Matthew Arnold

The Gilded Age, first published in 1873, is a caustic satire as well as a fascinating depiction of post-Civil War America—a corrupt era in which greedy land speculators, cutthroat bankers, and dishonest politicians voraciously exploited the country’s postwar optimism.

G.K. Chesterton’s book Orthodoxy discusses why Christianity has been present for so long and why it is still important in today’s culture. It explains human nature and the advantages of living a virtuous life using common sense and daily observations

Omar Khayyam’s Rubiyat is a poem with deep heavenly and spiritual meaning. This poem’s beauty and simplicity are so perfect that people of all religions, as well as those who have no faith at all, may find heavenly peace in it.

Charles Dickens’ American Notes for General Circulation details his 1842 tour to North America. He functioned as a critical observer of North American society, reporting on their advancement. Four years later, in Pictures from Italy, he wrote like a traveler.