Essays

Great minds share their sharpest observations and most compelling arguments through the intimate art of the essay, exploring everything from creativity and culture to philosophy and the peculiarities of modern life. Whether wrestling with life's biggest questions or finding profound meaning in everyday moments, these carefully crafted pieces invite readers to see the world through fresh eyes.

Essays Book Summaries

Pass with Care Summary

by Cooper Lee Bombardier 2020 240 pages

Rights of Man, Common Sense and Other Political Writings Summary

Rights of Man, Common Sense and Other Political Writings

by Thomas Paine 1776 544 pages

Disaster Preparedness Summary

Disaster Preparedness

by Heather Havrilesky 2010 256 pages

Biography Memoir

The New Vichy Syndrome Summary

The New Vichy Syndrome

Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism

by Theodore Dalrymple 2010 160 pages

What Should We Be Worried About? Real Scenarios That Keep Scientists Up at Night Summary

What Should We Be Worried About? Real Scenarios That Keep Scientists Up at Night

by John Brockman 2014 478 pages

First Comes Love Summary

First Comes Love

by Marion Winik 1996 273 pages

Biography Memoir

Sidecountry Summary

Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports

by John Branch 2021 368 pages

On Animals Summary

by Susan Orlean 2021 256 pages

Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old Summary

Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old

by Steven Petrow 2021 272 pages

Storyteller Summary

Writing Lessons & More from 27 Years of the Clarion Writers' Workshop

by Kate Wilhelm 2005 200 pages

I Used to Be Charming Summary

I Used to Be Charming

The Rest of Eve Babitz

by Eve Babitz 2019 448 pages

The Truth About Stories Summary

The Truth About Stories

A Native Narrative

by Thomas King 2003 184 pages

In Praise of Prejudice Summary

In Praise of Prejudice

The Necessity of Preconceived Ideas

by Theodore Dalrymple 2007 129 pages

The Feminist Porn Book Summary

The Feminist Porn Book

The Politics of Producing Pleasure

by Tristan Taormino 2012 432 pages

Lives of the Artists Summary

Lives of the Artists

Portraits of Ten Artists Whose Work and Lifestyles Embody the Future of Contemporary Art

by Calvin Tomkins 2008 272 pages

Book Lust Summary

Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason

by Nancy Pearl 2003 287 pages

Books About Books

On Kindness Summary

by Adam Phillips 2009 128 pages

A Sense of the Mysterious Summary

A Sense of the Mysterious

Science and the Human Spirit

by Alan Lightman 2005 224 pages

Philosophy Bites Summary

Philosophy Bites

by David Edmonds 2010 272 pages

The Mind’s I Summary

Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul

by Douglas R. Hofstadter 1981 512 pages

I've Tried Being Nice Summary

I've Tried Being Nice

by Ann Leary 2024 240 pages

Small Things Considered Summary

Small Things Considered

Why There Is No Perfect Design

by Henry Petroski 2003 304 pages

We Need New Stories Summary

We Need New Stories

by Nesrine Malik 2021 288 pages

Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals Summary

Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals

by William James 1958 153 pages

The Undocumented Americans Summary

The Undocumented Americans

by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio 2020 208 pages

The Great Book of Journaling Summary

The Great Book of Journaling

How Journal Writing Can Support a Life of Wellness, Creativity, Meaning and Purpose

by Eric Maisel 2022 310 pages

Cassandra Speaks Summary

Cassandra Speaks

When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes

by Elizabeth Lesser 2020 304 pages

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim Summary

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

by David Sedaris 2004 257 pages

The Future of the Brain Summary

The Future of the Brain

Essays by the World's Leading Neuroscientists

by Gary F. Marcus 2014 304 pages

American Like Me Summary

American Like Me

Reflections on Life Between Cultures

by America Ferrera 2018 337 pages

Vital Little Plans Summary

Vital Little Plans

The Short Works of Jane Jacobs

by Jane Jacobs 2016 544 pages

Slouching Towards Bethlehem Summary

Slouching Towards Bethlehem

by Joan Didion 1968 238 pages

Eloge du risque Summary

Eloge du risque

by Anne Dufourmantelle 2011 311 pages

Body Work Summary

The Radical Power of Personal Narrative

by Melissa Febos 2022 171 pages

Preface to Shakespeare Summary

Preface to Shakespeare

by Samuel Johnson 1778 68 pages

Literary Criticism

Can We All Be Feminists? Summary

Can We All Be Feminists?

New Writing from Brit Bennett, Nicole Dennis-Benn, and 15 Others on Intersectionality, Identity, and the Way Forward for Feminism

by June Eric-Udorie 2018 288 pages

I am Not a Brain Summary

I am Not a Brain

Philosophy of Mind for the 21st Century

by Markus Gabriel 2017 240 pages

How to Read and Why Summary

How to Read and Why

by Harold Bloom 2000 288 pages

Literary Criticism

Books About Books

My Mess Is a Bit of a Life Summary

My Mess Is a Bit of a Life

Adventures in Anxiety

by Georgia Pritchett 2021 288 pages

Now I Can Die in Peace Summary

Now I Can Die in Peace

How ESPN's Sports Guy Found Salvation, with a Little Help from Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank and the 2004

by Bill Simmons 2005 374 pages

Yes Means Yes! Summary

Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape

by Jaclyn Friedman 2008 361 pages

Self-Reliance and Other Essays Summary

Self-Reliance and Other Essays

by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1844 117 pages

Old Age Summary

A Beginner's Guide

by Michael Kinsley 2016 160 pages

On Human Nature Summary

On Human Nature

by Roger Scruton 2017 151 pages

Answers for Aristotle Summary

Answers for Aristotle

How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to A More Meaningful Life

by Massimo Pigliucci 2012 320 pages

The Anatomy of Influence Summary

The Anatomy of Influence

Literature as a Way of Life

by Harold Bloom 2011 368 pages

Literary Criticism

Dear Dolly Summary

by Dolly Alderton 2022 224 pages

Aging Thoughtfully Summary

Aging Thoughtfully

Conversations about Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, and Regret

by Martha C. Nussbaum 2017 264 pages

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper Summary

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper

by John Allen Paulos 1997 224 pages

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World Summary

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World

by Fredrik Backman 2012 208 pages

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