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 1946
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self Discovery
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Indian Literature, Philosophy, History: Asian, Philosophy, Biography, Self Help
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) was first published in 1946 and has since become a much-loved and admired book around the world. It is regarded as one of the classics of 20th-century spiritual literature. In 1999, it was named by a HarperCollins panel of authors and scholars as one of the “100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century.” In the book, Yogananda tells the story of his life, beginning with his childhood... Read Autobiography of a Yogi Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Grief / Death, Gender / Feminism, French Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1792
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender
Tags Gender / Feminism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, History: U.S., Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects was written in 1792 by Mary Wollstonecraft. It is often referred to as one of the earliest feminist texts, and Wollstonecraft herself described it as proto-feminist. In it, Wollstonecraft explores the oppression of women by men, and argues that no society can be either virtuous or moral while half of the population are being subjugated by the other half. Ultimately, Wollstonecraft... Read A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Summary
Publication year 1925
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Irish Literature
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Race / Racism, Arts / Culture, History: U.S., Philosophy, Post-War Era, History: World, Biography, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own is a non-fiction book by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., a Princeton University professor specializing in race and religion in the US. The title gestures to a passage in James Baldwin’s last novel, Just Above My Head (1979), which stresses the importance of new beginnings in the quest to rebuild the US as a truly multiracial democracy. A New York Times bestseller, Begin Again... Read Begin Again Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Health / Medicine
Publication year 1943
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Philosophy, Existentialism, French Literature, Absurdism, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Being and Nothingness: An Essay in Phenomenological Ontology (1943) by Jean-Paul Sartre is a foundational text for the philosophical movement of existentialism. Sartre, a 20th-century writer and philosopher, wrote Being and Nothingness while in a prisoner of war camp during World War II. Being and Nothingness addresses theories of consciousness, nothingness, self-identity, essences, and freedom. Sartre’s work builds upon a legacy of existentialist theories while defining and shaping them into a comprehensive ideology. He challenges... Read Being and Nothingness Summary
Publication year 1927
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Existentialism, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Being and Time (Sein und Zeit) is a philosophical text written by 20th-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger. In it, Heidegger attempts to address the fundamental question of the meaning of being. He does so through a systematic exploration of human existence and its structures. First published in 1927, Being and Time had a major impact on subsequent philosophy. A canonical text of both existentialism and phenomenology (although Heidegger would deny the association with the former)... Read Being And Time Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Being Mortal, Atul Gawande's New York Times best seller, was published in 2014. Gawande, an American surgeon and public health researcher, has written a series of articles, essays, and books that probe the US health care industry. His first book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and he followed it in 2007 with Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance. Throughout his work, Gawande offers his... Read Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and what Matters in the End Summary
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Satire, Humor, American Literature, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Polish-born author Jerzy Kosiński (1933-1991) wrote Being There, published in 1970. The novella satirizes mid-20th-century politics and culture, focusing on the twin pillars of bureaucracy and the media as vehicles for the deterioration of modern thought. Kosiński grew up in Soviet-controlled Poland and came to the United States in 1957. In 1958, he was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship. He studied at the New School and Columbia University in New York, where he received a... Read Being There Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Relationships, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help
Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error (2010) is a nonfiction book written by Kathryn Schulz, a journalist who has written for publications such as the New York Times Magazine, the Nation, and the Boston Globe. The book explores the nature of error from a psychological, philosophical, and personal point of view, drawing from philosophical thought, psychology studies, and personal anecdotes. Some themes of the book include the fallibility of the human mind, the... Read Being Wrong Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Inspirational, Action / Adventure, Travel Literature, Animals, Arts / Culture, Philosophy, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Music, Sports, Biography
Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 adventure and survival memoir by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. The narrative focuses on Ralston’s near-death experience when his arm became stuck under a boulder in a canyon in Utah, where he remained trapped for five days until he amputated his arm. Dealing with profound existential themes, the book garnered critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. A 2010 film adaptation titled 127... Read Between a Rock and a Hard Place Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Self Help, Philosophy
Publication year 1976
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Globalization, Society: Community
Tags Anthropology, Arts / Culture, Sociology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1971
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Education, Education, Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) is a scientific philosophical text written by B. F. Skinner. Skinner (1904-1990) was a psychologist from the United States who is widely recognized for his contributions to behaviorism, the psychological theory that human behavior is determined or based on antecedent and external circumstances. Beyond Freedom and Dignity has been highly criticized for its repudiation of free will and its underlying Victorian ideals; however, this heavy criticism resulted in the popularization... Read Beyond Freedom and Dignity Summary
Publication year 1886
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Victorian Period, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future is a classic philosophical text composed by one of modernity’s greatest thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche, and first published in 1886, just a few years after the arguably more infamous Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Published first in Nietzsche’s native German, the book was translated into English 20 years later in 1906, making the work even more widely known to an international audience. A more polemical text than... Read Beyond Good And Evil Summary
Publication year 1611
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature
Publication year 1817
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Romanticism / Romantic Period, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
The Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge published Biographia Literaria, his semiautobiographical work on aesthetic theory, in 1817. Charting the history of his literary career and melding amusing autobiographical anecdotes with what Coleridge calls “transcendental philosophy” (91), the text is an influential work of literary criticism. Capturing Coleridge’s political ideas about the French Revolution and the American Declaration of Independence, the work is also an important historical document. In its pages, Coleridge uses 19th-century philosophical ideas... Read Biographia Literaria Summary
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals
Tags Lyric Poem, Philosophy, Animals