What is the good life? What is justice? Do we have free will? Does it matter? From ancient classics like Plato's Allegory of the Cave to modern standards like John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, the texts in this collection explore ideas and questions at the root of the human condition.
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1967
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: World, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Psychology, Self Help, Technology, Philosophy
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government
White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era is a 2006 nonfiction book by Shelby Steele, a Black conservative author who specializes in the study of race relations in the US. This guide refers to the e-book published in 2009 by HarperCollins. The title points to the book’s central theme: white guilt—the loss of moral authority—and the damaging responses it elicited in Black and White Americans in the... Read White Guilt Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, is an inspirational advice book on how people and businesses can respond to changing times and situations by learning how to adapt quickly and successfully. The book centers on a parable about two mice and two people who live in a maze and search for cheese—the things each wants in life—and what happens when the cheese they’ve been enjoying disappears. First published in 1998, the book proved... Read Who Moved My Cheese? Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Animals, Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1927
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1946
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Language
Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Environment
Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, History: World, Education, Education, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1964
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags History: U.S., Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography
Why We Can’t Wait is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s history of the Birmingham protests that took place in 1963 and his effort to explain the aims and goals of the Civil Rights Movement to a national audience. King explores the background of the protests in Birmingham, the importance of nonviolence as the primary approach to protest, how this approach played out in Birmingham, and the aftermath of the protests in an introduction and eight chapters... Read Why We Can't Wait Summary
Publication year 1967
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Animals, Society: Nation, Natural World: Food
Tags History: U.S., Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Identity: Language
Tags Anthropology, Education, Education, Anthropology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Wisdom Sits in Places (University of New Mexico Press, 1996) is a non-fiction book of essays by American ethnographer and anthropologist Keith Basso. In the book, Basso explores the role of place-names, or toponyms, in the language and culture of the Western Apache. In doing so, he sets forth an argument that the way of life of the Western Apache can only be understood by examining their sense of place, and he makes the case... Read Wisdom Sits in Places Summary
Publication year 1952
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags History: U.S., Cold War, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Christian literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1999
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Society: Nation
Tags American Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., Transcendentalism
Publication year 1981
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender
Tags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Fantasy, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality
Women Who Run With the Wolves (1992) is the most well-known book by author Clarissa Pinkola Estés. It became a New York Times bestseller and appeared on the bestseller lists of USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal. Other books by the same author include The Gift of Story (1993), The Faithful Gardener (1996), and Untie the Strong Woman (2011). Estés has also recorded numerous audiobooks on related topics. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology... Read Women Who Run with the Wolves Summary
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Mythology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classical Period, History: World, Fantasy
“Works and Days” is a didactic poem by Hesiod dating to approximately the eighth century BCE. Hesiod begins the poem with the traditional invocation to the muses, but he deviates slightly from this tradition by including personal information; the poem is an explanation of a dispute between Hesiod and his brother Perses over a family inheritance. The poem’s thematic concerns, which Hesiod explores by arguing how harmful his brother’s actions are not only to himself... Read Works and Days Summary