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

Real Estate Summary

by Deborah Levy 2021 297 pages

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference Summary

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference

by Greta Thunberg 2019 112 pages

The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence Summary

The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence

Ideas from Philosophy That Change the Way You Think

by Robert Pantano 2022 236 pages

My Body Summary

by Emily Ratajkowski 2021 239 pages

On Boxing Summary

by Joyce Carol Oates 1987 304 pages

What We Believe But Cannot Prove Summary

What We Believe But Cannot Prove

Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty

by John Brockman 2005 252 pages

The Limits of Interpretation Summary

The Limits of Interpretation

by Umberto Eco 1990 304 pages

The Good Immigrant Summary

The Good Immigrant

26 Writers Reflect on America

by Nikesh Shukla 2019 336 pages

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings Summary

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings

by Thomas Paine 1776 416 pages

The New Vichy Syndrome Summary

The New Vichy Syndrome

Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism

by Theodore Dalrymple 2010 160 pages

Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams Summary

Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams

Short Stories, Prose and Diary Excerpts

by Sylvia Plath 1977 336 pages

La crisis de la narración Summary

La crisis de la narración

by Byung-Chul Han 2023 112 pages

Capitalist Realism Summary

Capitalist Realism

Is There No Alternative?

by Mark Fisher 2009 81 pages

The Doctor and the Saint Summary

The Doctor and the Saint

The Ambedkar - Gandhi Debate

by Arundhati Roy 2017 184 pages

Why Not Me? Summary

by Mindy Kaling 2015 240 pages

Custodians of Wonder Summary

Custodians of Wonder

Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive

by Eliot Stein 2024 336 pages

How to Tell When We Will Die Summary

How to Tell When We Will Die

On Pain, Disability, and Doom

by Johanna Hedva 2024 384 pages

I've Tried Being Nice Summary

I've Tried Being Nice

by Ann Leary 2024 240 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

The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media Summary

The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media

by Walter Benjamin 1936 448 pages

Ursula K. Le Guin Summary

Ursula K. Le Guin

Conversations on Writing

by Ursula K. Le Guin 2018 138 pages

Books About Books

This Is Me Letting You Go Summary

This Is Me Letting You Go

by Heidi Priebe 2016 120 pages

On Drinking Summary

by Charles Bukowski 2019 263 pages

The Uses and Abuses of History Summary

The Uses and Abuses of History

by Margaret MacMillan 2008 208 pages

On Love Summary

by Alain de Botton 1993 194 pages

Letter to My Daughter Summary

Letter to My Daughter

by Maya Angelou 1987 192 pages

Four Hundred Souls Summary

Four Hundred Souls

A Community History of African America, 1619-2019

by Ibram X. Kendi 2021 504 pages

The Posthuman Summary

by Rosi Braidotti 2013 180 pages

SCUM Manifesto Summary

by Valerie Solanas 1967 96 pages

More Baths, Less Talking Summary

More Baths, Less Talking

by Nick Hornby 2012 135 pages

Books About Books

Speech Acts Summary

An Essay in the Philosophy of Language

by John Rogers Searle 1969 203 pages

Sidecountry Summary

Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports

by John Branch 2021 368 pages

Power, Politics and Culture Summary

Power, Politics and Culture

Interviews With Edward W. Said

by Edward W. Said 2001 512 pages

Imaginary Homelands Summary

Imaginary Homelands

Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

by Salman Rushdie 1991 448 pages

The 1619 Project Summary

The 1619 Project

A New Origin Story

by Nikole Hannah-Jones 2019 590 pages

The American Spirit Summary

The American Spirit

Who We Are and What We Stand For

by David McCullough 2017 176 pages

American History

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

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