This collection of nineteenth century essays explores Emerson's thoughts about transcendentalism, individualism, and romanticism. The centerpiece of the collection, Emerson's masterpiece Self-Reliance, explains the need for individuals to avoid conformity and false consistency so that they will be able to follow their own instincts and ideas. Although these thoughts may seem to be anti-society in nature, Emerson asserts that self-reliance must be the starting point not for the end of society but for a more efficient and better one. Throughout this collection, Emerson emphasizes that keen belief in the power of the individual.
Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman empire from AD 161-180. He wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time ...
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthra...
Narrator: David Foster Wallace Published: 12/13/2005
While it is true that more than half of psychiatrists are either morons or radically ill-willed or both, it is not true that psychiatry is an inherently useless branch of medicine. The truth is---psychiatry usually works. And it works so long as one...
Redefining the classic essay, this modern edition of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous work, Self-Reliance, includes self-reflections from both historical and contemporary luminaries. With quotes from the likes of Henry Ford and Helen Keller t...
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthra...
Narrator: David Foster Wallace Published: 09/12/2017
“The destiny of humanity relies heavily on how everyone reacts to certain events that are now being experienced. There is a desperate need for change within the society and the opportunity for change is NOW! – it is humanity’s resp...
The great writings of American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) are not some distant ponderings on life - they are works of the highest practicality, intended to supply guidance and daily help. Emerson's ideas arose from...
‘Were it not for shadows there would be no beauty.’ In Praise of Shadows is an eloquent tribute to the austere beauty of traditional Japanese aesthetics. Through architecture, ceramics, theatre, food, women and even toilets, Tanizaki exp...
