Essays & Short Works
- Philosophical Travelogues
- Essays on Society and Culture
- Essays for Personal Growth
- Explorations in Science and Thought
- Explorations in Psychology
- Political Essays and Reflections
- Political Essays and Manifestos
- Philosophical Essays on Existence
Essays
In his profound collection of essays, Ralph Waldo Emerson explores the intricate relationship between the individual and the universe. Throu…
The Art of Fiction
A lecture on the art of fiction, given by the English critic Walter Besant on April 25, 1884, and an answer to the lecture by American write…
George Bernard Shaw
Chesterton and Shaw were famous friends and enjoyed their arguments and discussions. Although rarely in agreement, they both maintained good…
Noted Speeches of Abraham Lincoln
A few of Lincoln's most famous speeches and the Lincoln-Douglas debate make for historic reading. (summary by David O)
Capital and Interest
Frédéric Bastiat was an early 19th century French economist/statesman whose common sense essays tried to battle the rise of so…
Insomnia Collection
The Insomnia Collection offers a unique anthology of essays and short works designed to soothe the restless mind. Curated from a variety of …
How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day
"Which of us lives on twenty-four hours a day? And when I say 'lives,' I do not mean exists, nor 'muddles through.'" -- Arnold Ben…
The Martyrdom of Man
William Winwood Reade (1838 - 1875) was a British historian, explorer, and philosopher.His most famous work, the Martyrdom of Man (1872)—who…
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…
The Devil's Dictionary
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce is a sharp and witty exploration of language and human nature, presented in the form of a satirical…
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…
Opticks
The famous physicist Sir Isaac Newton lectured on optics from 1670 - 1672. He worked on refraction of light into colored beams using prisms …
The Mountains of California
The Mountains of California invites listeners to explore the breathtaking landscapes and natural wonders of California through the eyes of r…
Catholic and Anti-Catholic History
Catholic and Anti-Catholic History presents a thought-provoking exploration of how historical narratives can be shaped into tools of propaga…
The Appetite of Tyranny
In The Appetite of Tyranny, G. K. Chesterton explores the complex interplay between individual actions and the broader societal consequences…
The Morals
The Moralia (or The morals or Matters relating to customs and mores) is a work by the 1st-century Greek scholar Plutarch of Chaeronea. It is…
Labor and Freedom
"While there is a lower class I am in it; While there is a criminal class I am of it; While there is a soul in prison I am not free.&qu…
Literary Taste
Arnold Bennett describes a method for enjoying literature, and suggests the contents of a comprehensive library. Chapters 1-10 and 14 descri…
Sacred Meditations
Meditationes Sacrae, was first published in Latin in 1606 when Gerhard was only twenty-two years old. It consists of 51 brief meditations on…
The World As Will and Idea
In this work, Schopenhauer explains his fundamental idea that at the root of the reality we see around us is a Will that eternally, insatiab…