This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.
Publication year 2013
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Tenth of December: Stories (2013) is American author George Saunders’s fourth short story collection. Saunders is widely regarded as one of the modern masters of the short story form, and this collection features stories written between 1995 and 2012, some of which were previously published in various literary outlets. The book was a bestseller and was widely praised on release, winning both the Story Prize and the Folio Prize. This guide refers to the 2013... Read Tenth of December Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Philosophy, Education, Education, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help
Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (2020) is a New York Times bestseller on rhetoric by Jay Heinrichs, a journalist, writer, and publisher who specializes in argumentation methods. The book was published in 14 languages and 4 editions, selling over 500,000 copies. Structured like a manual, it boasts over 100 tools of persuasion and references notable figures such as Cicero, Barack Obama, and... Read Thank You For Arguing Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Satire, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Originally published in 1994, Thank You for Smoking is a political satire novel centered around Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for the fictional Academy of Tobacco Studies, an organization founded by the tobacco industry with the true purpose of countering negative scientific data and public condemnation of tobacco. Nick’s job has made him a pariah, as he has humiliated everyone from grieving relatives of cancer victims to federal employees. He also must watch his back, as... Read Thank You for Smoking Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: World
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Robert Greene (1959) is an American self-help book author with a focus on strategy and power. After training in Classical Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Greene worked numerous jobs before pitching The 48 Laws of Power to book packager Joost Elffers in 1995. The book was inspired by Greene’s time as a writer in Hollywood, where he learned that today’s powerful people share common traits with historic princes, leaders, and tyrants. As he... Read The 48 Laws Of Power Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Urban Development, Sociology
Publication year 1892
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” is one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous short stories. Doyle dabbled in several genres and forms, including historical fiction, plays, and poetry, but his Sherlock Holmes mysteries are the chief reason his writing has been beloved around the world for over a century. Doyle’s work has had a profound influence on the genre of detective fiction, and the author considered “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” the... Read The Adventure of the Speckled Band Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Class, Children's Literature, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1610
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams
Tags British Literature, Play: Historical, Play: Comedy / Satire, Satire, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1957
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment
Tags Grief / Death
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Publication year 2001
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, Psychology
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams
Tags History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Military / War, Business / Economics, Politics / Government, History: Asian, Chinese Literature
The Art of War, written in China during the fifth century BCE by military expert Sun Tzu, has been favored reading among soldiers and strategists for two millennia. Its concise 13 chapters, studied to this day by world leaders and generals from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, teach victory through studying the opponent, building impregnable defenses, confusing the enemy with diversions, and attacking forcefully its weak spots. The book... Read The Art of War Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Arts / Culture, Crime / Legal
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel García Márquez debuted in Spain in 1975. The English translation published in 1976. Márquez’s most notable work, One Hundred Years of Solitude, earned him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 and reflects his distinct magical realist style, an artistic genre first recognized in literature in predominantly Latin American writing during the 1940s. The Autumn of the Patriarch, published seven years later, also features Márquez’s magical style and... Read The Autumn of the Patriarch Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Climate
Tags Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature
The Back of the Turtle (2014) is a bestselling novel by Canadian American author Thomas King. King is of Cherokee Greek descent and has garnered acclaim for his novels about Indigenous Canadian experiences, including The Inconvenient Indian and Green Grass Running Water. The Back of the Turtle won King the Governor General’s literary award.The narrative follows Gabriel Quinn, a member of the First Nations community of Lethbridge, Alberta, as he returns to his family’s home... Read The Back of the Turtle Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure