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Best Philosophy Books

Dive into the world of wisdom with these critically acclaimed philosophy books. each title on this list has been consistently recommended across the internet's most authoritative literature circles and blogs..

• The 35 Best Philosophy Books to Live Better and Become a Great Thinker

I used to think philosophy meant sitting in a college auditorium, reading boring old texts in languages no one speaks anymore. When I was 23, however, I discovered Ryan Holiday and his work on Stoicism . I read his book The Obstacle Is the Way , and I realized I couldn’t have been more wrong. Philosophy is not about analyzing the thoughts of people who died long ago. It’s about how to live a good life, right here, right now — and that’s exactly what philosophy books are for.

We’ve summarized over 1,000 books here at Four Minute Books. Today, we’ll compile the best philosophy titles for you. Whether you’re a beginner or a philosophy expert, we’re sure you’ll find a book on here that’ll teach you something new. Find a strong set of guiding principles, discover where it came from, and adjust it to your own and modern life.

As usual, we’ve sorted our list into multiple sub-categories. First, we’ll cover the best philosophy books all around. Then, we’ll get into Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy, important philosophers, as well as books talking specifically about ethics and morality. Finally, we’ll show you some “philosophies of productivity” and other books that present a coherent worldview for our modern world.

Besides a picture of the cover of each title, you’ll find our favorite quote from the author, a one-sentence-summary of the book, and some suggestions on when and why to read the book. We’ve also included three key takeaways, as well as some buttons you can click to read the book’s free summary on Four Minute Books or buy a copy for yourself on Amazon (affiliate links).

Use the clickable table of contents below to quickly jump to any book or category, and start discovering the many wonderful, enlightening philosophies we can use to live a better life!

Here are the 35 best philosophy books of all time!

Table of Contents

1. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

2. man’s search for meaning by viktor frankl, 3. the daily stoic by ryan holiday.

• 4. The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant 

5. The Republic by Plato

6. discourses by epictetus.

• 7. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch 

8. Letters from a Stoic by Seneca

9. meditations on first philosophy by rené descartes, 10. on the shortness of life by seneca, 11. a guide to the good life by william b. irvine, 12. how to be a stoic by massimo pigliucci, 13. how to think like a roman emperor by donald robertson.

• 14. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday 

15. The Bhagavad Gita by Vyasa

16. the art of war by sun tzu, 17. the tao te ching by lao tzu, 18. the book of joy by dalai lama & desmond tutu, 19. lives of the stoics by ryan holiday, 20. plato at the googleplex by rebecca goldstein, 21. breakfast with socrates by robert rowland smith, 22. the nicomachean ethics by aristotle, 23. the prince by niccolò machiavelli, 24. the ethics of ambiguity by simone de beauvoir, 25. the better angels of our nature by steven pinker, 26. essentialism by greg mckeown, 27. deep work by cal newport, 28. the power of full engagement by jim loehr & tony schwartz, 29. principles by ray dalio, 30. 12 rules for life by jordan peterson, 31. minimalism by joshua fields millburn & ryan nicodemus, 32. digital minimalism by cal newport, 33. kaizen by sarah harvey, 34. the subtle art of not giving a f*ck by mark manson.

• 35. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle 

Other Book Lists by Topic

Other book lists by author, best philosophy books overall.

Favorite Quote

“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius

The Book in One Sentence

Meditations is a collection of 12 books written by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who consistently journaled to remember his education in Stoic philosophy, and whose writings will teach you logic, faith, and self-discipline.

Why should you read it?

If you’re looking for daily comfort, motivation, and wisdom, this is one of the best books you’ll ever pick up. I don’t see why anyone shouldn’t read this. The advice is as sound as when Marcus gave it to himself 2,000 years ago, and the book will benefit you in tough as well as glorious times. Plus, it might even inspire you to start journaling yourself!

Key Takeaways

• True “logic” doesn’t always make sense, but everything happens for a reason.
• Life is too short to complain.
• The only pain you suffer is the pain you create yourself.

If you want to learn more, you can read our free four-minute summary or get a copy for yourself.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” — Viktor Frankl

Man’s Search for Meaning details holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl’s horrifying experiences in Nazi concentration camps, along with his psychological approach of logotherapy, which is also what helped him survive and shows how you can – and must – find meaning in your life.

There are few holes this book couldn’t make you crawl back out from. Beyond inspiring you to rethink meaning and find it wherever you go, however, it will also instill tremendous respect in you for those who’ve come before us. This book is enlightening on both a personal and a historical level, and I think almost anyone would benefit from reading it.

• Sometimes, the only way to survive is to surrender to death.
• Your life has its own meaning, and it’s up to you to find it.
• Use paradoxical intention to make your fears go away.

“Control your perceptions. Direct your actions properly. Willingly accept what’s outside your control.” — Ryan Holiday

The Daily Stoic is a year-long compilation of short, daily meditations from ancient Stoic philosophers, like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, teaching you equanimity, resilience, and perseverance via the three Stoic disciplines of perception, action, and will.

If you struggle with reading non-fiction at a pace that makes you feel good about your progress, this is the book for you. It’s also one of my all-time favorites. I read it every year for five years in a row. A page a day is so easy to read, you can’t not do it. As a result, you’ll gain a great overview of Stoicism and implement plenty of its tenets in your life.

• Perception gives purpose to your thoughts, actions, and ultimately everything you do.
• We can change the course of our life by actively choosing our actions instead of just reacting to our impulses.
• Will is our internal force of perseverance, ready to give us hope when everything else fails.

4. The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant  

“Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos.” — Will Durant 

The Story of Philosophy profiles the lives of great Western philosophers, such as Plato, Socrates, and Nietzsche, exploring their views on politics, religion, morality, the meaning of life, and plenty of other important concepts.

If you’re curious about the origins of philosophy, this is the definitive title to read. Durant and his wife are some of the greatest historians who ever lived, and they fantastically condensed the world’s story, in this case down to 700 pages. If you want to start with something shorter, grab The Lessons of History first, then go deeper on each of history’s most important philosophers in this masterpiece.

• Ancient Greek philosophers paved the way for philosophy, science, and new forms of societal governance.
• Philosopher Spinoza helped decipher the hidden meanings of religion.
• Voltaire was partially responsible for the French revolution and the improvement of political systems around the world.

“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.” — Plato

The Republic is one of the most important political and philosophical works in history , written by Plato, the archetypal philosopher and one of Socrates’ students , in the form of a dialogue about justice and political systems.

If you’re in politics, this is a must-read. If not, it’s still a valuable read on what it means to be governed, how to be a good citizen, and why philosophers can be good rulers but don’t necessarily will be . All-around a classic worth picking up.

• Justice must be looked at on an individual as well as a city level.
• Both cities and souls can be divided into three distinct parts.
• Philosophers trying to rule others will face lots of difficulty, and rightfully so.

“What else is freedom but the power to live our life the way we want?” — Epictetus

Discourses is a collection of ancient philosopher Epictetus’ lectures, transcribed by one of his students, helping us make sense of the world and teaching us to accept hardship, change, and life events that feel like setbacks at first but will ultimately make us stronger.

Unlike most of the other ancient philosophers, Epictetus didn’t start from wealth. He was a slave, but thanks to his ideas and behavior, he was set free. He lived frugally till the end of his days, and that’s why his lectures are full of common sense. If you want an original take on Stoicism that didn’t come from a point of privilege, this is your best bet.

• Without life’s challenges, we wouldn’t feel the need to grow and evolve. 
• Everything great in life takes time and effort to build.
• If you can’t control it, don’t stress over it.

7. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch  

“If I only had three words of advice, they would be, ‘tell the truth.’ If I got three more words, I’d add, ‘all the time.’” — Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture is a college professor’s final message to the world before his impending death of cancer at a relatively young age, offering meaningful life advice, significant words of wisdom, and a great deal of optimism and hope for humanity.

Imagine your favorite school teacher or mentor were to give one last lecture before they died. Wouldn’t you attend? Well, Randy Pausch may not be your favorite college professor, but he probably will be if you give his last lecture a chance. The book is full of inspiration, hard-gained wisdom, and memories that will make you smile. Randy also gave the actual lecture , of course, but I recommend reading the book first. It holds more detail and makes the talk feel a lot stronger.

• If you never give up on your dreams, eventually, some of them will come true.
• True satisfaction comes from helping others succeed.
• The simplest advice is often the most valuable.

Best Philosophy Books About Stoicism and Western Philosophy

“If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you need is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.” — Seneca

Letters from a Stoic is a collection of encouraging moral messages sent by Roman Stoic and philosopher Seneca to his friend Lucilius in order to help him become less emotional, more disciplined, and find the good life.

There used to be a thing called “pen pals.” People would commit to writing each other letters on a regular basis. Nowadays, the practice is dwindling. Thanks to this book, however, you can have a pen pal, and not just any pen pal but one of the most famous philosophers in history. If you’d like a friend to send you letters of encouragement, this book is perfect for you.

• The goal of attaining wisdom is to live in harmony with nature.
• Your most valuable possession is your mind.
• A wise man doesn’t need friends, but he chooses to make them anyway.

“Dubium sapientiae initium — Doubt is the origin of wisdom.” — René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy is one of the premier works of Western philosophy, written by  René Descartes in 1641, prompting us to abandon everything that can possibly be doubted and then starting to reason our way forward based only on what we can know with absolute certainty.

Are you a person driven by logic and reason? Then this is the philosophy book for you. Descartes’ approach of starting from what’s 100% true and then going from there is fascinating. If you’d like to test your reasoning skills and aren’t afraid of someone challenging your assumptions, read this book.

• Your senses don’t always tell the truth.
• The fact that you think proves that you exist.
• There are three levels of truth in the world.

“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.” — Seneca

On the Shortness of Life is a 2,000 year old, 20-page masterpiece by Seneca, Roman Stoic philosopher and teacher to the emperors, about time and how to best use it to ensure you lead a long and fulfilling life.

There are a million talks, books, and celebrities out there telling us that “life is short.” But, honestly, no one ever said it better than Seneca in this short read. You’ll find yourself making highlight after highlight. It’s amazing and, productivity-wise, probably the only book you’ll ever have to read.

• Chasing leisure, luxury, and legacy is what makes a long life appear short.
• You can be busy all your life without ever doing something meaningful, so beware.
• Your ability to contemplate and appreciate life will never disappear.

“The easiest way for us to gain happiness is to learn how to want the things we already have.” — William B. Irvine

A Guide to the Good Life is a roadmap for aspiring Stoics, revealing why this ancient philosophy is useful today, what Stoicism is truly about, and showing you how to cultivate its powerful principles in your own life.

If you’re looking for a general introduction to Stoicism, get this book. It covers its historical rise and fall, most important concepts, as well as the best pieces of Stoic advice. A great overview of this resurgent philosophy.

• The two primary values of Stoicism are virtue and tranquility.
• Learn to want what you already have.
• Immediately accept things that are outside of your control, and focus on what you can do with what you’ve got.

“Better to endure pain in an honorable manner than to seek joy in a shameful one.” — Massimo Pigliucci

How to Be a Stoic is a practical guide for applying ancient philosophy in modern life, covering the principles philosophers like Socrates, Epictetus, and Cato followed to cultivate strength in the three Stoic disciplines of desire, action, and assent.

For a deeper dive into Stoicism and its central areas of application, consider this book. Like many other books on the topic, it divides its ideas into three section mapping to the three Stoic disciplines, so even if you’re just looking for advice on one particular field, you can easily skip around and get right to what’s most relevant to you right now.

• The concept of “preferred indifferents” can help you act in line with your morals without becoming extremist.
• In Stoicism, virtue is the highest good, and it’s made up of four values.
• You can have useful, pleasurable, and good friendships. The good are the most important.

“What matters, in other words, isn’t what we feel but how we respond to those feelings.” — Donald Robertson

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor combines the story of famous Stoic and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius with lessons from modern psychology to help you become more emotionally resilient and develop the strength to overcome even the most challenging circumstances.

If you prefer learning from stories, this is a great book for you. Robertson releases the ideas behind Stoicism slowly, rolling them out alongside Marcus’ life story, adding insight into modern psychology along the way. The result is an effortless read that makes for fantastic insights without feeling like a typical non-fiction book.

• We come from nature, and we’ll return to it eventually, so it’s only logical to live in agreement with it. 
• Life is about constant improvement, which is why we should all work on our virtues every day.
• Stoics know there’s no point in worrying over what you can’t control, so best just make your peace with it.

14. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday  

“There is no good or bad without us, there is only perception. There is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.” — Ryan Holiday

The Obstacle Is the Way will help you endure the struggles of life with grace and resilience, thanks to lessons drawn from ancient heroes, former presidents, modern actors, and successful athletes and how they turned adversity into success thanks to the powers of perception, action, and will.

If you think, “Well, all this stuff about Stoicism is great, but what does it look like today ?” then this title, and of course Ryan Holiday’s other books , are a great place to start. Ryan can be largely credited with bringing Stoicism back to life, and he does it with countless examples from modern-world leaders, athletes, and celebrities embodying Stoic ideals. The first of three books in his original trilogy on Stoicism, you’ll want to read  Ego Is the Enemy and Stillness Is the Key next.

• Imagine you’re advising yourself as a friend to keep an objective perspective.
• Large obstacles have large weaknesses – identify them and use them against them.
• Use your will to accept what you cannot change and change the things you can.

Best Philosophy Books About Eastern Philosophy

“It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.” — Vyasa

The Bhagavad Gita is the number one spiritual text in Hinduism, packed with wisdom about life and purpose as well as powerful advice on living virtuously but authentically without succumbing to life’s temptations or other people’s dreams.

You don’t have to be Hindu to appreciate Hindu wisdom. Philosophy works best when you balance multiple perspectives, and though, as readers have told me, it’s very hard for outsiders to fully grasp “the Gita,” it still provides valuable counterpoints worth studying.

• Living life doing what you were destined to do brings peace, while the opposite breeds pain and insecurity.
• Find meaning in the journey and let go of constant anticipation.
• Meditation can help you master your thoughts and regain focus.

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” — Sun Tzu

The Art of War is considered the definitive text on military strategy and warfare, written in ancient China around 500 BC, inspiring businesses, athletes, and of course generals to beat their opponents and competition the right way.

If you’re looking for a highly action-oriented approach to philosophy, this classic might be for you. It’s a book about war, yes, but it’s also a book about business, work, and life. If you metaphorically apply Sun Tzu’s strategies of warfare to your next big meeting, it might go better than you expect. You’ll also pick up plenty of honorable attitudes along the way, as the soldier’s path is, ideally, supposed to be a virtuous one — and it’s walking that path that this book hopes to teach you.

• Only enter battles you know you can win.
• Deceive your competition to make them do what you want.
• Lead your team as if you were leading a single man by the hand.

“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.” ― Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching is a collection of 81 short, poignant chapters full of advice on living in harmony with “the Tao,” translated as “the Way,” an ancient Chinese interpretation of the spiritual force underpinning all life, first written around 400 BC but relevant to this day.

Whereas Western philosophy is focused more on the self and dealing with the outside world, Eastern philosophy promotes harmony and being part of the world. Few books encapsulate this Eastern approach more appropriately than this book. Plus, at 81 short chapters, it’s an easy and quick read full of great life advice. Definitely another one for your must-read shelf!

• Fully accept whatever the current moment brings. Give yourself fully to reality.
• Admit your own faults and mistakes, because ultimately, they might be your greatest source of strength.
• Always compete in a spirit of play to stay in harmony with the Tao.

“The more time you spend thinking about yourself, the more suffering you will experience.” — Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

The Book of Joy  is the result of a 7-day meeting between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, two of the world’s most influential spiritual leaders, during which they discussed one of life’s most important questions: how do we find joy despite suffering?

When two globally revered spiritual leaders talk, it’s worth paying attention. When they discuss handling suffering as an essential life skill (because suffering is inevitable), you might want to drop everything else and listen for a while. This one probably works really well as an audiobook too. If you’re looking for more joy in your life, get this one.

• A life without suffering does not exist.
• Since we can’t control suffering, we must practice our response to it.
• Compassion and sadness help us alleviate our troublesome responses to suffering.

Best Books About Important Philosophers

“There is no better definition of a Stoic: to have but not want, to enjoy without needing.” — Ryan Holiday

Lives of the Stoics takes a deep dive into the experiences and beliefs of some of the earliest philosophers practicing the four Stoic virtues of courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom.

If you’re already on the Stoicism-train but want to know more about the most important Stoic philosophers’ lives, this book is for you. Beyond just the most important Stoic ideas, you’ll also find plenty of anecdotes and details about the lives of Epicurus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and others. If you like biographies, you’ll enjoy this book.

• Stoicism came about as a result of extreme hardship. 
• Not everyone who initially followed Stoicism fully lived up to its standards. 
• Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor whose practice of Stoicism helped him lead with compassion and humility.

“If we don’t understand our tools, then there is a danger we will become the tool of our tools.” — Rebecca Goldstein

Plato at the Googleplex asks what would happen if ancient philosopher Plato were alive today and came in contact with the modern world, for example by touring Google’s headquarters, and what the implications of his encounters are for the relevance of philosophy in our civilized, hyper-technological world.

Are you skeptical that philosophy still has a place in the modern world? Then this book provides the perfect thought experiment. If Plato were on a speaking tour today, what would he tell us? This book combines the fun of a novel with the insight of a history book, and the result is a trip you’ll never forget! Perhaps, it might even change your mind.

• Google can answer most questions but not all of them.
• No two people are the same, and neither should education treat them that way.
• Plato came up with a definition of love that encompasses all human relationships.

“You can’t be free to be right unless you can free to be wrong.” — Robert Rowland Smith

Breakfast With Socrates takes you through an ordinary day in the company of extraordinary minds, linking each hour of the day and its activity to the core ideas of one of history’s great philosophers, such as  Descartes, Nietzsche, or Socrates.

If you’re looking for an easy, extremely practical introduction to philosophy, look no further. From breakfast to going to work to falling asleep at night, this book will paint a philosophical backdrop for plenty of familiar everyday situations. Then, it will fill said backdrop with the wisdom of one of history’s great philosophers. What a wonderful concept for a book!

• Philosophy isn’t about spinning your head all day; it’s about making wise decisions.
• Your morning routine is a battle of the egos.
• A good way of assessing your happiness is to ask yourself if you’d like to live the same life again.

Best Philosophy Books About Ethics & Morality

“Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.” — Aristotle

The Nicomachean Ethics is a historically important text compiling Aristotle’s extensive discussion of existential questions concerning happiness, ethics, friendship, knowledge, pleasure, virtue, and even society at large.

This one’s for nerds and philosophy geeks like me. Even modern translations still aren’t always super easy to understand, and you’ll have to reread sentences all the time. That said, there is something about reading an original text that makes it feel more special than even the best second-hand reporting. If you want to be able to claim you’ve actually read Aristotle, get yourself a copy of this book.

• Aim to achieve a state of eudaimonia instead of conventional happiness.
• Arete, or virtue, is accomplished through a lifetime of work.
• Strive to be magnanimous — someone who does great and honorable things.

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.” — Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince is a 16th century political treatise famous for condoning, even encouraging, evil behavior amongst political rulers in order for them to stay in power.

In my mind, this book is something akin to a big “BEWARE” sign. You read it. You understand how people in power can easily abuse it. And you’ll be much less likely to become the victim of power schemes in the future. Don’t think of this as an instruction manual, for it’ll only lead you down a dark path. Treat it with care, however, and it will be enlightening.

• Countries can be easy to conquer but hard to rule or vice versa – and markets are the same.
• If a country truly wants to protect itself, it needs its own army, not mercenaries. The same holds true for businesses.
• If you want to run a business, you have to assemble your advisors and know when to listen to them.

“We are having a hard time living because we are so bent on outwitting death.” — Simone de Beauvoir

The Ethics of Ambiguity explains existentialist philosophy in a post–World War II setting, showing us how we can accept the absurdity of life and use its randomness to create rather than despair.

Philosophy, like many other fields and book-writing in general, has historically been dominated by men. How refreshing to get a woman’s perspective. On existentialism, one of the most relevant and, arguably, useful philosophies, no less. If you’re looking for an introduction into existentialism and/or some background on one of history’s best female philosophers, pick this one.

• You’re freer than you think, and you should take advantage of it.
• There is no such thing as a completely neutral perspective.
• Abstract ideals aren’t as important as real people, but our governments mess this up all the time.

“As one becomes aware of the decline of violence, the world begins to look different. The past seems less innocent; the present less sinister.” — Steven Pinker

The Better Angels of Our Nature proves that we live in the most peaceful time in history, taking us through several major shifts that led to a global reduction in crime, explaining what motivates us to behave violently, and showing that these motivators are far outweighed by our naturally peaceful tendencies.

It’s easy to feel depressed. All you have to do is turn on the news. But despite all the bad reporting, when you zoom out on the timeline, the world is doing better than it ever has. If you’re looking for hope, optimism, and more faith in humanity, this is the one to read.

• Ideologies always start out with good intentions, but they can quickly deteriorate into promoting violence.
• The Flynn effect increases humanity’s ability to reason over time, thus making us less violent.
• Thanks to the invention of the printing press, humanitarian philosophy could spread, which decreased violence across the board.

Best Philosophy Books for Productivity

“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.” — Greg McKeown

Essentialism will show you a new, better way of looking at productivity  by giving you permission to be extremely selective about what’s truly essential in your life and then ruthlessly cutting out everything else.

Most productivity books are just collections of common-sense tips. This one offers a fully fledged out philosophy for how to get things done, both in work and in life. That’s what makes this book so refreshing. It also shows you what philosophy looks like when we extend it beyond its usual, often academically influenced confines. All around a fantastic book!

• Doing nothing and doing everything are both signs of learned helplessness.
• Become the editor of your own life with the 90% rule.
• Always give yourself a time buffer of 50%.

“If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive — no matter how skilled or talented you are.” — Cal Newport

Deep Work   proposes that we have lost our ability to focus deeply and immerse ourselves in a complex task, showing us how to cultivate this skill again and manage our attention better than ever before thanks to  four simple rules.

If you struggle to focus and feel like you can barely hold your attention together, read this book. It’s one of few productivity books presenting a coherent worldview, and that’s what makes it one of the best.

• There are four strategies for deep work, all of which require intention.
• Productive meditation can help you work more deeply, even while you’re taking a break.
• Stop working at the same time each day. 

“We grow the aspects of our lives that we feed — with energy and engagement — and choke off those we deprive of fuel. Your life is what you agree to attend to.” — Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz

The Power of Full Engagement will show you how to manage the only thing worth managing – your energy – by teaching you how to properly maintain the four kinds of energy, accept your limitations, and live a life of purpose.

Are you struggling to balance the various areas of life demanding your time and energy? Then this book is for you. It’s also not a philosophy book per se, but it presents a model you can use to navigate all of life. Plus, the energy management concept is just fascinating. Worth checking out!

• Manage your energy, not your time.
• Keep track of all four sources of energy in your life.
• Accept your limitations. 

Best Philosophy Books for Modern Life

“The happiest people discover their own nature and match their life to it.” — Ray Dalio

Principles outlines and breaks down the set of rules for work and life that billionaire investor Ray Dalio, CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, has acquired throughout his 40-year career in finance.

This book is part biography, part career advice, and part philosophical manual. Dalio put everything he had into it, and it shows. It has a lot to offer, and even if you’re not the biggest philosophy nut yet, you’ll gain a lot from Dalio’s vast life experience. The book is also quite moving, so there’s a strong emotional component as well. Check out Ray Dalio’s other books when you’re done!

• Principles are powerful weapons in the fight against flawed thinking.
• Radical truthfulness and transparency are two of Ray’s most important ideas.
• Great businesses use principles to create environments where the best ideas win.

“It’s all very well to think the meaning of life is happiness, but what happens when you’re unhappy? Happiness is a great side effect. When it comes, accept it gratefully. But it’s fleeting and unpredictable.” — Jordan Peterson

12 Rules for Life is a story-based, stern yet entertaining self-help manual for young people laying out a set of simple rules to help us become more disciplined , behave better, act with integrity, and balance our lives while enjoying them as much as we can.

Love or hate Jordan Peterson , the man has a way with words. In this case, he uses his calm yet convincing voice to provide essential life advice to young people. The advice makes sense, and the stories are inspiring. All around, this is a book worth peeking into.

• Sweep in front of your own door before pointing out that the street is dirty.
• Treat yourself like a child you’re responsible for.
• Aim to do what is meaningful, not convenient.

“You needn’t settle for a mediocre life just because the people around you did.” — Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

Minimalism   is an instructive introduction to the philosophy of less, and how it helped two guys who had achieved the American dream let go of their possessions and the depressions that came with them.

Minimalism is one of few modern-day, standalone philosophies. That alone makes this book worth reading. More so, however, it has a chance at making you happier. Caring less about possessions is a wonderful way of making room for what’s truly important in your life, and this book explains this life approach extremely well.

• Debt goes first. Get rid of your financial crutches to finally feel free.
• Use the TARA method to become more accepting of other people in your life.
• You are not your job. Don’t let your work define you.

“Focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.” — Cal Newport

Digital Minimalism shows us where to draw the line with technology, how to properly take time off our digital devices, and why doing so is the key to living a happy, focused life in a noisy world.

We have so much more technology than we did even 20 years ago, and yet, no one has updated philosophy to help us acknowledge this fact. Well, no one except Cal Newport. If you struggle to find the line between your screen and reality, this book will provide plenty of tips and tactics but also some powerful arguments as to why spending less time online matters.

• Digital minimalism centers on 3 principles: clutter is costly, optimization is vital, and intentionality is satisfying.
• Plan downtime events as a source of inward joy and deep contemplation.
• Quick fixes and “life hacks” might prompt a healthy new habit, but they don’t promote sustainable change.

“Change is infectious and when success is achieved in one area, you are encouraged to apply the same techniques to another area of your life.” — Sarah Harvey

Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of “continuous improvement,” which is often used in business but can also be applied to personal growth, offering us a path to self-improvement that’s less plagued by pressure and anxiety and more marked by small, daily steps adding up to incremental but meaningful progress.

If you feel overwhelmed by all the positive changes you’re hoping to make in your life, stop and read this book. This refreshing philosophy gives us permission to take it slowly, to live our lives one day at a time and yet still feel good about them. Everything is going well when you improve a little every day — what a comforting philosophy to live by!

• Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy centered around incremental growth, and it begins with evaluating your habits.
• The best way to reach a big goal is to start with a step so small, you’ll barely notice the difference.
• Review your habits regularly to track your progress.

“Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.” — Mark Manson

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck does away with the positive psychology craze to instead give you a Stoic, no-BS approach to living a life that might not always be happy, but that will be meaningful and centered only around what’s important to you.

Are you tired of the constant prompts to be positive and put on a smile? Then this is the book for you. Manson has managed to evolve nihilism — a philosophy in which nothing matters and that commonly makes people depressed — into something meaningful: a world in which very few things matter, but the ones that do are really, really important. An absolute mega-bestseller of a book, full of humor and sound advice. Definitely a recommended read.

• Values you can’t control are bad values to follow.
• Don’t believe you know anything with certainty; it keeps you from improving.
• Trying to leave a legacy might ruin your life.

35. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle  

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time — past and future — the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.” — Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now shows you that every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost, because the only place you can truly live in is the present, the now, which is why the book offers actionable strategies to start living every minute as it occurs and becoming 100% present in and for your life.

If you feel like reality keeps letting you down, perhaps you’re not spending enough time in it. Of course we get sad when we constantly think about the past or the future! This book will remedy that problem. If you’re a mindfulness skeptic or feel burned out, this book might provide just the new perspective you need.

• Life is just a series of present moments.
• All pain is a result of resistance to the things you cannot change.
• You can free yourself from pain by constantly observing your mind yet not judging your thoughts.

Tim Ferriss once came close to committing suicide. The thing he credits for successfully climbing out of the hole, not returning, and managing his depression a lot better since then? Philosophy! Stoicism, in his case. Tim calls it “an operating system for thriving in high-stress environments; for making better decisions.” 

Thanks to people like him, Ryan Holiday , and others, this set of ancient ideas from a few good thinkers is seeing a resurgence. Whichever particular philosophy you find most helpful in living your life, however, only you can find out. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether we connect more with Stoicism, existentialism, or even the ideals promoted in Star Wars . What matters is that we find a set of life rules that works for us .

I hope our list of the best philosophy books will help you do just that. Pick a title, start learning, and remember what William James said: “Philosophy is at once the most sublime and the most trivial of human pursuits.”

Looking for more of the best books on various topics? Here are all the book lists we’ve made for you so far:

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• The 40 Best Leadership Books of All Time to Help You Become a Truly Inspiring Person
• The 31 Best Motivational Books Ever Written
• The 12 Best Nonfiction Books Most People Have Never Heard Of
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• The 25 Best Sales Books of All Time to Help You Close Any Deal
• The 33 Best Self-Help Books of All Time to Read at Any Age
• The 22 Best Books About Sex & Sexuality to Improve Your Love Life & Relationships
• The 30 Most Life-Changing Books That Will Shift Your Perspective & Stay With You Forever

Looking for more books by the world’s most celebrated authors? Here are all of the book lists by the author we’ve curated for you:

• All Brené Brown Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• Jordan Peterson Books: All Titles in Order of Publication + The 5 Top Books He Recommends
• All Malcolm Gladwell Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• All Michael Pollan Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• Peter Thiel Books: A Comprehensive List of Books By, About & Recommended by Peter Thiel
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• All Ray Dalio Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• All Robert Greene Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• All Ryan Holiday Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
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• All Tim Ferriss Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)
• All Walter Isaacson Books, Sorted Chronologically (and by Popularity)

Last Updated on February 20, 2023

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Philosophical Essays, Volume 1

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The two volumes of Philosophical Essays bring together the most important essays written by one of the world’s foremost philosophers of language. Scott Soames has selected thirty-one essays spanning nearly three decades of thinking about linguistic meaning and the philosophical significance of language. A judicious collection of old and new, these volumes include sixteen essays published in the 1980s and 1990s, nine published since 2000, and six new essays. The essays in Volume 1 investigate what linguistic meaning is; how the meaning of a sentence is related to the use we make of it; what we should expect from empirical theories of the meaning of the languages we speak; and how a sound theoretical grasp of the intricate relationship between meaning and use can improve the interpretation of legal texts. The essays in Volume 2 illustrate the significance of linguistic concerns for a broad range of philosophical topics—including the relationship between language and thought; the objects of belief, assertion, and other propositional attitudes; the distinction between metaphysical and epistemic possibility; the nature of necessity, actuality, and possible worlds; the necessary a posteriori and the contingent a priori; truth, vagueness, and partial definition; and skepticism about meaning and mind. The two volumes of Philosophical Essays are essential for anyone working on the philosophy of language.

Scott Soames is director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. His books include Reference and Description (Princeton), Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century , Volumes 1 and 2 (Princeton), Beyond Rigidity , and Understanding Truth .

"Soames's work is of an exceptionally high quality, the selections made here are truly excellent, and the organization is well thought out. Having these papers available in this form is a great boon to scholars." —Stephen Neale, CUNY Graduate Center

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The Best Philosophy Books

August 10, 2017 By

“To teach how to live without certainty, and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy, in our age, can still do for those who study it.” –  Bertrand Russell

Some of the greatest thinkers in world history have lived within the field of philosophy. By studying the best philosophy books we can try to understand the ways that cultures before us created and understood meaning in their lives.

The ways we think and behave are heavily influenced by the culture we are born into. Philosophy can reveal to us the reasons behind the ways we act, and in doing so help us to gain understanding our inner selves and how we relate to our world around us.

“Everything man is and does is modified by learning and is therefore malleable. But once learned, these behavior patterns, these habitual responses, these ways of interacting gradually sink below the surface of the mind and, like the admiral of a submerged submarine fleet, control from the depths. The hidden controls are usually experienced as though they were innate simply because they are not only ubiquitous but habitual as well.” –  Edward T. Hall

Reading the best philosophy books gives us the opportunity to look into those hidden depths and understand our own thinking and behavior at a deeper level, helping us eliminate behavior we don’t like.

Philosophy draws indiscriminately from all fields knowledge, in a never ending questioning. This makes sense given it’s etymological origins: philo – a Greek term for love, and – sophia , a term that has had many variations in meaning through history, but always essentially denoted an aspect of wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

I’ve put together this as a guide to some of the best philosophy books. I’ve included some of the classic works by the big names that you should know, while also including some lesser known introductions and guides that I think are particularly good.

Want to learn more about philosophy?

Discover the simple habits that help me read over 60 books a year, with my free five-part email masterclass  on reading more books and learning . Enter your email below to get started!

Best Philosophy Books for Beginners: Introductory and Surveys

A History of Western Philosophy – Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russel’s ‘A History of Western Philosophy’ has held a position of reverence since its in 1945. Comprehensive, erudite and revealing; this is a survey and history of Western philosophy written by someone who would go on to become a regarded philosopher in his own right.

Sophie’s World – Jostein Gaarder

Over twenty million copies in print – this novel follows 14-year old Norwegian girl Sophie Admundsen on a mystery of perplexing questions. Deeply entrenched and revealing of the Western philosophy canon, this is a great introduction to enjoyably explore some of the biggest questions asked as the basis of philosophy over the course of Western history.

The Story of Philosophy – Will Durant

An excellent survey of philosophy from an outstanding writer. Durant is famous for his multi-volume history of the West and so a history of Western Philosophy is a natural topic for him. Durant begins with the Greek philosophers and works his way up to early 20th century American philosophers.

Top 3 Philosophy Books: Most Immediately Helpful and Applicable

Meditations – Marcus Aurelius

Stoicism has seen an enthusiastic revival in recent years, especially in entrepreneurial circles. Reading ‘Meditations’, a defining work of stoicism, and it’s not hard to see why.

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote meditations during his experiences administrating the Roman Empire and during his life as a warrior. He outlines a timeless philosophy of commitment to virtue above pleasure, tranquility above happiness, and perhaps most importantly, a search for inner peace in the face of an endlessly changing and chaotic world. Highly practical for everyday life.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig

With a slightly misleading title, this book asks big questions about the way we live our lives. Set to a backdrop of America’s Northwest, it follows a father and young son on a cross country motorcycle trip. Pirsig discusses the ideas of rhetoric, quality, the scientific method, technology and many ideas of the Greeks in the search of a unifying truth.

Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl

Outlining Frankl’s theory of ‘logotherapy’, he argues that human beings cannot avoid suffering in life, but we have the power to give it meaning and thus endure it with renewed purpose. He holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.

All the more impactful for where it was written, Frankl tells the story of his time spent within Nazi extermination camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Library of Congress found Man’s Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America.

Best Western Philosophy Books

Classical books on philosophy.

The Dialogues (Gorgias, Meno, Theatetus, Sophist, Symposium, Phaedrus, Timaeus, The Republic)  – Plato

“Plato, the greatest philosopher of ancient Greece, was born in Athens in 428 or 427 B.C.E. to an aristocratic family. He studied under Socrates, who appears as a character in many of his dialogues. He attended Socrates’ trial and that traumatic experience may have led to his attempt to design an ideal society. Following the death of Socrates he traveled widely in search of learning. After twelve years he returned to Athens and founded his Academy, one of the earliest organized schools in western civilization. Among Plato’s pupils was Aristotle. Some of Plato’s other influences were Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, and Parmenides.

Plato wrote extensively and most of his writings survived. His works are in the form of dialogues, where several characters argue a topic by asking questions of each other. This form allows Plato to raise various points of view and let the reader decide which is valid. Plato expounded a form of dualism, where there is a world of ideal forms separate from the world of perception. The most famous exposition of this is his metaphor of the Cave, where people living in a cave are only able to see flickering shadows projected on the wall of the external reality. This influenced many later thinkers, particularly the Neoplatonists and the Gnostics, and is similar to views held by some schools of Hindu dualistic metaphysics”

Physics, Ethics, Poetics, Metaphysics, Categories, On Logic, On the Soul – Aristotle

Aristotle, like Plato, was one of the greatest intellectual figures of Western history. Even after the intellectual revolutions of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment, Aristotelian concepts remained embedded in Western thinking.

Aristotle’s intellectual range was vast, covering most of the sciences and many of the arts. He was the founder of formal logic, devising for it a finished system that for centuries was regarded as the sum of the discipline; and he pioneered the study of zoology. His writings  continue to be studied, and his work remains a powerful stature.

The Essential Epicurus – Epicurus

Epicureanism is commonly regarded as the refined satisfaction of physical desires. Epicurus  did not stand for eating too much or too much sex, but for loving life and preserving that love with the smaller delights to be found daily. As a philosophy, however, it also denoted the striving after an independent state of mind and body, imperturbability, and reliance on sensory data as the true basis of knowledge.

Selected Best Modern Philosophy Books

Critique of Pure Reason – Emmanuel Kant

Kant brings together two of history’s biggest opposing schools of thought – rational thought, and empirical, experiential knowledge. Kant explore human reason, and works to establish its illusions and break down to its core constituents.

Essays – Montaigne

Montaigne was a French Renaissance philosopher noted for his merging of casual anecdotes with intellectual insight. He published his massive volume ‘ essais ‘, which went on to popularize and reinforce the essay as a literary genre. His influence as a philosopher was wide, and has includes many of his contemporaries, many of them appearing also on this list.

Essays is wide ranging going from topics like leadership to raising children. Each essay is stand along so it’s very easy to pick it up and put it down one essay at a time.

Beyond Good And Evil – Nietzsche

Nietzsche’s ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ is one of his slightly more accessible, though he is not known for his accessibility! In Beyond Good and Evil , Nietzsche breaks down the paradoxes of conventional understandings of morality, and in doing so sets the stage for much of the 20th century thought that would follow.

Nietzsche is probably the most influential philosopher on my own thinking, if only because he shattered many of my pre-existing beliefs and illusions.

Meditations on First Philosophy – René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy is made up of six meditations. Written in the style of a journal of a six day course of meditation, he first discards all belief in things that are not absolutely certain, and then tries to establish what can be known for sure.  One of the most influential philosophical texts ever written, it is widely read to this day.

The Prince – Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Machiavelli emphasized the need for realism, as opposed to idealism.

This is one of Machiavelli’s most lasting influences upon modernity.

Being and Nothingness – Jean-Paul Sartre

In Being and Nothingness, Sartre writes with some debts to Heidegger, to demonstrate the existence of free will. Wide ranging, he explains in part how man is obsessed by the idea of “completion”, what Sartre calls literally “a being that causes itself”, which many religions and philosophers identify as God. Being and Nothingness is considered Sartre’s most important philosophical work.

The Myth Of Sisyphus and Other Essays – Albert Camus

One of the most important existential works, and works of this century in general, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays lays out Camus’ ‘Absurdism’. It begins with a meditation on suicide; the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning. Depressing at first, like a lot of existential writing it has light at the end of the tunnel. Camus ultimately reaffirms the value of  existence, and the possibility of a  life of dignity, creativity and authenticity.

A Treatise of Human Nature – David Hume

“no man has influenced the history of philosophy to a deeper or more disturbing degree” – Isaiah Berlin

In his treatise, he attempts to use the same scientific method of reasoning in order to inquire into human psychology – namely to glimpse the depth of our understanding and potential. He ultimately argues the irrationality of human beings.

Best Eastern Philosophy Books

Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching is the foundation of  Taoism , and has been the bedrock of Chinese thought and much of it’s spirituality for thousands of years. It teaches peace, harmony and balance; ultimately describing a complete and fulfilling art of living that guides millions to this day.

The Art of War – Sun Tzu

One of the most influential books ever written, The Art of War has applications in business, the military and any situation involving strategy or people. It is composed of 13 chapters, each one describing a part of warfare, relating back to tactics, and immediate application.

Analects – Confuscius

The Analects has been one of the most widely read and studied books in China for the last 2,000 years, and has massive influence over Chinese thought to this today. It is foundational to the development of Chinese and East Asian moral systems.

Confucius believed that the flourishing of a country depended on the morals of its people, beginning with it’s leaders. His educated his students to create ethically cultivated men who would carry themselves well, speak well, and demonstrate integrity in everything they did.

Best Middle Eastern Philosophy Books

The Book of Healing – Avicenna

A 1,000-year-old text at the foundation of modern medicine and biology. This is one of the best philosophy books in the history of medical practice, and forms the foundation of our current understanding of human health and disease. It focused not solely on symptoms and treatment, but on finding root causes of illness and disease through humoral diagnosis— it shows how Avicenna’s understanding of the humors corresponds directly with the modern understanding of the functions of of proteins, lipids, and organic acids.

The Transcendent Philosophy of the Four Journeys of the Intellect – Mulla Sadra

The ‘Hikmat Al Muta’alyah fi-l-asfar al-‘aqliyya al-arba‘a’ is an encyclopedic work that chronicles many of the important issues discussed in Islamic philosophy. Necessarily entrenched and influenced by the Greeks, it nevertheless presents a unique philosophical thought beholden to Islam, yet also touching on a huge variety of schools of thought (and even a nascent form of existentialist thought).

Last Updated on January 12, 2024 by Taylor Pearson

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The Best Reviewed Essay Collections of 2022

Featuring bob dylan, elena ferrante, zora neale hurston, jhumpa lahiri, melissa febos, and more.

We’ve come to the end of another bountiful literary year, and for all of us review rabbits here at Book Marks, that can mean only one thing: basic math, and lots of it.

Yes, using reviews drawn from more than 150 publications, over the next two weeks we’ll be calculating and revealing the most critically-acclaimed books of 2022, in the categories of (deep breath): Fiction ; Nonfiction ; Memoir and Biography ; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror ; Short Story Collections ; Essay Collections; Poetry; Mystery and Crime ; Graphic Literature ; and Literature in Translation .

Today’s installment: Essay Collections .

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”

1. In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing  by Elena Ferrante (Europa)

12 Rave • 12 Positive • 4 Mixed

“The lucid, well-formed essays that make up In the Margins  are written in an equally captivating voice … Although a slim collection, there is more than enough meat here to nourish both the common reader and the Ferrante aficionado … Every essay here is a blend of deep thought, rigorous analysis and graceful prose. We occasionally get the odd glimpse of the author…but mainly the focus is on the nuts and bolts of writing and Ferrante’s practice of her craft. The essays are at their most rewarding when Ferrante discusses the origins of her books, in particular the celebrated Neapolitan Novels, and the multifaceted heroines that power them … These essays might not bring us any closer to finding out who Ferrante really is. Instead, though, they provide valuable insight into how she developed as a writer and how she works her magic.”

–Malcolm Forbes ( The Star Tribune )

2. Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri (Princeton University Press)

8 Rave • 14 Positive • 1 Mixed

“Lahiri mixes detailed explorations of craft with broader reflections on her own artistic life, as well as the ‘essential aesthetic and political mission’ of translation. She is excellent in all three modes—so excellent, in fact, that I, a translator myself, could barely read this book. I kept putting it aside, compelled by Lahiri’s writing to go sit at my desk and translate … One of Lahiri’s great gifts as an essayist is her ability to braid multiple ways of thinking together, often in startling ways … a reminder, no matter your relationship to translation, of how alive language itself can be. In her essays as in her fiction, Lahiri is a writer of great, quiet elegance; her sentences seem simple even when they’re complex. Their beauty and clarity alone would be enough to wake readers up. ‘Look,’ her essays seem to say: Look how much there is for us to wake up to.”

–Lily Meyer ( NPR )

3. The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster)

10 Rave • 15 Positive • 7 Mixed • 4 Pan

“It is filled with songs and hyperbole and views on love and lust even darker than Blood on the Tracks … There are 66 songs discussed here … Only four are by women, which is ridiculous, but he never asked us … Nothing is proved, but everything is experienced—one really weird and brilliant person’s experience, someone who changed the world many times … Part of the pleasure of the book, even exceeding the delectable Chronicles: Volume One , is that you feel liberated from Being Bob Dylan. He’s not telling you what you got wrong about him. The prose is so vivid and fecund, it was useless to underline, because I just would have underlined the whole book. Dylan’s pulpy, noir imagination is not always for the squeamish. If your idea of art is affirmation of acceptable values, Bob Dylan doesn’t need you … The writing here is at turns vivid, hilarious, and will awaken you to songs you thought you knew … The prose brims everywhere you turn. It is almost disturbing. Bob Dylan got his Nobel and all the other accolades, and now he’s doing my job, and he’s so damn good at it.”

–David Yaffe ( AirMail )

4.  Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos (Catapult)

13 Rave • 2 Positive • 2 Mixed Read an excerpt from Body Work here

“In her new book, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative , memoirist Melissa Febos handily recuperates the art of writing the self from some of the most common biases against it: that the memoir is a lesser form than the novel. That trauma narratives should somehow be over—we’ve had our fill … Febos rejects these belittlements with eloquence … In its hybridity, this book formalizes one of Febos’s central tenets within it: that there is no disentangling craft from the personal, just as there is no disentangling the personal from the political. It’s a memoir of a life indelibly changed by literary practice and the rigorous integrity demanded of it …

Febos is an essayist of grace and terrific precision, her sentences meticulously sculpted, her paragraphs shapely and compressed … what’s fresh, of course, is Febos herself, remapping this terrain through her context, her life and writing, her unusual combinations of sources (William H. Gass meets Elissa Washuta, for example), her painstaking exactitude and unflappable sureness—and the new readers she will reach with all of this.”

–Megan Milks ( 4Columns )

5. You Don’t Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston (Amistad)

12 Rave • 3 Positive • 1 Mixed

“… a dazzling collection of her work … You Don’t Know Us Negroes reveals Hurston at the top of her game as an essayist, cultural critic, anthropologist and beat reporter … Hurston is, by turn, provocative, funny, bawdy, informative and outrageous … Hurston will make you laugh but also make you remember the bitter divide in Black America around performance, language, education and class … But the surprising page turner is at the back of the book, a compilation of Hurston’s coverage of the Ruby McCollom murder trial …

Some of Hurston’s writing is sensationalistic, to be sure, but it’s also a riveting take of gender and race relations at the time … Gates and West have put together a comprehensive collection that lets Hurston shine as a writer, a storyteller and an American iconoclast.”

–Lisa Page ( The Washington Post )

6. Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

11 Rave • 4 Positive • 2 Mixed Listen to an interview with Rachel Aviv here

“… written with an astonishing amount of attention and care … Aviv’s triumphs in relating these journeys are many: her unerring narrative instinct, the breadth of context brought to each story, her meticulous reporting. Chief among these is her empathy, which never gives way to pity or sentimentality. She respects her subjects, and so centers their dignity without indulging in the geeky, condescending tone of fascination that can characterize psychologists’ accounts of their patients’ troubles. Though deeply curious about each subject, Aviv doesn’t treat them as anomalous or strange … Aviv’s daunted respect for uncertainty is what makes Strangers to Ourselves distinctive. She is hyperaware of just how sensitive the scale of the self can be.”

–Charlotte Shane ( Bookforum )

7. A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast by Dorthe Nors (Graywolf)

11 Rave • 1 Positive Read an excerpt from A Line in the World here

“Nors, known primarily as a fiction writer, here embarks on a languorous and evocative tour of her native Denmark … The dramas of the past are evoked not so much through individual characters as through their traces—buildings, ruins, shipwrecks—and this westerly Denmark is less the land of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales and sleek Georg Jensen designs than a place of ancient landscapes steeped in myth … People aren’t wholly incidental to the narrative. Nors introduces us to a variety of colorful characters, and shares vivid memories of her family’s time in a cabin on the coast south of Thyborøn. But in a way that recalls the work of Barry Lopez, nature is at the heart of this beautiful book, framed in essay-like chapters, superbly translated by Caroline Waight.”

–Claire Messud ( Harper’s )

8. Raising Raffi: The First Five Years by Keith Gessen (Viking)

4 Rave • 10 Positive • 1 Mixed Read an excerpt from Raising Raffi here

“A wise, mild and enviably lucid book about a chaotic scene … Is it OK to out your kid like this? … Still, this memoir will seem like a better idea if, a few decades from now, Raffi is happy and healthy and can read it aloud to his own kids while chuckling at what a little miscreant he was … Gessen is a wily parser of children’s literature … He is just as good on parenting manuals … Raising Raffi offers glimpses of what it’s like to eke out literary lives at the intersection of the Trump and Biden administrations … Needing money for one’s children, throughout history, has made parents do desperate things — even write revealing parenthood memoirs … Gessen’s short book is absorbing not because it delivers answers … It’s absorbing because Gessen is a calm and observant writer…who raises, and struggles with, the right questions about himself and the world.”

–Dwight Garner ( The New York Times )

9. The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (Doubleday)

8 Rave • 4 Positive • 2 Mixed • 1 Pan Watch an interview with CJ Hauser here

“17 brilliant pieces … This tumbling, in and out of love, structures the collection … Calling Hauser ‘honest’ and ‘vulnerable’ feels inadequate. She embraces and even celebrates her flaws, and she revels in being a provocateur … It is an irony that Hauser, a strong, smart, capable woman, relates to the crane wife’s contortions. She felt helpless in her own romantic relationship. I don’t have one female friend who has not felt some version of this, but putting it into words is risky … this collection is not about neat, happy endings. It’s a constant search for self-discovery … Much has been written on the themes Hauser excavates here, yet her perspective is singular, startlingly so. Many narratives still position finding the perfect match as a measure of whether we’ve led successful lives. The Crane Wife dispenses with that. For that reason, Hauser’s worldview feels fresh and even radical.”

–Hope Reese ( Oprah Daily )

10. How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo (Viking)

8 Rave • 2 Positive • 1 Mixed Read an excerpt from How to Read Now here

“Elaine Castillo’s How to Read Now begins with a section called ‘Author’s Note, or a Virgo Clarifies Things.’ The title is a neat encapsulation of the book’s style: rigorous but still chatty, intellectual but not precious or academic about it … How to Read Now proceeds at a breakneck pace. Each of the book’s eight essays burns bright and hot from start to finish … How to Read Now is not for everybody, but if it is for you, it is clarifying and bracing. Castillo offers a full-throated critique of some of the literary world’s most insipid and self-serving ideas …

So how should we read now? Castillo offers suggestions but no resolution. She is less interested in capital-A Answers…and more excited by the opportunity to restore a multitude of voices and perspectives to the conversation … A book is nothing without a reader; this one is co-created by its recipients, re-created every time the page is turned anew. How to Read Now offers its audience the opportunity to look past the simplicity we’re all too often spoon-fed into order to restore ourselves to chaos and complexity—a way of seeing and reading that demands so much more of us but offers even more in return.”

–Zan Romanoff ( The Los Angeles Times )

Our System:

RAVE = 5 points • POSITIVE = 3 points • MIXED = 1 point • PAN = -5 points

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50 Must-Read Contemporary Essay Collections

Liberty Hardy

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

View All posts by Liberty Hardy

I feel like essay collections don’t get enough credit. They’re so wonderful! They’re like short story collections, but TRUE. It’s like going to a truth buffet. You can get information about sooooo many topics, sometimes in one single book! To prove that there are a zillion amazing essay collections out there, I compiled 50 great contemporary essay collections, just from the last 18 months alone.  Ranging in topics from food, nature, politics, sex, celebrity, and more, there is something here for everyone!

I’ve included a brief description from the publisher with each title. Tell us in the comments about which of these you’ve read or other contemporary essay collections that you love. There are a LOT of them. Yay, books!

Must-Read Contemporary Essay Collections

They can’t kill us until they kill us  by hanif abdurraqib.

“In an age of confusion, fear, and loss, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib’s is a voice that matters. Whether he’s attending a Bruce Springsteen concert the day after visiting Michael Brown’s grave, or discussing public displays of affection at a Carly Rae Jepsen show, he writes with a poignancy and magnetism that resonates profoundly.”

Would Everybody Please Stop?: Reflections on Life and Other Bad Ideas  by Jenny Allen

“Jenny Allen’s musings range fluidly from the personal to the philosophical. She writes with the familiarity of someone telling a dinner party anecdote, forgoing decorum for candor and comedy. To read  Would Everybody Please Stop?  is to experience life with imaginative and incisive humor.”

Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds  by Yemisi Aribisala

“A sumptuous menu of essays about Nigerian cuisine, lovingly presented by the nation’s top epicurean writer. As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of Nigerian food,  Longthroat Memoirs  is a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate. From the cultural history of soup, to fish as aphrodisiac and the sensual allure of snails,  Longthroat Memoirs  explores the complexities, the meticulousness, and the tactile joy of Nigerian gastronomy.”

Beyond Measure: Essays  by Rachel Z. Arndt

“ Beyond Measure  is a fascinating exploration of the rituals, routines, metrics and expectations through which we attempt to quantify and ascribe value to our lives. With mordant humor and penetrating intellect, Arndt casts her gaze beyond event-driven narratives to the machinery underlying them: judo competitions measured in weigh-ins and wait times; the significance of the elliptical’s stationary churn; the rote scripts of dating apps; the stupefying sameness of the daily commute.”

Magic Hours  by Tom Bissell

“Award-winning essayist Tom Bissell explores the highs and lows of the creative process. He takes us from the set of  The Big Bang Theory  to the first novel of Ernest Hemingway to the final work of David Foster Wallace; from the films of Werner Herzog to the film of Tommy Wiseau to the editorial meeting in which Paula Fox’s work was relaunched into the world. Originally published in magazines such as  The Believer ,  The New Yorker , and  Harper’s , these essays represent ten years of Bissell’s best writing on every aspect of creation—be it Iraq War documentaries or video-game character voices—and will provoke as much thought as they do laughter.”

Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession  by Alice Bolin

“In this poignant collection, Alice Bolin examines iconic American works from the essays of Joan Didion and James Baldwin to  Twin Peaks , Britney Spears, and  Serial , illuminating the widespread obsession with women who are abused, killed, and disenfranchised, and whose bodies (dead and alive) are used as props to bolster men’s stories. Smart and accessible, thoughtful and heartfelt, Bolin investigates the implications of our cultural fixations, and her own role as a consumer and creator.”

Betwixt-and-Between: Essays on the Writing Life  by Jenny Boully

“Jenny Boully’s essays are ripe with romance and sensual pleasures, drawing connections between the digression, reflection, imagination, and experience that characterizes falling in love as well as the life of a writer. Literary theory, philosophy, and linguistics rub up against memory, dreamscapes, and fancy, making the practice of writing a metaphor for the illusory nature of experience.  Betwixt and Between  is, in many ways, simply a book about how to live.”

Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give by Ada Calhoun

“In  Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give , Ada Calhoun presents an unflinching but also loving portrait of her own marriage, opening a long-overdue conversation about the institution as it truly is: not the happy ending of a love story or a relic doomed by high divorce rates, but the beginning of a challenging new chapter of which ‘the first twenty years are the hardest.'”

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays  by Alexander Chee

“ How to Write an Autobiographical Novel  is the author’s manifesto on the entangling of life, literature, and politics, and how the lessons learned from a life spent reading and writing fiction have changed him. In these essays, he grows from student to teacher, reader to writer, and reckons with his identities as a son, a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a lover, and a friend. He examines some of the most formative experiences of his life and the nation’s history, including his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, the jobs that supported his writing—Tarot-reading, bookselling, cater-waiting for William F. Buckley—the writing of his first novel,  Edinburgh , and the election of Donald Trump.”

Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays  by Durga Chew-Bose

“ Too Much and Not the Mood is a beautiful and surprising exploration of what it means to be a first-generation, creative young woman working today. On April 11, 1931, Virginia Woolf ended her entry in A Writer’s Diary with the words ‘too much and not the mood’ to describe her frustration with placating her readers, what she described as the ‘cramming in and the cutting out.’ She wondered if she had anything at all that was truly worth saying. The attitude of that sentiment inspired Durga Chew-Bose to gather own writing in this lyrical collection of poetic essays that examine personhood and artistic growth. Drawing inspiration from a diverse group of incisive and inquiring female authors, Chew-Bose captures the inner restlessness that keeps her always on the brink of creative expression.”

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy  by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“‘We were eight years in power’ was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. In this sweeping collection of new and selected essays, Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s ‘first white president.'”

Look Alive Out There: Essays by Sloane Crosley

“In  Look Alive Out There,  whether it’s scaling active volcanoes, crashing shivas, playing herself on  Gossip Girl,  befriending swingers, or squinting down the barrel of the fertility gun, Crosley continues to rise to the occasion with unmatchable nerve and electric one-liners. And as her subjects become more serious, her essays deliver not just laughs but lasting emotional heft and insight. Crosley has taken up the gauntlets thrown by her predecessors—Dorothy Parker, Nora Ephron, David Sedaris—and crafted something rare, affecting, and true.”

Fl â neuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London  by Lauren Elkin

“Part cultural meander, part memoir,  Flâneuse  takes us on a distinctly cosmopolitan jaunt that begins in New York, where Elkin grew up, and transports us to Paris via Venice, Tokyo, and London, all cities in which she’s lived. We are shown the paths beaten by such  flâneuses  as the cross-dressing nineteenth-century novelist George Sand, the Parisian artist Sophie Calle, the wartime correspondent Martha Gellhorn, and the writer Jean Rhys. With tenacity and insight, Elkin creates a mosaic of what urban settings have meant to women, charting through literature, art, history, and film the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes fraught relationship that women have with the metropolis.”

Idiophone  by Amy Fusselman

“Leaping from ballet to quiltmaking, from the The Nutcracker to an Annie-B Parson interview,  Idiophone  is a strikingly original meditation on risk-taking and provocation in art and a unabashedly honest, funny, and intimate consideration of art-making in the context of motherhood, and motherhood in the context of addiction. Amy Fusselman’s compact, beautifully digressive essay feels both surprising and effortless, fueled by broad-ranging curiosity, and, fundamentally, joy.”

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture  by Roxane Gay

“In this valuable and revealing anthology, cultural critic and bestselling author Roxane Gay collects original and previously published pieces that address what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence, and aggression they face, and where they are ‘routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied’ for speaking out.”

Sunshine State: Essays  by Sarah Gerard

“With the personal insight of  The Empathy Exams , the societal exposal of  Nickel and Dimed , and the stylistic innovation and intensity of her own break-out debut novel  Binary Star , Sarah Gerard’s  Sunshine State  uses the intimately personal to unearth the deep reservoirs of humanity buried in the corners of our world often hardest to face.”

The Art of the Wasted Day  by Patricia Hampl

“ The Art of the Wasted Day  is a picaresque travelogue of leisure written from a lifelong enchantment with solitude. Patricia Hampl visits the homes of historic exemplars of ease who made repose a goal, even an art form. She begins with two celebrated eighteenth-century Irish ladies who ran off to live a life of ‘retirement’ in rural Wales. Her search then leads to Moravia to consider the monk-geneticist, Gregor Mendel, and finally to Bordeaux for Michel Montaigne—the hero of this book—who retreated from court life to sit in his chateau tower and write about whatever passed through his mind, thus inventing the personal essay.”

A Really Big Lunch: The Roving Gourmand on Food and Life  by Jim Harrison

“Jim Harrison’s legendary gourmandise is on full display in  A Really Big Lunch . From the titular  New Yorker  piece about a French lunch that went to thirty-seven courses, to pieces from  Brick ,  Playboy , Kermit Lynch Newsletter, and more on the relationship between hunter and prey, or the obscure language of wine reviews,  A Really Big Lunch  is shot through with Harrison’s pointed aperçus and keen delight in the pleasures of the senses. And between the lines the pieces give glimpses of Harrison’s life over the last three decades.  A Really Big Lunch  is a literary delight that will satisfy every appetite.”

Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me  by Bill Hayes

“Bill Hayes came to New York City in 2009 with a one-way ticket and only the vaguest idea of how he would get by. But, at forty-eight years old, having spent decades in San Francisco, he craved change. Grieving over the death of his partner, he quickly discovered the profound consolations of the city’s incessant rhythms, the sight of the Empire State Building against the night sky, and New Yorkers themselves, kindred souls that Hayes, a lifelong insomniac, encountered on late-night strolls with his camera.”

Would You Rather?: A Memoir of Growing Up and Coming Out  by Katie Heaney

“Here, for the first time, Katie opens up about realizing at the age of twenty-eight that she is gay. In these poignant, funny essays, she wrestles with her shifting sexuality and identity, and describes what it was like coming out to everyone she knows (and everyone she doesn’t). As she revisits her past, looking for any ‘clues’ that might have predicted this outcome, Katie reveals that life doesn’t always move directly from point A to point B—no matter how much we would like it to.”

Tonight I’m Someone Else: Essays  by Chelsea Hodson

“From graffiti gangs and  Grand Theft Auto  to sugar daddies, Schopenhauer, and a deadly game of Russian roulette, in these essays, Chelsea Hodson probes her own desires to examine where the physical and the proprietary collide. She asks what our privacy, our intimacy, and our own bodies are worth in the increasingly digital world of liking, linking, and sharing.”

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.: Essays  by Samantha Irby

“With  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. , ‘bitches gotta eat’ blogger and comedian Samantha Irby turns the serio-comic essay into an art form. Whether talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making ‘adult’ budgets, explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette—she’s ’35-ish, but could easily pass for 60-something’—detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father’s ashes, sharing awkward sexual encounters, or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms—hang in there for the Costco loot—she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.”

This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America  by Morgan Jerkins

“Doubly disenfranchised by race and gender, often deprived of a place within the mostly white mainstream feminist movement, black women are objectified, silenced, and marginalized with devastating consequences, in ways both obvious and subtle, that are rarely acknowledged in our country’s larger discussion about inequality. In  This Will Be My Undoing , Jerkins becomes both narrator and subject to expose the social, cultural, and historical story of black female oppression that influences the black community as well as the white, male-dominated world at large.”

Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays  by Fenton Johnson

“Part retrospective, part memoir, Fenton Johnson’s collection  Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays  explores sexuality, religion, geography, the AIDS crisis, and more. Johnson’s wanderings take him from the hills of Kentucky to those of San Francisco, from the streets of Paris to the sidewalks of Calcutta. Along the way, he investigates questions large and small: What’s the relationship between artists and museums, illuminated in a New Guinean display of shrunken heads? What’s the difference between empiricism and intuition?”

One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter: Essays  by Scaachi Koul

“In  One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter , Scaachi Koul deploys her razor-sharp humor to share all the fears, outrages, and mortifying moments of her life. She learned from an early age what made her miserable, and for Scaachi anything can be cause for despair. Whether it’s a shopping trip gone awry; enduring awkward conversations with her bikini waxer; overcoming her fear of flying while vacationing halfway around the world; dealing with Internet trolls, or navigating the fears and anxieties of her parents. Alongside these personal stories are pointed observations about life as a woman of color: where every aspect of her appearance is open for critique, derision, or outright scorn; where strict gender rules bind in both Western and Indian cultures, leaving little room for a woman not solely focused on marriage and children to have a career (and a life) for herself.”

Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions  by Valeria Luiselli and jon lee anderson (translator)

“A damning confrontation between the American dream and the reality of undocumented children seeking a new life in the U.S. Structured around the 40 questions Luiselli translates and asks undocumented Latin American children facing deportation,  Tell Me How It Ends  (an expansion of her 2016 Freeman’s essay of the same name) humanizes these young migrants and highlights the contradiction between the idea of America as a fiction for immigrants and the reality of racism and fear—both here and back home.”

All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers  by Alana Massey

“Mixing Didion’s affected cool with moments of giddy celebrity worship, Massey examines the lives of the women who reflect our greatest aspirations and darkest fears back onto us. These essays are personal without being confessional and clever in a way that invites readers into the joke. A cultural critique and a finely wrought fan letter, interwoven with stories that are achingly personal, All the Lives I Want is also an exploration of mental illness, the sex industry, and the dangers of loving too hard.”

Typewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish: Essays  by Tom McCarthy

“Certain points of reference recur with dreamlike insistence—among them the artist Ed Ruscha’s  Royal Road Test , a photographic documentation of the roadside debris of a Royal typewriter hurled from the window of a traveling car; the great blooms of jellyfish that are filling the oceans and gumming up the machinery of commerce and military domination—and the question throughout is: How can art explode the restraining conventions of so-called realism, whether aesthetic or political, to engage in the active reinvention of the world?”

Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America  by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding

“When 53 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump and 94 percent of black women voted for Hillary Clinton, how can women unite in Trump’s America? Nasty Women includes inspiring essays from a diverse group of talented women writers who seek to provide a broad look at how we got here and what we need to do to move forward.”

Don’t Call Me Princess: Essays on Girls, Women, Sex, and Life  by Peggy Orenstein

“Named one of the ’40 women who changed the media business in the last 40 years’ by  Columbia Journalism Review , Peggy Orenstein is one of the most prominent, unflinching feminist voices of our time. Her writing has broken ground and broken silences on topics as wide-ranging as miscarriage, motherhood, breast cancer, princess culture and the importance of girls’ sexual pleasure. Her unique blend of investigative reporting, personal revelation and unexpected humor has made her books bestselling classics.”

When You Find Out the World Is Against You: And Other Funny Memories About Awful Moments  by Kelly Oxford

“Kelly Oxford likes to blow up the internet. Whether it is with the kind of Tweets that lead  Rolling Stone  to name her one of the Funniest People on Twitter or with pictures of her hilariously adorable family (human and animal) or with something much more serious, like creating the hashtag #NotOkay, where millions of women came together to share their stories of sexual assault, Kelly has a unique, razor-sharp perspective on modern life. As a screen writer, professional sh*t disturber, wife and mother of three, Kelly is about everything but the status quo.”

Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman  by Anne Helen Petersen

“You know the type: the woman who won’t shut up, who’s too brazen, too opinionated—too much. She’s the unruly woman, and she embodies one of the most provocative and powerful forms of womanhood today. In  Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud , Anne Helen Petersen uses the lens of ‘unruliness’ to explore the ascension of pop culture powerhouses like Lena Dunham, Nicki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian, exploring why the public loves to love (and hate) these controversial figures. With its brisk, incisive analysis,  Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud  will be a conversation-starting book on what makes and breaks celebrity today.”

Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist  by Franchesca Ramsey

“In her first book, Ramsey uses her own experiences as an accidental activist to explore the many ways we communicate with each other—from the highs of bridging gaps and making connections to the many pitfalls that accompany talking about race, power, sexuality, and gender in an unpredictable public space…the internet.”

Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls  by Elizabeth Renzetti

“Drawing upon Renzetti’s decades of reporting on feminist issues,  Shrewed  is a book about feminism’s crossroads. From Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign to the quest for equal pay, from the lessons we can learn from old ladies to the future of feminism in a turbulent world, Renzetti takes a pointed, witty look at how far we’ve come—and how far we have to go.”

What Are We Doing Here?: Essays  by Marilynne Robinson

“In this new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America like Emerson and Tocqueville inform our political consciousness or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson’s peerless prose and boundless humanity are on full display.”

Double Bind: Women on Ambition  by Robin Romm

“‘A work of courage and ferocious honesty’ (Diana Abu-Jaber),  Double Bind  could not come at a more urgent time. Even as major figures from Gloria Steinem to Beyoncé embrace the word ‘feminism,’ the word ‘ambition’ remains loaded with ambivalence. Many women see it as synonymous with strident or aggressive, yet most feel compelled to strive and achieve—the seeming contradiction leaving them in a perpetual double bind. Ayana Mathis, Molly Ringwald, Roxane Gay, and a constellation of ‘nimble thinkers . . . dismantle this maddening paradox’ ( O, The Oprah Magazine ) with candor, wit, and rage. Women who have made landmark achievements in fields as diverse as law, dog sledding, and butchery weigh in, breaking the last feminist taboo once and for all.”

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life  by Richard Russo

“In these nine essays, Richard Russo provides insight into his life as a writer, teacher, friend, and reader. From a commencement speech he gave at Colby College, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life, to a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain’s value, to his harrowing journey accompanying a dear friend as she pursued gender-reassignment surgery,  The Destiny Thief  reflects the broad interests and experiences of one of America’s most beloved authors. Warm, funny, wise, and poignant, the essays included here traverse Russo’s writing life, expanding our understanding of who he is and how his singular, incredibly generous mind works. An utter joy to read, they give deep insight into the creative process from the prospective of one of our greatest writers.”

Curry: Eating, Reading, and Race by Naben Ruthnum

“Curry is a dish that doesn’t quite exist, but, as this wildly funny and sharp essay points out, a dish that doesn’t properly exist can have infinite, equally authentic variations. By grappling with novels, recipes, travelogues, pop culture, and his own upbringing, Naben Ruthnum depicts how the distinctive taste of curry has often become maladroit shorthand for brown identity. With the sardonic wit of Gita Mehta’s  Karma Cola  and the refined, obsessive palette of Bill Buford’s  Heat , Ruthnum sinks his teeth into the story of how the beloved flavor calcified into an aesthetic genre that limits the imaginations of writers, readers, and eaters.”

The River of Consciousness  by Oliver Sacks

“Sacks, an Oxford-educated polymath, had a deep familiarity not only with literature and medicine but with botany, animal anatomy, chemistry, the history of science, philosophy, and psychology.  The River of Consciousness  is one of two books Sacks was working on up to his death, and it reveals his ability to make unexpected connections, his sheer joy in knowledge, and his unceasing, timeless project to understand what makes us human.”

All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World: Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom (Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God)  by Deborah Santana and America Ferrera

“ All the Women in My Family Sing  is an anthology documenting the experiences of women of color at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It is a vital collection of prose and poetry whose topics range from the pressures of being the vice-president of a Fortune 500 Company, to escaping the killing fields of Cambodia, to the struggles inside immigration, identity, romance, and self-worth. These brief, trenchant essays capture the aspirations and wisdom of women of color as they exercise autonomy, creativity, and dignity and build bridges to heal the brokenness in today’s turbulent world.”

We Wear the Mask: 15 True Stories of Passing in America  by Brando Skyhorse and Lisa Page

“For some, ‘passing’ means opportunity, access, or safety. Others don’t willingly pass but are ‘passed’ in specific situations by someone else.  We Wear the Mask , edited by  Brando Skyhorse  and  Lisa Page , is an illuminating and timely anthology that examines the complex reality of passing in America. Skyhorse, a Mexican American, writes about how his mother passed him as an American Indian before he learned who he really is. Page shares how her white mother didn’t tell friends about her black ex-husband or that her children were, in fact, biracial.”

Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith

“Since she burst spectacularly into view with her debut novel almost two decades ago, Zadie Smith has established herself not just as one of the world’s preeminent fiction writers, but also a brilliant and singular essayist. She contributes regularly to  The New Yorker  and the  New York Review of Books  on a range of subjects, and each piece of hers is a literary event in its own right.”

The Mother of All Questions: Further Reports from the Feminist Revolutions  by Rebecca Solnit

“In a timely follow-up to her national bestseller  Men Explain Things to Me , Rebecca Solnit offers indispensable commentary on women who refuse to be silenced, misogynistic violence, the fragile masculinity of the literary canon, the gender binary, the recent history of rape jokes, and much more. In characteristic style, Solnit mixes humor, keen analysis, and powerful insight in these essays.”

The Wrong Way to Save Your Life: Essays  by Megan Stielstra

“Whether she’s imagining the implications of open-carry laws on college campuses, recounting the story of going underwater on the mortgage of her first home, or revealing the unexpected pains and joys of marriage and motherhood, Stielstra’s work informs, impels, enlightens, and embraces us all. The result is something beautiful—this story, her courage, and, potentially, our own.”

Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions & Criticisms  by Michelle Tea

“Delivered with her signature honesty and dark humor, this is Tea’s first-ever collection of journalistic writing. As she blurs the line between telling other people’s stories and her own, she turns an investigative eye to the genre that’s nurtured her entire career—memoir—and considers the price that art demands be paid from life.”

A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause  by Shawn Wen

“In precise, jewel-like scenes and vignettes,  A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause  pays homage to the singular genius of a mostly-forgotten art form. Drawing on interviews, archival research, and meticulously observed performances, Wen translates the gestural language of mime into a lyric written portrait by turns whimsical, melancholic, and haunting.”

Acid West: Essays  by Joshua Wheeler

“The radical evolution of American identity, from cowboys to drone warriors to space explorers, is a story rooted in southern New Mexico.  Acid West  illuminates this history, clawing at the bounds of genre to reveal a place that is, for better or worse, home. By turns intimate, absurd, and frightening,  Acid West  is an enlightening deep-dive into a prophetic desert at the bottom of America.”

Sexographies  by Gabriela Wiener and Lucy Greaves And jennifer adcock (Translators)

“In fierce and sumptuous first-person accounts, renowned Peruvian journalist Gabriela Wiener records infiltrating the most dangerous Peruvian prison, participating in sexual exchanges in swingers clubs, traveling the dark paths of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris in the company of transvestites and prostitutes, undergoing a complicated process of egg donation, and participating in a ritual of ayahuasca ingestion in the Amazon jungle—all while taking us on inward journeys that explore immigration, maternity, fear of death, ugliness, and threesomes. Fortunately, our eagle-eyed voyeur emerges from her narrative forays unscathed and ready to take on the kinks, obsessions, and messiness of our lives.  Sexographies  is an eye-opening, kamikaze journey across the contours of the human body and mind.”

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative  by Florence Williams

“From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to eucalyptus groves in California, Florence Williams investigates the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. Delving into brand-new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.”

Can You Tolerate This?: Essays  by Ashleigh Young

“ Can You Tolerate This?  presents a vivid self-portrait of an introspective yet widely curious young woman, the colorful, isolated community in which she comes of age, and the uneasy tensions—between safety and risk, love and solitude, the catharsis of grief and the ecstasy of creation—that define our lives.”

What are your favorite contemporary essay collections?

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15 Best Philosophy Books for Beginners (Introductory Books to Start With)

I read a lot of philosophy during my graduate years. However, let’s be honest. While incredibly useful in expanding our minds, many great philosophical works tend to be packed with dense or archaic writing. So, the question here is: if you’re just getting into the subject, what are some of the best philosophy books for beginners to start with?

To help you, here’s my personal list of easy-to-follow introductory books on philosophy. These accessible reads will help you start to tackle the many fascinating questions and concepts that define the field.

Here, I’ll focus mainly on Western philosophy. I’ll create another book list about Eastern philosophers at a later time.

In addition, keep in mind that these books on philosophy simply aim to give a broad (but interesting!) overview of the subject. When you’re ready, you’ll likely want to pick up the original texts of philosophers who really pique your interest.

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My picks of the best philosophy books for beginners

1. a very short introduction series.

To start with, I think some of the best philosophy books for beginners comes from the A Very Short Introduction series, published by Oxford University Press.

As the name suggests, each book in this series serves as a quick introduction on a specific topic, packaged as a pocket-sized read.

For example, Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction provides an insightful summary of key themes relating to ethics, identity, knowledge, and more. It also explains the defining ideas of many Western philosophers, including Plato, Socrates, Descartes, Hegel, and other prominent thinkers.

For more specificity, there are also further philosophy books in the series that individually examine Stoicism , Aristotle , Aquinas , the philosophy of science , and various other sub-categories of the field.

Overall, I think the A Very Short Introduction series has a little bit of something for everyone. In addition, each book is written by an established expert in his / her respective field, so you’re in good hands.

In short, don’t expect too much depth. Nonetheless, these short books about philosophy make for very entertaining reads that’ll get your mind churning and yearning for more.

• Craig, Edward (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 144 Pages - 05/16/2002 (Publication Date) - Oxford University Press (Publisher)

2. The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

You’ve probably seen this book lying around your local bookstore. In my opinion, it’s one of the best philosophy books for beginners available, thanks to its accessibility.

The bulk of the book is structured around addressing key philosophical questions. Why do we exist? What is ethical thinking? Is there absolute good and evil? And so on.

Most pages begin with a quote from a famous philosopher – before going on to explain his / her underlying logic and meaning. A huge range of great thinkers from different philosophical traditions are covered. This includes the Greeks, pioneers of the Enlightenment, the Romantics, and much more.

Overall, I absolutely love the book’s eye-catching presentation. There are a ton of beautiful illustrations that help make complex philosophical discussions far more digestible to the casual reader.

In short, The Philosophy Book is easily one of the best philosophy books for beginners to get into before tackling the harder original texts.

Also check out our list of 13 best Bibles for children!

3. A History of Western Philosophy: From the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism

I think author C. Stephen Evans has done a truly admirable job tracing the history of Western philosophy, spanning the days before Socrates all the way up to postmodernism.

Don’t expect colorful illustrations here. However, what you will get is a wonderful summary of key philosophical strands of thought, how they relate with each other, and how they’ve shaped our modern world today.

As an introductory read, Evans sticks to simple language with very clear explanations. I especially enjoyed his thorough yet digestible overview of the differences between Hume and Kant. His exploration of Nietzsche’s lasting impact was also engaging.

In short, I think A History of Western Philosophy is a perfect fit for fresh students of philosophy. Evans strikes a good balance between staying accessible and raising profound questions, inviting for further learning.

However, keep in mind the book is a bit pricey (due to its relative rarity?). You might want to first search for it in your local library.

4. Philosophy 101 (An Essential Primer on the History of Thought)

I find Philosophy 101 to be an alluring introduction to the history of great philosophers and their ideas, presented in chronological order.

As with other beginner books on philosophy, author Paul Kleinman adopts simple words to convey complex ideas. In addition, he smartly uses bullet points to break down major philosophical arguments into their core aspects. This makes everything much easier to understand.

For example, Kleinman presents Plato’s Theory of Forms as being defined by two distinct characteristics. He then gives several examples to better illustrate the theory, thus grounding an otherwise abstract notion.

Overall, I think Philosophy 101 is a must-read if you’re keen on being pulled deeper into the wondrous world of philosophy.

• Hardcover Book
• Kleinman, Paul (Author)

5. How Philosophy Works: The Concepts Visually Explained

If you’re more of a visual learner, How Philosophy Works will be right up your alley.

The book seeks to demystify dense philosophical ideas via tons of beautifully designed infographics. Yet, despite avoiding heavy jargon, it doesn’t shy away from raising the big questions about life, consciousness, religion, and more.

I especially liked the section on phenomenology (i.e. the philosophy of human experience). This field of thought can be quite tricky to grasp, given its many varying threads. However, I think the book presents a great visual overview that really helps to clear the ambiguity for newcomers.

In addition, How Philosophy Works covers a good range of philosophers, including the usual suspects Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, and so on. Everything is organized by theme (e.g. ‘mind and body’, ‘deconstruction’, etc.), which makes for easy reading that won’t clutter your mind.

Interested in love? Here’s our list of the best non-fiction books about the history and philosophy of love!

6. Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy

Simon Blackburn, who wrote Think , is also the author of the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy , In other words, he knows his stuff, and most definitely has the cred to guide you on your philosophical journey.

The first chapter will be very useful for anyone who may be wondering why philosophy is so important in the first place. Above all, Blackburn makes an excellent case on the the subject’s timelessness, and why it matters when it comes to understanding life, meaning, and purpose.

Most of the book is shaped around core philosophical themes and questions. Blackburn uses this clear structure to introduce key philosophers, explaining how each person has added to the overall discourse.

I do think Blackburn’s writing gets a bit wordy in a few sections. However, this barely takes anything away from the overall coherency of his book.

In short, Think will be most suited to you if you’re searching for something beyond pocket-sized reads or ample illustrations – but aren’t quite ready for hefty philosophical tomes just yet.

7. A Little History of Philosophy

Published by Yale University Press, the Little Histories series is widely appreciated for its great introductions on big topics. I think A Little History of Philosophy is no exception!

Presented in clear chronological order, author Nigel Warburton covers a lot of ground as he raises many of philosophy’s biggest questions. As with other best philosophy books for beginners, everything is expressed in easy to follow language.

I love how Warburton goes beyond the predictable names (e.g. Plato, Socrates, Kant, etc.) by also including discussions on Freud, Singer, Arendt, and other influential thinkers.

In addition, Warburton offers ton of quirky, lesser known info on the lives of a few key philosophers. In my opinion, this biographical approach really gives cultural context to their ideas, thus making for a more engaging read.

Overall, I highly recommend A Little History of Philosophy as an ideal book to start with for beginners.

• Warburton, Nigel (Author)
• 272 Pages - 10/30/2012 (Publication Date) - Yale University Press (Publisher)

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8. What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy

Thomas Nagel has written one of the best books on philosophy for beginners that also mixes in his personal opinions. I think this blended approach will inspire new readers to think more deeply on their own terms.

Instead of chronological, Nagel organizes his book around profound philosophical questions about existence, the meaning of life, and more. As you’d expect, he does this using simple words that, at the same time, encourages open-ended musings.

Overall, I think What Does It All Mean? serves as an excellent bird’s eye view of philosophy – without sacrificing analytical thinking and nuance. Brilliant!

9. Philosophy: The Classics

Routledge has released some incredible philosophy books for beginners over the years. However, Warburton’s Philosophy: The Classics is by far one of my favorites (yes, he also wrote A Little History of Philosophy !).

What separates this book from the rest is Warburton’s specific focus on diving into thirty-two different philosophical classics. This includes, among others, his summaries of Plato’s The Republic, Montaigne’s  Essays, and Thomas Kuhn’s  The Structure of Scientific Revolutions .

Above all, Philosophy: The Classics reads like a set of incredible SparkNotes about the revolutionary ideas that have lit the trail of philosophy for ages. It’s a unique approach that works as a solid introduction to the subject.

• 320 Pages - 01/30/2014 (Publication Date) - Routledge (Publisher)

Here’s our exclusive list of 40 must-read non-fiction books!

More Best Books on Philosophy to Start With!

10. philosophy made slightly less difficult: a beginner’s guide to life’s big questions.

Yet another fantastic introductory book on philosophy that’ll keep you immersed. Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult does exactly what you’d hope for: it inspires you to think about thinking!

Above all, I think the book thrives at fleshing out abstract concepts. For example, the chapter on metaphysics explains the various nuances (e.g. particularists vs methodists) that make up the broad field. Clear examples are also often provided, ensuring you’ll never feel overwhelmed.

11. Big Ideas: The Little Book of Philosophy

This pocket-sized gem packs an insightful overview of Western philosophy. More than a hundred thinkers are covered, including Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, and others.

As with most small books, don’t expect too much analytical depth. However, I consider Big Ideas to be among the best philosophical books for beginners, thanks to its easy language and structure.

12. A New History of Western Philosophy

Anthony Kenny’s guide on the history of Western philosophy is authoritative in its own right. This version combines four individual volumes that, together, brings you on a sweeping adventure across the vast epochs of human thinking.

Compared to a few other books on this list, A New History of Western Philosophy goes a bit more in-depth in its discussions. Perfect if you’re just starting to move past your initial interest in philosophy.

13. The Story of Philosophy

This intro text brims with bright illustrations and concise explanations that cover more than 2,500 years of philosophical thought.

What makes The Story of Philosophy stand out is its emphasis not just on pure philosophy, but also art. This is especially relevant during chapters that explore the value of aesthetics – or those that use images to sketch the cultural backdrop that gave rise to big philosophical ideas.

14. Idiot’s Guides: Philosophy

Don’t be fooled by the word ‘idiot’. I actually think Jay Stevenson’s Idiot’s Guide on Philosophy does a stellar job traversing a wide range of topics – more so than the rivaling Philosophy for Dummies .

In addition to typically mentioned philosophers, Stevenson also discusses many slightly less mainstream names. This includes Margaret Cavendish, post-structuralists Derrida and Lacan, postmodernists like Lyotard, and many more. A great effort – definitely not just for ‘idiots’!

15. The Norton Introduction to Philosophy

This introduction to philosophy is a pretty rare release. So, again, I suggest you first check your nearby library to see if they have it.

If you do locate a copy, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best philosophy books that aims to appeal to undergrads. Each chapter focuses on a specific philosophical topic with lots of concise explanations. There are also useful study guides to reinforce what you learnt.

Know of more good books on philosophy for beginners? Drop me a line with your suggestions and I’ll include them into this expanding list!

Peter is an avid book reader, blogger, and social media strategist. He also has a Doctorate in Anthropology, and enjoys studying changing cultural trends, particularly in the area of media consumption.

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12 Best Modern Philosophy Books to Read in 2024

1. Anger and Forgiveness  

2. How to Live  

In chapter 1, we ask: How to live? Montaigne says: Don't worry about death;  In chapter 2, we ask: How to live?  Montaigne says: Live in the moment... 

3. Essays and Reviews  

4. How To Be A Stoic  

• The nature of the world (and, by extension, the individual's place in the world), and 
• the nature of human reason (including when reason fails, as this is so common).
• The first aspect has to do with two willingnesses, the willingness to get and the willingness to avoid. People have to train themselves to get what they want and avoid what they want. 
• The second aspect concerns the two impulses—the impulse to act and the impulse not to act—in short, to find that degree: we should think carefully, be careful, and do things step by step. 
• The third aspect is to keep yourself from being deceived and not judging at will. 
• Wisdom (practical): Navigate complex situations in the best possible way.
• Courage: Do what is right (both biologically and morally) no matter what the situation is.
• Justice: Treat everyone fairly and in good faith, regardless of high or low.
• Temperance: Practicing the principles of moderation and self-control in all aspects of life.

5. The Path  

• We believe that we are living in an era of unprecedented freedom. It took more than two centuries to get rid of fascism, capitalism, bureaucracy, feudal dynasties, medical science, and technological progress. However, the environment and humanitarianism are becoming more and more serious. When our posterity looks back on this era, is it a time of prosperity, freedom, equality, or complacency?
• We think that we can grasp the direction and opportunities of choosing the direction of life and fight against fate through rational minds, fine calculations, overcoming emotional prejudice, and turning experience into data. Is it really?
• We believe that this era is to pursue oneself, show oneself, and be true to oneself in order to achieve goals and find one’s true self. The danger of this era is also to limit the narrow cognition of self and only see a small part of one’s own potential.
• Ritual is not a rigid movement process, but a kind of [imagination], through which people establish a relationship between people. new contact. 
• Good qualities such as benevolence and kindness are not useless. Continued self-cultivation becomes an instinct that allows us to spontaneously respond correctly and ethically to things. Through these responses, we can inspire those around us to respond appropriately. 
• The Tao is not unpredictable, but every thought and every response we have in our daily life. All choices converge in one's own way 
• When you want to improve interpersonal relationships, you must "break" with reality, from the perspective of others, or the perspective of the wider world 
• I am a contradiction, changing all the time, with no Qualitative Self. Living in a broken, changing, and surprising world. Nothing is stable, live in the broadest possible way. 
• The world is interconnected, and my responses lead to a cascade of effects. 
• Overcome the strong with the weak, overcome the strong with softness, and 
• maintain a "weak" attitude, which will make me calm and humble, and 
• paralyze the opponent to seize the opportunity to counterattack. 
• Music and poetry can stimulate a person's perception the most. 
• A stable heart and clear ears. 
• Embrace everything in constant flow and change 
• Work hard to "spontaneity" and follow the path 
• I created the world I experience now, and I will make it Be better 
• Be open to everything 

6. Critique of Pure Reason  

7. Phenomenology of Spirit  

• The Phenomenology of Spirit is divided into three parts: consciousness, self-consciousness, and reason. 
• The consciousness part is divided into three chapters: perceptual certainty, perception, force, and intellect. 

8. Beyond Good and Evil  

9. Meditations on First Philosophy  

• First, never accept what I have not determined to be true.
• Second, analyze each problem under consideration into small parts to the extent that they can be properly and satisfactorily solved.
• Third, order, start with the simplest and easiest to recognize objects, and gradually rise to
• the recognition of complex objects.
• Fourth, list all the circumstances as completely as possible.

10. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding  

• All knowledge is only certain within certain limits, and the world is not as certain and intelligible as we imagine it to be.
• The ego is nothing more than a cluster or set of different perceptions, succeeding each other with incredible rapidity, and in constant flux and movement.

11. Sophie's World   

12. Start with Why  

"The best way to get something is to match yourself with him" 

Conclusion:  Best Philosophy Books You Must Read in 2024

“What is Philosophy throughout but a continual battle against Custom; an ever-renewed effort to transcend the sphere of blind Custom, and so become Transcendental?” (Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, p.196)

Other Notable Modern Philosophy Books of All Time

• The Story of Philosophy
• Modern Philosophy
• God and Intelligence in Modern Philosophy
• An Outline of Philosophy
• The Stone Reader
• The Dream of Enlightenment
• Existentialism Is a Humanism
• Philosophic Classics, Volume III
• A New Modern Philosophy
• The Rise of Modern Philosophy
• Philosophy in the Modern World
• Nature, Human Nature, and Human Difference
• History of Modern Philosophy
• The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics
• Philosophical Imagination and the Evolution of Modern Philosophy
• Hegel and Modern Society
• A Short History of Modern Philosophy
• A History of Philosophy, Vol. 8
• A History of Philosophy, Vol. 5
• Introduction to Modern Philosophy
• Anne Conway
• The Cambridge Companion to Kant and Modern Philosophy
• Modern movements in European philosophy
• Early Modern Philosophy
• Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy
• Consequences Of Pragmatism
• Hobbes's Kingdom of Light
• Renaissance Philosophy
• A Manual of Modern Scholastic Philosophy, Vol. 2
• Classical Modern Philosophy
• Thus Spake Zarathustra
• Late Modern Philosophy
• Sellars and the History of Modern Philosophy
• Philosophy of Mind in the Nineteenth Century
• Modern French Philosophy
• The Persistence of Subjectivity
• Twentieth-Century Philosophy
• The Philosophy of Kierkegaard
• Idealism in Modern Philosophy
• A History of Modern Philosophy
• Analytic Philosophy and the Return of Hegelian Thought
• On Modern Origins
• The Sublime in Modern Philosophy
• The Pragmatism Reader
• The Evolution of Logic

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Muhiuddin Alam is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ReadingAndThinking.com. He serves as a consistent contributor to various websites and publications, including Medium , Quora , Reddit , Linkedin , Substack , Vocal , Flipboard , and Amazon KDP . Alam personally read numerous books and, for the past 10 years, has been providing book recommendations and reviews. Find Me: About Me & Google Knowledge Panel .

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Need a book club book? These unforgettable titles are sure to spark discussion and debate

Books that make everyone happy make for boring book clubs. 

Discussions wrap up quickly when stories don’t invite readers to reflect. If we all interpret the story in the exact same way, relate to the exact same character, come to the same simple conclusion, well, there’s just not much to say. 

Even with books we all love, there’s only so much fan-girling that can be done. 

So I’m always looking for the books that spark conversation, and, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, I’ve found that cracks let opinions in. I want flawed books and authors that experiment. I want books that tell new stories, or old stories in new ways. I want books that send readers down rabbit holes.

Here are books, new and old, that should lead to rousing discussions. 

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

Need more inspiration USA TODAY's Best-selling booklist

'Wandering Stars'

By Tommy Orange (Knopf, 336 pp.)This follow-up to his acclaimed debut, There There , takes readers through three generations of a Native family, from a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 to a family grappling with the opioid epidemic of modern America. 

'The Wives'

By Simone Gorrindo (Gallery/Scout Press, 416 pp.)When her husband joins the Army, Gorrindo leaves New York City and a publishing job for Columbus, Georgia, and a writing room of her own. This is a marriage memoir, but also an intimate look at the ways women support each other, the way community is needed, built, and maintained. 

'Real Americans'

By Rachel Khong (Knopf, 416pp)Told in three parts, this story of family and class considers the American dream and the limits — and ethics — of scientific discovery. How far should we go to protect our children? 

'The Cemetery of Untold Stories'

By Julia Alvarez (Algonquin, 256 pp.)The central premise here — a graveyard for unfinished books — is delicious and sets off a novel full of people remembering and revising their own stories. 

'The Fetishist'

By Katherine Min (G.P. Putnman's Sons, 304 pp.)Darkly funny and tender, the story begins with a grieving and angry young woman seeking revenge on the man who caused her mother’s death. Things go awry, memories are uncovered, and the result is an unconventional love story and an excellent look at making art. 

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

By Shannon Chakraborty (Harper-Voyager, 496 pp.)

A 40-year-old single mother, former pirate with a bum knee, is pulled out for a final great adventure. This rollicking fantasy is based on the story of Sinbad the Sailor and is a heist story on the high seas.

'Small Mercies'

By Dennis Lehane (Harper, 320 pp.)Boston is burning up in the summer of 1974 as schools are about to be desegregated. A girl goes missing, and a desperate mother starts asking questions that could set everything on fire. 

'Transcendent Kingdom'

By Yaa Gyasi (Vintage, 304 pp.)Gifty is a scientist shaped by religion. In the wake of her brother’s death and as she cares for her mother, she grapples with faith and tries to uncover the science of addiction. 

'A Fever in The Heartland'

By Timothy Egan (Viking, 432 pp.)Here’s history you likely did not get in school: the true story of the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the Midwest. Although it’s nonfiction, sometimes this feels like a horror novel. (If you like the idea of narrative history, you also might consider the work of Candice Millard, Tiya Miles, David Grann, or Erik Larson.)

'The Woman in Me'

By Britney Spears (Gallery Books, 288 pp.)Celebrity memoirs are excellent book club picks because they invite conversation about pop culture. Other ones to consider: Leslie F*cking Jones, Leslie Jones; Open Book , Jessica Simpson; I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy; The Storyteller , Dave Grohl 

'Mrs. Dalloway'

By Virginia Woolf (Penguin Classics, 240 pp.)Revisiting classics, particularly slim ones, is always a good idea for a book group if only because they’re easily available in many formats. Set in London between the wars, this novel and its themes of choice and memory remain remarkably relevant. 

More: 10 memoirs you'll want to read from Ashley C. Ford, Roxane Gay, Javier Zamora and more

'A Wrinkle in Time'

By Madeleine L’Engle (Ariel Books, 256 pp.)Another underrated book club choice: classic children’s books. Do we still think the story matters? Why does this story speak to children? What is it saying about our culture? It doesn’t have to be this one, though L’Engle’s time travelers are fun to revisit. Other contenders: The Westing Game, Charlotte’s Web, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; or Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret ?

Hillary Copsey is the book advisor at The Mercantile Library in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Why Are Divorce Memoirs Still Stuck in the 1960s?

Recent best sellers have reached for a familiar feminist credo, one that renounces domestic life for career success.

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By Sarah Menkedick

Sarah Menkedick’s most recent book is “Ordinary Insanity: Fear and the Silent Crisis of Motherhood in America.”

“The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own,” Betty Friedan wrote in “ The Feminine Mystique ,” in 1963. Taking a new role as a productive worker is “the way out of the trap,” she added. “There is no other way.”

On the final page of “ This American Ex-Wife ,” her 2024 memoir and study of divorce, Lyz Lenz writes: “I wanted to remove myself from the martyr’s pyre and instead sacrifice the roles I had been assigned at birth: mother, wife, daughter. I wanted to see what else I could be.”

More than 60 years after Friedan’s landmark text, there remains only one way for women to gain freedom and selfhood: rejecting the traditionally female realm, and achieving career and creative success.

Friedan’s once-provocative declaration resounds again in a popular subgenre of autobiography loosely referred to as the divorce memoir, several of which have hit best-seller lists in the past year or two. These writers’ candid, raw and moving exposés of their divorces are framed as a new frontier of women’s liberation, even as they reach for a familiar white feminist ideology that has prevailed since “The Problem That Has No Name,” through “Eat, Pray, Love” and “I’m With Her” and “Lean In”: a version of second-wave feminism that remains tightly shackled to American capitalism and its values.

Lenz, for example, spends much of her book detailing her struggle to “get free,” but never feels she needs to define freedom. It is taken as a given that freedom still means the law firm partner in heels, the self-made woman with an independent business, the best-selling author on book tour — the woman who has shed any residue of the domestic and has finally come to shine with capitalist achievement.

It is not the freedom for a woman to stay home with her child for a year, or five. The freedom to stop working after a lifetime toiling in low-wage jobs. The freedom for a Filipina nanny to watch her own children instead of those of her “liberated” American boss. The freedom to start a farm or a homestead or engage in the kind of unpaid work ignored by an economy that still values above all else the white-collar professional labor long dominated by men — and in fact mostly fails to recognize other labor as valuable at all.

One of the paradoxes the divorce memoir highlights is that women’s work is made invisible by a society that disparages it, and the only way it becomes visible is through the triumphant narrative of a woman’s escape from it — which only reinforces its undesirability and invisibility.

In Maggie Smith’s 2023 memoir “ You Could Make This Place Beautiful ,” Smith details the critical inflection point when her poem “ Good Bones ” goes viral, her career takes off and her marriage begins to implode. She tells a reporter from The Columbus Dispatch: “I feel like I go into a phone booth and I turn into a poet sometimes. Most of the other time, I’m just Maggie who pushes the stroller.”

Nothing threatening, nothing meaningful. Just a mom pushing the stroller in the meager labor of women — until she slips into the phone booth and transforms into an achieving superhero.

This is not to diminish Smith’s work, a unique and highly refined series of linked essays that build into an emotional symphony about marital breakdown. Her intention is not, like Lenz’s, to condemn the institution of marriage or to rejoice in her release from hers, which is complicated, excruciating and tender. Her depictions of divorce clearly resonate with readers and offer solace and insight into a common experience of heartbreak. But it’s worth asking what exactly is being celebrated in the huge cultural reception her memoir, and other popular divorce memoirs, have received.

Leslie Jamison’s book “ Splinters ,” published the same day as “This American Ex-Wife,” is an exquisite, textured and precise articulation of the collapse of her marriage, all nuance and interiority where Lenz’s writing is blunt and political. But here, too, we get a female narrator for whom freedom and acceptance ultimately signify professional success. Jamison is much more vexed about this formula, but in the end she settles for lightly querying rather than assailing it. She jokes about how her editor is stressed about book sales while she’s stressed about her baby sleeping on airplanes, and mocks this as a “humblebrag”: “ I don’t care about ambition! I only care about baby carriers! ” She rushes to clarify in the next sentence, “Of course I cared about book sales, too.”

Herein lies the ultimate paradigm, the space no woman wants to explore: What if the modern woman didn’t actually care about book sales? About making partner? About building a successful brand? That would be unthinkable. Embarrassing. Mealy, mushy, female.

But later in “Splinters,” Jamison skewers the cult of male, capitalist achievement: “My notion of divinity was gradually turning its gaze away from the appraising, tally-keeping, pseudo-father in the sky who would give me enough gold stars if I did enough good things, and toward the mother who’d been here all along,” she writes. I felt an electric optimism reading this. If feminism wants to tackle patriarchy, it needs to start with that pseudo-father and his metrics of a person’s worth.

Jamison struggles toward this in “Splinters.” She wants so badly to be remarkable. To banter about the Russian G.D.P. while she spoon-feeds her toddler, or to impress arrogant lovers who critique her conversation as only “85 percent as good as it could be.” At the same time, she yearns “to experience the sort of love that could liberate everyone involved from their hamster wheels of self-performance,” a love that will “involve all your tedious moments.”

Yes , I found myself saying, I want to read about this love . A mother love that is radical, creative, affirming, even and especially in its difficulty and tedium. Jamison almost gets there, but returns ultimately to the affirmation that it’s OK to want more: “quiet mornings at my laptop, tap-tap-tapping at my keyboard.”

It is certainly OK, and natural, to want more. But what I find most exhilarating in this beautiful book is the possibility that it’s also OK to let go of wanting. It’s OK to not write a best seller, to not hold a prestigious title, to not start your own brand. It’s OK, even, to not try to find yourself, that most American of quests.

Divorce, sure. Ditch the toxic men, strike out on your own. But there’s nothing new or radical there. The radical is in a feminism that examines care as profound, powerful work and centers rather than marginalizes mothering, as both a lived act and a metaphor. We must let go of this half-century-old notion that the self can be “found” only after the roles of “mother, wife, daughter” have been rejected.

With friends, Jamison recounts lively anecdotes from a trip to Oslo with her daughter in order to prove that her life had not “‘gotten small,’ a phrase I put in quotes in my mind, though I did not know whom I was quoting.” Yet in this phrase lies another way of living: letting things get small, in a world that sees and celebrates mostly superlatives, and getting down to the level of the local, the intimate, the granular, the home.

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

John S. Jacobs was a fugitive, an abolitionist — and the brother of the canonical author Harriet Jacobs. Now, his own fierce autobiography has re-emerged .

Don DeLillo’s fascination with terrorism, cults and mass culture’s weirder turns has given his work a prophetic air. Here are his essential books .

Jenny Erpenbeck’s “ Kairos ,” a novel about a torrid love affair in the final years of East Germany, won the International Booker Prize , the renowned award for fiction translated into English.

Kevin Kwan, the author of “Crazy Rich Asians,” left Singapore’s opulent, status-obsessed, upper crust when he was 11. He’s still writing about it .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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Philosophy Books » New Philosophy Books

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Last updated: April 28, 2024

Every year a slew of new philosophy books are published, works by or about everyone from Aristotle to Žižek , and covering subjects from aesthetics to Zen. But which ones are actually worth reading? Below we keep track of new philosophy books coming out, and try to pick out ones that we like the look of. In his interviews with philosophers , our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton asks them to recommend books by others. The list below helps us highlight books they've written themselves.

Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense

Saul perlmutter, robert maccoun and john campbell.

In Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense a Nobel-prize winning physicist, a philosopher and a social scientist together give a clear, accessible and enlightening guide to the tools of thinking that make science work. This is a brilliant book by eminent thinkers in their fields who are also superb communicators. It's a really enjoyable read and a great book for anyone who wants to think more clearly about evidence, argument, reason and the need for a degree of intellectual humility.

Read expert recommendations

We Are Free to Change the World: Hannah Arendt’s Lessons in Love and Disobedience

By lyndsey stonebridge.

We Are Free to Change the World by Lyndsey Stonebridge is an excellent, well-written book that shows why Hannah Arendt is still an important and sometimes controversial thinker today.

The Dangerous Life and Ideas of Diogenes the Cynic

By jean-manuel roubineau , malcolm debevoise & phillip mitsis.

“Diogenes famously thought that human beings don’t need much to be happy, and owned just a cloak and a stick—he had a cup too at first, but he threw that away when he saw a boy drinking water with his hands and realised he didn’t really need it. Diogenes allegedly lived in a barrel at the edge of the city of Athens. One of the things I like about this very short book by Roubineau is that he has four or five pages discussing whether Diogenes did actually live in a barrel. It was more likely a big clay storage jar, and he wasn’t unusual in that, actually.” Read more...

The Best Philosophy Books of 2023

Nigel Warburton , Philosopher

The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality

By andy clark.

The Experience Machine by cognitive philosopher Andy Clark is about predictive processing. This is the view that we construct our reality from expectations, and that our relationship with the world is active: we are never simply passive recipients of incoming data. Clark provides an engaging overview of the state of research and how predictive processing should change how we think about what we are.

Plato of Athens: A Life in Philosophy

By robin waterfield.

“One of the trends is a huge number of books about philosophers’ lives. I’ve chosen two for my list…although I could equally have picked Robin Waterfield’s biography of Plato, Plato of Athens. That’s also a very good book.” Read more...

How to Flourish: An Ancient Guide to Living Well

By aristotle & susan sauvé meyer (translator).

“The books in this series provide the important parts of the text in the original language, a translation on the facing page, as well as explanations of what it’s all about. Susan Sauvé Meyer of the University of Pennsylvania takes on the task in How to Flourish: An Ancient Guide to Living Well, which includes about a quarter of the text of The Nicomachean Ethics. This is not, I would say, an introductory book—it starts with a close look at the Greek word for living well, eudaimonia , and how best to translate it—but more a way to dip your toe into an important primary source without being overwhelmed.” Read more...

Notable Nonfiction of Early Summer 2023

Sophie Roell , Journalist

Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope

By sarah bakewell.

Humanly Possible  is a book covering seven centuries of humanistic thought, written by one of the best philosophy writers for a general audience around, Sarah Bakewell . It's a brilliant book, done with Bakewell's characteristic elegance and intelligence.

Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids

By scott hershovitz.

Children often ask deep philosophical questions that can flummox parents. Philosopher and parent Scott Hershovitz shows how he discusses philosophy with his own children in this amusing and enjoyable book.

Why Veganism Matters

By gary francione.

In Why Veganism Matters Gary Francione, a professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers University, argues that veganism is a moral imperative. He is a self-declared abolitionist when it comes to animal rights, and critical of the idea that we should focus on animal welfare, minimising their suffering and using humane methods of slaughter. Rather, he argues that we should abolish all uses of animals and stop treating them as chattels.

Parfit: A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality

By david edmonds.

“His parents were literally missionaries. And Parfit had a sort of missionary zeal for proving and persuading people beyond doubt that morality was objective, meeting every possible objection and persuading his most eminent colleagues that this was so. Or at least trying to. He even said that his life would have been a waste if he didn’t succeed in showing that morality was objective. I think it’s generally accepted that he didn’t succeed in that. But he became obsessed … when I say obsessed, I mean he was obsessive as well. Quite a lot of the biography charts the fascinating arc of his life—from the good-looking, intelligent, young man, a brilliant student, who had always been exceptional in his intelligence, and the transformation that happened in later life.” Read more...

The Art of Cycling: Philosophy, Meaning, and a Life on Two Wheels

By james hibbard.

James Hibbard, a former American professional cyclist, threads together the story of his cycling career, a road trip, and philosophy, which he studied and looked to for answers, but found inadequate. "Thinking, when divorced from the physicality of our existence, fails, " he says, "I very much felt that it failed me."

The Idea of Prison Abolition

By tommie shelby.

The Idea of Prison Abolition is based on a series of lectures by Tommie Shelby, a professor of Philosophy and of African and African American Studies at Harvard. In a way, it's a response to the work of Angela Davis. Shelby is ultimately not on the side of prison abolition, but his exploration of the issue is well worth reading.

For F*ck's Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude, and Fun

By rebecca roache.

“This is a fun book, but also a serious book. Rebecca Roache is very much a philosopher, and this is really a book on the philosophy of language. It actually draws upon some of the ideas of J.L. Austin, who we’ve already mentioned, the ordinary language philosopher who talked about performative utterances, acts which are performed by saying words—so, for instance, launching a ship by saying ‘I launch this ship’. Or the words ‘I do’ in a marriage ceremony. These are linguistic acts. And one of the themes in Rebecca’s book is how linguistic acts are performed when people utter swear words in different contexts.” Read more...

J. L. Austin: Philosopher and D-Day Intelligence Officer

By mark rowe.

“There was also Mark Rowe’s biography of another Oxford philosopher, J.L. Austin, which is excellent in many ways…What’s fascinating about Rowe’s biography is that he doesn’t just tell the story of J.L. Austin the philosopher, but also that of J.L. Austin the military intelligence expert. Rowe shows he played a significant role in preparing for the D-Day landings. He was a major figure in British intelligence during the Second World War before returning to Oxford and becoming a significant figure in the world of Ordinary Language Philosophy.” Read more...

Ethics in the Real World: 90 Brief Essays on Things That Matter

By peter singer.

***🏆 A Five Books Book of the Year ***

“Also new in ethics books, there’s a “fully updated and expanded” version of Ethics in the Real World by Peter Singer, the Australian-American philosopher behind the effective altruism movement, one of our best philosophy books of 2016. These are short essays, mostly from Singer’s Project Syndicate column, addressing issues like: ‘Can Ethics Be Taught?’, ‘The Case for Going Vegan’ and ‘Why Google Was Wrong’ to fire James Damore for his comments about women in tech.” Read more...

Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility

By martha nussbaum.

Justice for Animals  is a very clearly written and persuasive call to action on behalf of non-human animals by American philosopher Martha Nussbaum. After outlining the harm we're doing by using five specific examples (a mother elephant, a humpback whale, a fictional pig, a finch and a stray dog), she writes: "The extent of our own implication in practices that harm animals should make every person with a conscience consider what we can all do to change this situation. Pinning guilt is less important than accepting the fact that humanity as a whole has a collective duty to face and solve these problems." The impetus behind writing the book is also very affecting: it's because of her daughter, who was a passionate advocate for animals and died young. In the book, Nussbaum takes a 'capabilities approach' to develop a new theoretical basis for thinking about justice and injustice to animals as she feels "the dominant theories in this area are defective and that mine will direct action better."

Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy

By david chalmers.

***🏆  A  Five Books  Book of the Year ***

“What David Chalmers wants to say is that the reality that we seem to experience if we see a table in front of us is in some important sense real: it’s not an illusion. That goes against the Cartesian way of seeing those imaginary or created worlds. That’s the main thrust of it. He’s very clever because he’s managed to then rehearse many of the key arguments that you would encounter in most philosophy courses, but through that lens of virtual reality. It genuinely is thought-provoking (or virtual thought-provoking). It’s well-written too.” Read more...

The Best Philosophy Books of 2022

Aristotle: Understanding the World's Greatest Philosopher

By john sellars.

Aristotle: Understanding the World's Greatest Philosopher  is the latest book by John Sellars, a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, who excels at writing short books for a general audience on ancient philosophy. For those of us not yet brave enough to embark on the Nicomachean Ethics ,  this 144-page book (just under four hours as an audiobook) is a great way into one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James

By john kaag , jonathan van belle & william james.

This book is a selection of writings by William James , the 19th-century American intellectual who not only founded the school of philosophy known as Pragmatism and made a huge contribution to the emerging field of psychology, but was also very interested in the spiritual. He's relevant today because he asked some of the big questions about the value of life, freedom, and the experience of consciousness. The book is edited with an introduction by John Kaag (author of Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life ) and Jonathan van Belle.

Sophie’s World: A Graphic Novel About the History of Philosophy (Volume 1: Socrates to Galileo)

By jostein gaarder , nicoby (illustrator) & vincent zabus.

A graphic novel based on Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World . It's updated (at the beginning Sophie and a friend are planning to meet at a climate protest) but also a bit more accessible than the original, which was a bestseller in the 1990s. While the original Sophie's World was written for teenagers, it's actually a little hard to understand unless you already know a bit about philosophy. This version, adapted by Belgian comics writer Vincent Zabus , presumes no knowledge and so is a good way for complete beginners to start out on philosophy.

How to Say No: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Cynicism

By diogenes and the cynics, translated by mark usher.

“This is a personal favorite. Diogenes was Plato’s contemporary, and a kind of performance artist. He lived a very frugal existence. He slept in a barrel—well, they say it was a barrel but it was actually probably an amphora—just outside Athens and had only a cloak as a possession. He originally had a wooden bowl to drink from as well but when he saw a boy drinking from a waterfall with his hands, he realized he didn’t need it and got rid of it. He famously masturbated and defecated in public and defied other conventions too.” Read more...

How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment

By skye c cleary.

How to Be Authentic ( called How to Be You: Simone de Beauvoir and the Art of Authentic Living in the UK edition) is an exploration of French philosopher and feminist Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) and her thinking about life and how to live it. It's an existentialist approach, which means enormous freedom but also responsibility. If you haven't read The Second Sex , the book is also useful for understanding Beauvoir's thinking on what it means to be a woman.

How To Be Good: What Socrates Can Teach Us About the Art of Living Well

By massimo pigliucci.

How To Be Good: What Socrates Can Teach Us About the Art of Living Well is called The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders   in the US edition.

Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way

By kieran setiya, looking for theophrastus: travels in search of a lost philosopher, by laura beatty.

“Theophrastus was slightly younger than Aristotle and came to Plato’s Academy when Plato was quite an old man. Then, when Plato died, he traveled with Aristotle, and was involved in Aristotle’s non-philosophical projects looking very closely at the nature of the world: the biological world, the geological world and so on. Theophrastus is probably best known for a book called The Characters. It’s not really famous amongst philosophers, although he was a philosopher. The Characters consist of descriptions of types of people in terms of their psychological patterns of behavior and so on, which seem very modern. But what Laura Beatty has done is take the bare bones of his life—because not all that much is known about him—and made a literal journey through the places where Theophrastus lived and tried to understand more about him.” Read more...

Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life

By clare mac cumhaill & rachael wiseman.

The story of four mid-20th century philosophers based in Oxford—Elizabeth Anscombe, Iris Murdoch , Philippa Foot and Mary Midgley . With many men who typically dominated academic philosophy away fighting World War II, they were able to make their own mark, arguing for a greater place for metaphysics in philosophical discourse.

On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times

By michael ignatieff.

In  On Consolation Michael Ignatieff, historian, writer and former Canadian politician, looks at what we can learn from each across the millennia about how to deal with grief and pain. An atheist, Ignatieff nonetheless starts off with the Bible's Book of Job and the Psalms, before turning to Albert Camus , Anna Akhmatova, and Primo Levi .

The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Philosophy

By andy west.

“Andy is a teacher of philosophy in prisons but he’s also somebody who’s had a lot of family experience in prisons from the inside, because his father, his uncle, and his brother, have all spent time in jail. So he’s got an ambivalent attitude to prisons and I think his family said, ‘What on earth are you going teaching in prisons for? That’s another one that ended up inside!’ He has a particularly interesting take on all this. It’s partly constructed memoir: he discusses the sessions where he teaches philosophy to prisoners, but for reasons of privacy, he hasn’t revealed too much about the identities of particular prisoners.” Read more...

The Aphorisms of Franz Kafka

By franz kafka , reiner stach & shelley frisch (trans.).

Franz Kafka's biographer, Reiner Stach , provides extensive commentary and explanations of the 100+ aphorisms the Czech writer composed while in Zürau (now Siřem in the Czech Republic) in 1917 and 1918. What's also very nice about this edition is that the aphorisms are provided both in the original German and in English translation. This is a book to read for a deeper understanding of Kafka and his thinking, rather than witty/universal quotes à la Nietzsche.

Philosophy Illustrated

By helen de cruz.

Philosopher Helen De Cruz is a big believer in the power of pictures to make philosophy more accessible . In this book, she lays out 42 thought experiments with her own illustrations.

The Case for Rage: Why Anger Is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle

By myisha cherry.

***🏆  A Five Books Book of the Year ***

“Cherry’s argument is that the energy and the possibility of collective channelled action, inspired by rage, justifies this approach, and makes it superior to a more neutral response to something as outrageous as the cold-faced racism in Charlottesville, for instance.” Read more...

The Best Philosophy Books of 2021

Free: Coming of Age at the End of History

“ Free does all the things you could ask of a family memoir plus at least one hundred more. You’ve got the finely drawn family portraits, the novelistic reimaginings of dialogue, the master antagonisms of history—and History with a capital ‘H’.” Read more...

The best books on Family History

Thea Lenarduzzi , Journalist

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

By oliver burkeman.

“It’s a book about what we do with our limited time on Earth, how we decide to prioritise and proportion our time. To that extent it’s a book of ethics in the face of inevitable death. It’s a combination of sometimes witty, sometimes terrifying exploration of the human condition, and at the same time an antidote to those time management books that tell you how you can maximise your productivity, taking on more and more tasks and completing them efficiently.” Read more...

Being You: A New Science of Consciousness

By anil seth.

“It’s a book about the nature of consciousness, one of the most intractable problems that human beings have come across. How do we understand how we, as apparently material beings made of flesh and bone—and, in particular, millions of neurones—get to the position of having qualitative experience, through the experience of the world through our senses, reflection and experience? Beautifully written, easy to read, hard to put down. It’s passionate, and it’s not patronising.” Read more...

What Mental Illness Really Is… (and what it isn’t)

By lucy foulkes.

Out in paperback and with a new title, What Mental Illness Really Is (and what it isn't), is by academic psychologist Lucy Foulkes. It's an important look at what we know about mental illness and what we don't, and a call to increase public understanding of mental health so that we're all better equipped to help people.

Critical Lives: Hannah Arendt

By samantha rose hill.

“This book is brilliant. It’s written by Samantha Rose Hill, who must know as much as anyone about Hannah Arendt. She’s dived into Arendt’s surviving papers, notebooks, and even poetry, spending many hours in the archive. And what’s so great about this as a biography is that Hill has done something that biographers rarely do—she’s been highly selective in what she’s included. As a result, we don’t get the feeling of being overwhelmed by details of an individual life but rather get to understand what really mattered.” Read more...

The Great Guide: What Hume Can Teach Us about Being Human and Living Well

By julian baggini.

The Great Guide by Julian Baggini is a wonderful introduction to David Hume , the 18th century Scottish philosopher, and blends in his precepts and views with travelling in his footsteps and learning about his life. "Hume didn't just write about how to live," writes Baggini. "He modelled the good life."

How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic

By richard bett & sextus empiricus.

How to Keep an Open Mind is a great primer on the ancient Greek philosophy of skepticism, put together by Richard Bett, a professor of philosophy and classics at John Hopkins University. A wonderful introduction puts the philosophy in context, comparing the ancient Greek or Pyrrhonist tradition of skepticism with what we mean when we describe someone as 'skeptical' today, and looking at what its value in the modern world might be.

As with all the books in the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, Bett then selects passages from Sextus Empiricus—the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived—and translates them, also providing the original Greek on facing pages.

The Fourfold Remedy: Epicurus and the Art of Happiness

In The Fourfold Remedy John Sellars, who earlier wrote an excellent short book about Stoicism , introduces the philosophy of Epicurus. Contrary to our modern vision of someone with refined tastes in food and wine, Epicureans in the ancient world were mostly concerned with achieving tranquillity.

Women of Ideas: Interviews from Philosophy Bites

Edited by suki finn.

Women of Ideas is a collection of interviews with philosophers from the Philosophy Bites podcast.  The interviews were selected and put together by Suki Finn, Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, part of the University of London. It's a really fascinating collection, opening with an interview with Amia Srinivasan, Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford, on "What is a Woman?"

Philosophy through Science Fiction Stories: Exploring the Boundaries of the Possible

By helen de cruz, johan de smedt and eric schwitzgebel (editors).

Can you learn philosophy through science fiction? The authors of this book, Helen De Cruz, Johan De Smedt and Eric Schwitzgebel, think so. Eric also spoke to us about the best books on sci-fi and philosophy .

Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics

By sylvana tomaselli.

In Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics , Cambridge intellectual historian Sylvana Tomaselli takes a holistic approach to the thinking of Mary Wollstonecraft, arguing that she should be remembered as much more than just the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman . Writing in the aftermath of the French Revolution, Wollstonecraft, though entirely self-educated, was a serious thinker. "Like many of her contemporaries, she sought to understand the circumstances that led to the stupendous events defining her time, but more than most she weighed the ethical choices they forged on those witnessing them," Tomaselli writes.  Wollstonecraft was a prodigious writer, who earned her living by her pen, but died much too young, after giving birth to her second child (Mary, who would later write Frankenstein ).

On Love and Tyranny: The Life and Politics of Hannah Arendt

By ann heberlein and alice menzies (translator).

A translation of Swedish writer Ann Heberlein's 2020 biography of Hannah Arendt , the German-born Jewish political philosopher, interweaving her philosophy with the tumultuous events of her life. The Swedish reviews of the book have been mixed, but anything about Hannah Arendt  is hard to resist.

Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness

By stephen fleming.

Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by cognitive neuroscientist Stephen Fleming is a  scientific, philosophical, and practical book that sheds lights on 'metacognition'—our thoughts about thoughts and the importance of self-awareness to almost anything we embark on.

Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers

By cheryl misak.

“This is a fantastic biography. Frank Ramsey was an extraordinary character, evidently brilliant from an early age. He made path-breaking advances in mathematics, philosophy and economics. In his spare time, he helped Keynes edit the Economic Journal, he translated Wittgenstein into English because nobody else could understand what Wittgenstein was saying. And he was a larger-than-life character who hung out with the Bloomsbury Group and had an extraordinary life, and who then died tragically young at the age of 26.” Read more...

The Best Economics Books of 2020

Diane Coyle , Economist

The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle

“What David has managed to do is combine the biographical and historical with the philosophical, without getting too technical. A lot of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle was quite hard core, but he doesn’t get bogged down in the details. This is a book that’s accessible to a general reader. He’s very good about making clear what the importance of the debates they were having was, what their limitations were, why they were or were not influential, as well as telling these stories which connect very strongly with the rise of Nazism, including the murder of the title of the book.” Read more...

The Best Philosophy Books of 2020

An Introduction to Moral Philosophy

By jonathan wolff.

The new, second edition of Jonathan Wolff's introduction to moral philosophy, using real life examples. Our interview with Jonathan Wolff, about political philosophy books , is one of the most popular on our site.

Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life

By john gray.

Lots of fans of cats and British philosopher John Gray will be delighted to hear that he's devoted a whole book to them. In his interview with us, Gray recommended books on ' critiques of utopia and apocalypse. '

The Art of Chinese Philosophy: Eight Classical Texts and How to Read Them

By paul goldin.

The Art of Chinese Philosophy by Paul Goldin is a great introduction to Eastern philosophy, so often neglected in university philosophy courses. The writings attributed to eight Chinese thinkers are examined and explained, covering Confucianism and Daoism and including Sunzi, author of The Art of War , one of our most recommended books on Five Books.

Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life

By john kaag.

William James, one of the founders of pragmatism and empirical psychology, struggled with the question of what made life worth living. In this book, philosopher John Kaag—who spoke to us about the best books of American philosophy —explains how James's ideas can help those of us who struggle with the same question.

How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy

By daniel kaufman , massimo pigliucci & skye c cleary.

The ancient philosophers spent a lot of their time thinking about the best way to live. Modern philosophy is often more esoteric, but in many popular philosophy books coming out now, that ancient tradition is making a comeback. There are modern practitioners embracing Stoicism , Epicureanism, secular Buddhism and more. In How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy, philosophers Skye Cleary , Massimo Pigliucci and Dan Kaufman gather together essays by 15 thinkers, with each presenting the philosophy they've chosen to guide their lives.

The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad

By emily thomas.

“She’s taken a series of topics from the history of travel, from the 17th century onwards, and showed why this is a really interesting and important area for philosophers to consider…Emily combines a personal voice with highly informative, well-researched glimpses of particular philosophical travellers. And she’s pulled off a really good book that is directed at the general public. It’s accessible and it’s entertaining, but also opens up interesting philosophical ideas. It’s very original.” Read more...

Undercover Robot: My First Year As Human

By bertie fraser & david edmonds.

Undercover Robot is a very funny introduction to the ethics of artificial intelligence and of being a human being. Dave Edmonds, who recommended the best books on ethical problems for Five Books , and Bertie Fraser, founder of Storynory.com, do a brilliant job of bringing to life Dotty, who is trying her best to fit in as normal 12-year old girl, but can't help being weird. A children's book , yes, but quite fun to read as an adult too.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: the Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

By donald robertson.

" How to Think Like a Roman Emperor  is a philosophical biography of Marcus Aurelius, using key moments in the emperor’s life to introduce readers to the principles and practice of Stoicism, updated on the basis of the author’s experience as a cognitive behavioural therapist”—Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and practising Stoic, in his 2020 update on the  best books on Stoicism.

The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers

By eric weiner.

"‘Socrates’ is a stand-in for the kind of philosophy that I was interested in, that I write about, which is a practical, therapeutic, accessible philosophy. It was Cicero who famously said of him that he called philosophy down from the heavens and introduced it into people’s homes. That’s what I’m trying to do."

Bestselling author Eric Weiner talked to our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, about ' Life-Changing Philosophy Books '

The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women

By lisa whiting & rebecca buxton.

“This is the book of the year for me. Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting are both graduate students in philosophy and they’ve co-edited this amazing book, which is basically the book that they wish had existed when they started thinking about studying philosophy. It’s a book that has 20 short essays about significant women philosophers. It’s skewed towards political philosophy and ethics, which is where their interests lie, but not exclusively, and it goes from ancient Greece to more or less the present day. It’s a selection of philosopher queens, women philosophers who’ve been neglected by mainstream curricula in philosophy. It’s also an illustrated book, which is unusual in philosophy.” Read more...

Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live

"Here, in around 80 pages, Sellars gives a lucid, easy-to-follow account of what Stoicism as a way of life amounts to, and how you might start to put it into practice."

Our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton's   review of Lessons in Stoicism:

The Best Philosophy Books of 2023 , recommended by Nigel Warburton

Humanly possible: seven hundred years of humanist freethinking, inquiry, and hope by sarah bakewell, the dangerous life and ideas of diogenes the cynic by jean-manuel roubineau, malcolm debevoise & phillip mitsis, parfit: a philosopher and his mission to save morality by david edmonds, the experience machine: how our minds predict and shape reality by andy clark, for f*ck's sake: why swearing is shocking, rude, and fun by rebecca roache.

The genre of philosophical biography is flourishing, as we pay attention not only to what philosophers said and wrote but also to how they lived and the intellectual context in which they developed their ideas. Nigel Warburton , our philosophy editor, picks out some of the best philosophy books of the year, from the man who lived in a storage jar in 5th century Athens to the latest contributions of cognitive science to our understanding of how we experience the world. Read more philosophy book recommendations on  Five Books

The genre of philosophical biography is flourishing, as we pay attention not only to what philosophers said and wrote but also to how they lived and the intellectual context in which they developed their ideas. Nigel Warburton, our philosophy editor, picks out some of the best philosophy books of the year, from the man who lived in a storage jar in 5th century Athens to the latest contributions of cognitive science to our understanding of how we experience the world. Read more philosophy book recommendations on  Five Books

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