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An essay by G. K. Chesterton that criticizes the popular literature of success and motivational myth. Themes include the critique of success manuals, the unpredictability of success, and the nature of real accomplishment.

Another title for Henry David Thoreau's 'Civil Disobedience', advocating for individual resistance to an unjust government. Themes include civil liberties, individual moral conscience, and passive resistance.

Adam Smith's comprehensive work on economics and free market principles. Themes include capitalism, the division of labor, and the invisible hand of the market.

An essay by Emerson which outlines an ideal of intellectual independence and nonconformity in America. Themes include the responsibilities of the scholar and the influence of nature, books, and action on the mind.

A series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Themes include federalism, checks and balances, and the importance of a central government.

Ta-Nehisi Coates's book written as a letter to his son about the realities of being Black in America. Themes include racial history, systemic racism, and personal narrative.

Zora Neale Hurston's essay describing her experience and identity as an African-American woman in early 20th-century America. Themes include racial identity, individualism, and cultural pride.

Barbara Ehrenreich's book detailing her experiential investigation into the world of low-wage work in America. Themes include economic struggle, the working poor, and the reality of poverty.

Alexis de Tocqueville's 19th-century work exploring the democratic system of the United States. Themes include equality, democracy, and the American political system.

James Baldwin's collection of essays discussing racial tension and his personal experiences as a Black man in America. Themes include race, identity, and a critique of society.

Virginia Woolf's essay observing a moth's struggle and death, leading to philosophical rumination on the nature of life and death. Themes include the fragility of life, the presence of death, and the transcendence of nature.

Essay by Henry David Thoreau wherein he reflects on the spiritual act of walking and the importance of nature to humankind. Themes include freedom, nature, and the spiritual practice of walking.

Essay by Albert Camus that introduces his philosophy of the absurd and confronts the question of suicide. Themes include absurdism, the value of life, and the struggle for meaning.

Frederick Jackson Turner's influential essay that introduced the Frontier Thesis, emphasizing the role of the frontier in shaping American democracy and civilization. Themes include American expansion, the influence of the frontier, and national character.

Rachel Carson's environmental science book that raised awareness about the dangers of chemical pesticides, leading to the modern environmental movement. Themes include environmental ethics, the impact of humans on nature, and the need for conservation.

Henry David Thoreau's essay that argues for disobedience to an unjust state. Themes include the individual vs. the state, the importance of conscience, and the principle of nonviolent resistance.

David Foster Wallace's essay that began as a review of the Maine Lobster Festival but became a philosophical inquiry into the morality of boiling a creature alive. Themes include pain, morality, and the ethics of eating animals.

Herbert Croly's book advocating for a new form of liberalism and the role of the government in regulating the economy and society. Themes include progressivism, the role of government, and economic reform.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay emphasizing the need for individuals to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow their own instincts and ideas. Major themes include individualism, nonconformity, and nature.

W.E.B. Du Bois's seminal work is a collection of essays that explore the reality of African American life. Themes include 'double consciousness', race relations, and the quest for civil rights.

An essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson setting out the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature. Themes include the spirituality of nature and human individuality.

Though not a traditional essay, Thoreau's book 'Walden' is a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings. The major themes are self-reliance, simplicity, and nature.

Joan Didion's collection of essays capturing the essence of California in the 1960s. Themes include counterculture, social fragmentation, and personal reflection.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s open letter defending his strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. Themes include civil rights, justice, and the philosophy of nonviolence.

Tom Wolfe's novel chronicling the experiences of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during their LSD-fueled bus trip across America. Themes include the psychedelic experience, counterculture, and the exploration of consciousness.

Susan Sontag's essay criticizing the overemphasis on the intellectual interpretation of art. Themes include the essence of art, criticism, and the role of sensory experience.

James Baldwin's book, containing two essays addressing racial issues in America in the form of personal reflections. Themes include race relations, religion, and the black experience in America.

Michael Harrington's book exposing the prevalence of poverty in the United States and its impact on society. Themes include the social condition, economic inequality, and the invisible poor.

A collection of essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson that includes 'Nature'. Thematic elements discuss the relation between the individual and the natural world, beauty, and truth.