Power

This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.

Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, History: U.S., British Literature, American Literature, Italian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, is considered one of the most important novels written in English. It was published first in serial form between 1880 and 1881, and later revised for another edition in 1908. The novel details the experience of a young American woman, Isabel Archer, who travels to Europe. She is committed to her freedom, rejecting two marriage proposals. After she inherits an unexpected fortune, she falls victim to the... Read The Portrait of a Lady Summary


Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World

Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: U.S., Urban Development, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York is a 1974 biography of American urban planner Robert Moses, written by journalist Robert Caro. The book charts the rise of Moses in the New York political system, illustrating how he came to shape the city according to his own designs. The book was widely praised by critics and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, though Moses and his associates disagreed with several points... Read The Power Broker Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class

Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams

Tags Psychology, Inspirational, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology

Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business investigates the science behind habit formation in the human brain. Drawing on corporate case studies and pioneering scientific experiments, Duhigg analyzes how individuals, organizations, and societies can use the knowledge of habit formation to change their behaviors. Published in 2012 by Random House, the nonfiction book has reached a broad public readership and landed on the New York Times... Read The Power of Habit Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Crime / Legal, Children's Literature, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1532

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Class, Italian Literature, Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise of the Renaissance period written by Italian diplomat and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. The work, which was likely distributed for years prior to its official publication in 1532, is one of the most influential works of political philosophy in human history. Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a guide for new and future rulers, instructing them on how to seize and hold onto power, frequently citing specific examples from history... Read The Prince Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 1963

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Race / Racism


Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment

Tags Military / War, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 1844

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“The Purloined Letter,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, was first published in the literary magazine The Gift in 1844. It is the third of his detective stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, with the first two being “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) and “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” (1842).This study guide refers to the version collected in The Purloined Poe, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 1988.Poe opens with an epigraph... Read The Purloined Letter Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gender / Feminism, Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Fairy Tale / Folklore


Publication year 1907

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Humor, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education

“The Ransom of Red Chief,” first published in The Saturday Evening Post on July 6, 1907, is a comedic short story by American author O. Henry. Born William Sydney Porter, O. Henry was a prolific short story writer who penned nearly 600 stories in his lifetime. His works depict realistic characters and events, and his stories are classified within the genre of Realism. Like his most famous short story, “The Gift of the Magi” (1905)... Read The Ransom of Red Chief Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater is a young adult fantasy novel about a girl from a family of clairvoyants, the boys she befriends, and how their lives are intertwined along their journey to wake a slumbering king. The book was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and the Locus Award for science fiction and fantasy in 2013, and the Raven Cycle series was nominated for the Mythopoeic Awards in 2017... Read The Raven Boys Summary


Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Absurdism, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Hyperion Books for Children, 2010) is the first installment in the middle-grade fantasy adventure Kane Chronicles series and is followed by The Throne of Fire (2011) and The Serpent’s Shadow (2012). The book follows siblings Carter and Sadie Kane on a journey across North America to stop the Egyptian god of chaos from destroying the world. The Red Pyramid won a School Library Journal Best Book Award and was... Read The Red Pyramid Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor

The Reptile Room is a middle-grade novel published by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket in 1999. It is the second in the 13-book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, which chronicles the lives of the Baudelaire children (Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny) after the untimely death of their parents. In the first book, a well-intentioned but oblivious man named Mr. Poe places the children under the care of their distant relative... Read The Reptile Room Summary


Publication year 1791

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: European

Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man (1791) is one of the 18th-century’s most influential political treatises. It offers a spirited defense of the ongoing French Revolution and calls for dramatic reforms in Britain. Paine wrote Rights of Man as a direct response to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a conservative critique that professes skepticism and even horror at the course of events in France since the Revolution began in 1789. Rights of... Read The Rights of Man Summary