Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essays are an American classic. These essays explore Emerson's thoughts about transcendentalism and romanticism. Some of the most famous essays in this collection are Self-Reliance, Compensation, The Over-Soul, Circles, The Poet, Experience, and Politics.
In this historical romance, a young woman flees a marriage she never wanted and a life she wished she had never lived. Dawn of the Morning tells the story of Dawn Rensselaer's journey to find love on her own terms.
Don Juan is an epic poem by Lord Byron about a womanizing Spaniard who is sent away for dishonoring his family. His adventures lead him through slave markets and royal courts until he grows into a man who can be admired.
Civil Disobedience was Thoreau's first published book and continues to transform American discourse. It is unusual for its symbolism and structure, its criticism of Christian institutions, and its many-layered storytelling.
Mistreated by her selfish sister and in danger of becoming a mere servant, Julia Cloud is saved by her niece and nephew. Both are in college and both are in need of a guiding mother. Julia succeeds in undertaking this role and soon becomes known as ‘Cloudy Jewel.’
A collection of short stories from prominent Russian author A. S. Pushkin.
Although it was first published in 1922, Babbitt reveals the flaws of our modern society. Are money going to make us happy? Is social status such an important aspect in our lives? Can’t we just live in the moment? Asked some 90 odd years ago, these same questions haunt the Western society to this day. Can George F. Babbitt find the answer?
What are you thinking right now? Is it moving you forward or holding you back? In James Allen's classic text, As a Man Thinketh, you'll learn the skills needed to change the way you think, and in doing so change the direction of your life. Read the book that has inspired millions to take control of destructive thought patterns and revolutionize the way they think. This self-improvement book is a must-read and is filled with insights into the human mind.
One of the most influential books of the 20th century, this is Nietzsche's provocative and thought-provoking work of philosophy questioning centuries of Western tradition, thought and morality. Building on Nietzsche's, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil is a critical response to religion and other systems of moral conventions.
Candide is a French satire by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply Optimism) by his mentor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds".
When the young Montgomery Brewster inherits one million dollars from his grandfather, his luck is only about to get better. His rich and eccentric uncle dies just a short time later, and Brewster finds some very interesting conditions in his uncle's will. He stands to inherit seven million dollars as long as he spends every dime of his grandfather's money in the course of a year. Originally written in 1902, Brewster's Millions is a charming story of wealth and responsibility.
Ian McLaren's Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush became a manifesto of non-violent protest used by Gandhi and Martin Luther King about how the individuals shouldn't permit governments to revoke their consciences.
An original account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens.
Dutch Kaspar Almayer, a trader married to a native Malayan and father of one daughter Nina, is obsessed with wealth. He seeks in vain the lost treasure of Borneo and waits for the British conquerors in his unfinished house named by a fellow seaman ‘Almayer’s Folly.’ A local prince in love with Nina swears to help the Dutch find the gold but can he be trusted?
This second novel from Conrad details the undoing of Peter Willems, a disreputable, immoral man who, on the run from a scandal in Makassar, finds refuge in a hidden native village, only to betray his benefactors over lust for the tribal chief's daughter.
This short story with a twist by American author, Ambrose Bierce is set during the American Civil War. It's the story of Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer condemned to death by hanging from Owl Creek Bridge. This story has been hailed as an early pioneer in "stream of consciousness" storytelling.
A young woman vows to climb the New York social ladder in the late nineteenth century. This novel explores a woman's ambition at a time when marriage was the only way to advance one's position.
Anne of the Island is the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series In this volume, Anne attends Redmond college in Nova Scotia. In this book, the growing relationship between Anne and Gilbert is almost thwarted but despite herself, Anne finds true love.
Ayn Rand's shortest work imagines a world where education is banned and there is one word punishable by death -- "I." The hero discovers that man's greatest duty is the pursuit of his own happiness and embodies the philosophies explored in Rand's later and longer works, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
When Huck Finn fakes his own death and flees his drunken father, he joins forces with a runaway slave and heads for freedom. Twain tells the story of Huckleberry (Huck) Finn and his adventures along the Mississippi River.
How do you solve the problem of poverty? By letting the Irish sell their children to be eaten by wealthy ladies and gentlemen, of course! This satirical short work by Jonathan Swift is a classic look at the cost of poverty.
Read James Joyce's first novel in this coming of age story of the young Stephen Dedalus. Increasingly alienated from the institutions around him, Stephen goes on a journey of self-discovery. This avant-garde work was listed as #3 on Modern Library's 100 best novels of the 20th century.
One of the top 100 chapter books of all time! A Little Princess is the heartwarming story of a young girl who defies the odds to live a life of joy despite great tragedy. The story opens with 7-year old Sara Crewe arriving at Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls in London. During her stay at the school, Sara's fortunes are reversed but all turns out right in the end.
The hero of our time, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin is actually a traditional antihero who destroys the life of others around him. He is a 19th-century Casanova who can’t find peace and happiness, often contemplating on the meaning of life and destiny. His story is seen through many eyes: a fellow brother-in-arms, the narrator and ultimately Pechorin himself. How will he end up: as a misunderstood hero or as a vile villain? Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher.
The subjection of India, its cause and cure - the Russian literary giant and the Indian revolutionary leader came into contact when Gandhi discovered Tolstoy's “A Letter to a Hindu” (written in 1963, to an Indian nationalist who was seeking support for India's independence from British colonial rule). Gandhi was so impressed with Tolstoy's ideas that he decided to write to Tolstoy and ask permission to publish the letter in South Africa.
