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
The Art of Controversy
The Art of Controversy (or The Art of Being Right) (Die Kunst, Recht zu Behalten) is a short treatise written in 1831 by the German philosop…
All Things Considered
Another delightful and sharply pointed excursion into the topics of the day, and of this day as well, with Gilbert Keith Chesterton. These r…
Utilitarianism
In Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill presents a thorough examination of the ethical theory that advocates for actions that promote the greate…
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
Early in the course of the Reformation (1520) Martin Luther penned a trilogy of foundational documents addressing the German Nobility, the C…
The Anti-Federalist Papers
During the period of debate over the ratification of the Constitution, numerous independent local speeches and articles were published all a…
My Inventions and Other Works
Between February and October 1919, Nikola Tesla submitted many articles to the magazine Electrical Experimenter. The most famous of these wo…
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…
The Flying Saucers are Real
The Flying Saucers are Real is a book that investigates numerous encounters between USAF fighters, personnel, and other aircraft, and UFOs b…
The Strenuous Life
This book is a collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s published commentaries and public addresses on the general theme of the requirements for i…
Beyond Good and Evil
By turns illuminating, infuriating, bewildering, and amusing, Nietzsche's masterwork covers a lot of ground. He rejects most strands of Wes…
Miscellaneous Essays
These eleven files are miscellaneous short essays or stories from G.K. Chesterton. They were chosen for not only their brevity but also for …
Poor Richard's Almanack
A brief biographical sketch of Franklin's life, followed by a collection (published in 1899) of 670 aphorisms, apothegms, or proverbs - shor…
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…
The Prince
The Prince (Italian: Il Principe) is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavel…
The Slavery of Our Times
This little book shows, in a short, clear, and systematic manner, how the principle of Non-Resistance, about which Tolstoy has written so mu…
The Golden Bough
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropol…
The Superstition of Divorce
This short book was written in 1920, and in it Chesterton, with his usual wit and incisive logic, presents a series of articles defending ma…
Selected Classics of Washington Irving
Washington Irving is one of early America's most treasured writers. He is best known for his wit and satirical voice. Irving had the extraor…
Collected Works of Saint Patrick
St. Patrick's Breastplate - This prayer is attributed to St. Patrick and his disciples. It is written with some Celtic pagan elements, but i…
The Prince
This book is a five hundred year old manual for how to run a kingdom or principality. Written in 1513 but not published until 1532, "Th…