BESTSELLER NON-FICTION ESSAY BOOKS

Bestseller Non-fiction Essay Books are compilations of articles that are written to manifest a state of mind or depict an opinion or an angle of thinking at a certain point of time. Essay-writing is not confined to any specific subject; indeed, essays may be written on any issue, current or past, that may even be of trifling interest. The intention of the writer is of paramount significance because he/she may write an essay only for an esoteric bunch of people or may choose to write on a relevant burning issue that he/she foresees will be read by many. There are essays that do not always delineate the opinion of the writer. On the contrary, they are styled by the writer with extensive polemics in order to be thought-provoking to compel the reader to discern the latent significance of the essay. Some of the world’s most famous essay compilations as best-selling non-fiction essay books include:


The Essays of Francis Bacon: These essays were written by Francis Bacon (1561-1626) and have been described in his own words as being ‘counsels, civil and moral’, and were authored to provide pragmatic knowledge to the common man. The essays were themed on aphorisms such as ‘Revenge is a kind of wild justice’, ‘Crowd is not company’, etc. and inevitably have a touch of the Machiavellian shrewdness in them.

The Essay on Man: This voluminous work was penned by Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744) and comprises 4 epistles. Epistle I expounds the inherent connection that man has with the infinite universe. Epistle II explicates man’s association with his own self. Epistle III elucidates man’s position in society. Epistle IV is a revelation of man’s bond with happiness As in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, Pope justifies and panegyrizes God’s immaculate workings on earth in his profound essays.

Essays of Elia: This bestseller non-fiction essay book was documented by Charles Lamb who lived and wrote during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Here, Charles Lamb enunciates his anathemas and preferences and his eccentricities and opinions on several topics freely for contemporary readers as well as for readers of posterity. Though physically living during the nineteenth century, he had no trepidations in expressing his inward bias towards the Elizabethan age in his Essays of Elia.

The Thomas Paine Reader: Priced at $15.00, this book is a compendium of essays written by Thomas Paine (1737-1809) that have been collated and edited by two modern authors by the names of Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick. The book draws attention to Thomas Paine’s contribution in America’s attainment of emancipation as well as his fervent backing of the French Revolution. The essays also accentuate his standing as a bold writer of his times who was not hindered by the fear of conventions and who dared to express his extremist views through his writings. The book consists of Paine’s chief writings such as ‘The Rights of Man’ – a treatise eulogizing the necessity of the French Revolution, ‘Common Sense’, which appealed to many American radicals and the primary volume of ‘The Age of Reason’, a diatribe on Christianity. Paine’s other works on death penalty and other major sanctioned retributive actions, societal restructuring and the eradication of slavery also vindicate the author’s puissance in writing.

There are a plethora of bestseller non-fiction essay books that have been scripted during the 20th century and the present 21st century. Some of these best-selling non-fiction essay books include:

The Roving Mind: Currently priced at around $ 22.00, this enchanting book of non-fiction essays has been penned by Isaac Asimov. The writer has been profusely fecund with his thoughts on creation, the boom in population, the ultimate results of technological advancement, cloning and a chance of a tryst with extraterrestrial entities in this obviously best-selling non-fiction essay book.

Spirit Dance: This bestseller non-fiction essay book by William Edelen is currently priced at around $ 16.00 and spans over a vast spectrum of subjects ranging from religion and philosophy to women and even suicide.

Spirit: Costing around $ 20.00, William Edelen in this best-selling non-fiction essay book elaborates copiously on topics as remotely connected as occult and holidaying.

Christmas Blues: Behind the Holiday Mask an Anthology: This book is presently priced at $ 15.00 and has been compiled by Zelda Gatuskin, Michelle Miller, and Harry Wilson and exposes the flip side of holiday times. The essays are bittersweet in character and reveal a medley of aspirations of modern people such as an effort to balance heritage, glorious reminiscences, money matters, with the pains of broken family ties and other such jarring aspects during Christmas. The essays are witty, sarcastic, cynical and heartbreaking in nature and offer solace and a silver lining to those need it.