.E.B. Du Bois. The book, published in 1903, contain…
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Civil Disobedience (Resistance to Civil Government) is an essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau that was first published i…
As a Man Thinketh
As a Man Thinketh is a literary essay of James Allen, published in 1902. The title is influenced by a verse in the Bible from the Book of Pr…
J'accuse...!
J'accuse est le titre d'un article rédigé par Émile Zola lors de l'affaire Dreyfus et publié dans le journal L'A…
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers (correctly known as The Federalist) are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Const…
The Human Machine
Bennett asks us to consider our brains as the most wonderful machine, a machine which is the only thing in this world that we can control. A…
Self and Self-management
Bennett's essays always provide food for thought and bring a wry smile to the lips. Human nature, it appears, changes little over the ages, …
The Awful German Language
If you’ve ever studied German (and maybe even if you haven’t), you’re likely to find this short essay to be hilarious. Published as Appendix…
Our Island Story
Our Island Story was first published in 1905 and became an instant classic. Beginning with the Romans and following the triumphs and foibles…
Hans Christian Andersen: Fairytales and Short Stories
Step into the enchanting world of Hans Christian Andersen, a master storyteller whose fairy tales have captivated readers for generations. T…
What's Wrong With the World
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) has been called the “prince of paradox.” Time magazine observed of his writing style: “Whenever possibl…
Heretics
Heretics is a thought-provoking collection of essays by G. K. Chesterton, where he boldly critiques the prevailing philosophies of his time.…
A Short History of England
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a prolific writer on many topics. His views of history were always from the standpoint of men and their interac…