Personal Essay

Acres of Diamonds - essay, written by Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 – December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, lawyer, and writer. The original inspiration for Acres of Diamonds, his most famous essay, occurred in 1869 when Conwell was traveling in the Middle East. The work began as a speech, "at first given," wrote Conwell in 1913, "before a reunion of my old comrades of the Forty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment, which served in the Civil War and in which I was captain."

Based on bestselling author Brad Meltzer’s viral commencement speech for his son’s graduating class at the University of Michigan, Make Magic is the little book of hope for anyone who has ever wished for more. More authenticity. More empathy. More gratitude. A more fulfilling life.

This endearing, giftable guidebook by Korean bestseller Dr. Rhee reflects on the wisdom he’s learned during his life: how to forgive, persevere, and stop the rat race, plus the joys of living simply and the power of ordinary happiness. He explores his relationships with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and how to stay whole as your body naturally ages. If You’re Going to Live to 100 is a meditation on aging contently and finding peace and humor in everyday life.

Keith Gessen was nearing forty and hadn’t given much thought to the idea of being a father. He assumed he would have kids, but couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be a parent, or what kind of parent he would be. Then, one Tuesday night in early June, the distant idea of fatherhood came careening into view: Raffi was born, a child as real and complex and demanding of his parents’ energy as he was singularly magical.

When you're born with a vagina and a set of boobs, life can be complicated. In this intoxicating collection of essays, writer and college senior Tatiana Pérez explores the complexities of womanhood. From struggling to love her body to putting up with bad sex - Tati writes about it all with shameless candor and a raunchy sense of humor that won't quit. Boys are welcome to listen along, but this one's #forthegirls.

Der Weg zu einem glücklichen und erfüllten Leben verläuft selten geradeaus. Im Gegenteil – denn überraschenderweise führen uns Ängste, Probleme und Gewohnheiten, die wir am liebsten sofort aus unserem Leben verbannen würden, zum Glück. Diese Hürden und Hindernisse bringen uns zum Denken, lassen uns kreativ nach Lösungen suchen und so an uns selbst wachsen. Durch ihre einfühlsame Art des Schreibens, ihr Wissen aus der Psychologie und ihre philosophische Weitsicht öffnet uns Brianna Wiest die Augen.

The extraordinarily evocative stories depict the generation born in a small-town America during the Depression and growing up in a world where the old sexual morality was turned around and material comforts were easily had. Yet, as these stories reflect so accurately, life was still unsettling, and Updike chronicles telling moments both joyful and painful. The texts are taken from his recent omnibus, The Early Stories, 1953-1975.

This collection of narrative essays by sex workers presents a crystal-clear rejoinder: There's never been a better time to fight for justice. Responding to the resurgence of the #MeToo movement in 2017, sex workers from across the industry - hookers and prostitutes, strippers and dancers, porn stars, cam models, Dommes and subs alike - complicate narratives of sexual harassment and violence, and expand conversations often limited to normative workplaces.

In this poignant, funny, and illuminating essay collection from the hosts of the Podcrushed podcast, Penn Badgley, Sophie Ansari, and Nava Kavelin tackle stories from adolescence and beyond, exploring what it means to come of age at every stage of our lives.

For years, popular sports radio personality Stugotz has been telling fans that he keeps a “personal record book,” a kind of alternate sports universe in which Babe Ruth is not a great Yankee, Sean McVay has no rings, and Joe Namath is not in the Hall of Fame, to name just a few of his sacred proclamations.

John Dietsch - fly fishing coordinator and stuntman for Brad Pitt on the timeless film A River Runs Through It - explores our connection to the outdoors through the prism of fly fishing and investigates its transformative and healing power in the face of loss.

Here is an eyewitness account of the true nature and existence of Hell. Uebert Angel was afforded visitations to Hell by God, and was commanded to let the world know the reality of Hell and to remind the world to choose life and prepare for eternity. As the Lord Jesus appeared to Uebert Angel, he took him on tours of Hell and showed him the suffering there. He saw some of the horrors of Hell and saw many souls in torment. Jesus showed him what happens to souls when they die as unbelievers. He was also shown the horrors purported Christians face in Hell when they reject His grace.

Collecting the most celebrated stories from the hit podcast RISK!, along with all-new true tales about explosive secrets and off-the-wall adventures, this book paints a spellbinding portrait of the transformational moments we experience in life but rarely talk about. No topics are off-limits in RISK!, no memories too revealing to share. From accidentally harboring a teen fugitive to being poisoned while tripping on LSD in the Mayan ruins, these stories transport readers into uncharted territory and show how your life can change when you take an extraordinary leap.

Anna Prushinskaya explores the deep life shifts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood in the United States, a world away from the author's Soviet homeland. Drawing from inspirations as various as midwife Ina May Gaskin, writer and activist Alice Walker, and frontierswoman Caroline Henderson, Prushinskaya captures the inherent togetherness of motherhood alongside its accompanying estrangement. She plumbs the deeper waters of compassion, memory and identity, as well as the humorous streams of motherhood as they run up against the realities of work and the ever-present eye of social media.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) war einer der Begründer des Transzendentalismus. Der Philosoph begründete eine neue Denkrichtung der Philosophie. Er forderte den Menschen auf, im Einklang mit der Natur zu leben, und gilt als Mitbegründer der "New Thought"-Bewegung. Seine Essays "Selbständigkeit", "Persönlichkeit" und "Manieren" sind Klassiker, die sich mit guter Lebensführung befassen.

In her literary debut, internationally award-winning writer Courtney Zoffness considers what we inherit from generations past - biologically, culturally, spiritually - and what we pass on to our children.

Can you see God? You don't have to be a mystic to see God's presence in your life. Prayer, community, silence, and the ordinary can be opportunities to see God. This book's series of personal essays explores how we can see God in our everyday lives, from the miraculous to the mundane and even the suffering.

Jon Fosse said farewell to theory early in his career, choosing poetry, fiction, and drama as his mediums of choice. Here, however, in a selection from his two books of essays, we see just how incisive a critic and memoirist he can be. Not only including a generous portion of Fosse's writing on literature and theater—including the irresistible "Thomas Bernhard and His Grandfather"—this collection also includes such personal essays such as "My Dear New Norwegian," "Old Houses," and "He Who Didn't Want to Become a Teacher."

A stunning and timely creative call-to-arms combining four extraordinary written pieces by Neil Gaiman. Drawn from Gaiman’s trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos, Art Matters is an embodiment of this remarkable multimedia artist’s vision - an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives.

In his instant New York Times best-selling book Do You Mind If I Cancel?, Gary Janetti had us all in stitches as he recounted the pains and indignities of everyday life in the way only he can. Now, in Start Without Me, Janetti returns with a hilarious collection about how sometimes the things we most want to get done and over with are the ones that define us for a lifetime. Gary turns his acid tongue (and secretly beating heart) to the moments and times that have defined him, no matter how embarrassing or annoying they might be to admit.