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

Design Your Work Summary

Design Your Work

Praxis Volume 1

by Tiago Forte 2017 303 pages

Letters on Cézanne Summary

Letters on Cézanne

by Rainer Maria Rilke 1907 112 pages

On Human Nature Summary

On Human Nature

by Roger Scruton 2017 151 pages

Eloge du risque Summary

Eloge du risque

by Anne Dufourmantelle 2011 311 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

The Art of Subtext Summary

The Art of Subtext

by Charles Baxter 2007 182 pages

First Comes Love Summary

First Comes Love

by Marion Winik 1996 273 pages

Biography Memoir

Superheroes and Philosophy Summary

Superheroes and Philosophy

Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way

by Tom Morris 2001 300 pages

The Wisdom of the Heart Summary

The Wisdom of the Heart

by Henry Miller 1941 250 pages

A Life in Light Summary

A Life in Light

Meditations on Impermanence

by Mary Pipher 2022 302 pages

For the New Intellectual Summary

For the New Intellectual

The Philosophy of Ayn Rand

by Ayn Rand 1961 224 pages

Storyteller Summary

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

by Kate Wilhelm 2005 200 pages

Aging Thoughtfully Summary

Aging Thoughtfully

Conversations about Retirement, Romance, Wrinkles, and Regret

by Martha C. Nussbaum 2017 264 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

Q is for Quantum Summary

Q is for Quantum

by Terry Rudolph 2017 166 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

Dr. Seuss and Philosophy Summary

Dr. Seuss and Philosophy

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

by Jacob M. Held 2011 304 pages

I Used to Be Charming Summary

I Used to Be Charming

The Rest of Eve Babitz

by Eve Babitz 2019 448 pages

Breaking Bread with the Dead Summary

Breaking Bread with the Dead

A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind

by Alan Jacobs 2020 192 pages

Books About Books

Reading the Silver Screen Summary

Reading the Silver Screen

A Film Lover's Guide to Decoding the Art Form That Moves

by Thomas C. Foster 2014 403 pages

I'd Like to Play Alone, Please Summary

I'd Like to Play Alone, Please

by Tom Segura 2022 229 pages

And Here's the Kicker Summary

And Here's the Kicker

Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft and the Industry

by Mike Sacks 2009 337 pages

Vital Little Plans Summary

Vital Little Plans

The Short Works of Jane Jacobs

by Jane Jacobs 2016 544 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

Body Work Summary

The Radical Power of Personal Narrative

by Melissa Febos 2022 171 pages

On Animals Summary

by Susan Orlean 2021 256 pages

Book Lust Summary

Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason

by Nancy Pearl 2003 287 pages

Books About Books

The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings Summary

The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings

by Karl Marx 2005 224 pages

A Mathematician's Lament Summary

A Mathematician's Lament

How School Cheats Us Out of Our Most Fascinating and Imaginative Art Form

by Paul Lockhart 2009 140 pages

Magical Thinking Summary

Magical Thinking

by Augusten Burroughs 2004 304 pages

A Field Guide to Getting Lost Summary

A Field Guide to Getting Lost

by Rebecca Solnit 2005 209 pages

The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson Summary

The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1844 398 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

How to Be a Person in the World Summary

How to Be a Person in the World

Ask Polly's Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life

by Heather Havrilesky 2016 254 pages

I'd Rather Be Reading Summary

I'd Rather Be Reading

The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life

by Anne Bogel 2018 156 pages

Books About Books

Some Observations from Both Sides of the Refrigerator Door

by Robert Fulghum 1991 244 pages

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

Migrations to Solitude Summary

Migrations to Solitude

The Quest for Privacy in a Crowded World

by Sue Halpern 1992 212 pages

Down and Delirious in Mexico City Summary

Down and Delirious in Mexico City

The Aztec Metropolis in the Twenty-First Century

by Daniel Hernandez 2011 288 pages

Soccer in Sun and Shadow Summary

Soccer in Sun and Shadow

by Eduardo Galeano 1995 256 pages

Skipping Towards Gomorrah Summary

Skipping Towards Gomorrah

The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America

by Dan Savage 2002 320 pages

I'm Judging You Summary

I'm Judging You

The Do-Better Manual

by Luvvie Ajayi 2016 241 pages

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim Summary

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

by David Sedaris 2004 257 pages

We Need New Stories Summary

We Need New Stories

by Nesrine Malik 2021 288 pages

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls Summary

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls

by T Kira Madden 2019 336 pages

What On Earth Have I Done? Summary

What On Earth Have I Done?

Stories, Observations, and Affirmations

by Robert Fulghum 1997 320 pages

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. Summary

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.

by Samantha Irby 2017 275 pages

Do What You Love and Other Lies About Success and Happiness Summary

Do What You Love and Other Lies About Success and Happiness

by Miya Tokumitsu 2015 192 pages

The Book of Alchemy Summary

The Book of Alchemy

A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life

by Suleika Jaouad 2025 305 pages

Find the Good Summary

Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer

by Heather Lende 2015 176 pages

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