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George Orwell was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic, best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel 1984 (1949). Animal Farm is Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution. The farm animals rise up against Farmer Jones and transform the Manor Farm into Animal Farm, an egalitarian society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. In 1984, the protagonist, Winston Smith ,wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a state where the Party scrutinizes every human action with Big Brother.

To Have or to Be? is one of the seminal books of the second half of the 20th century. Fromm's thesis is that two modes of existence struggle for the spirit of humankind: the having mode, which concentrates on material possessions, power, and aggression, and is the basis of the universal evils of greed, envy, and violence; and the being mode, which is based on love, the pleasure of sharing, and in productive activity.

Set in 2540 CE, Brave New World is a dystopian novel by Aldous Huxley that was published in 1932. The novel takes place in a futuristic society called The World State, where life revolves around science and efficiency. Emotions and individuality are conditioned out of children, and citizens are socially engineered into an intelligence-based hierarchy. People are kept in a passive state through their consumption of a soothing drug called soma, and trouble-makers are exiled to various islands.  

1984 is a novel by the British author George Orwell in 1949. The narrative unfolds in an imagined future when most of the world has fallen prey to omnipresent government surveillance, propaganda, and endless war. Great Britain has become a province of the super state Oceania, which is ruled by the Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. The Party employs the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Winston Smith, the protagonist, is an ordinary worker who secretly despises the Party and dreams of rebellion. 

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell, first published in the UK in 1945. It is the tale of farm animals that rebel against the farmer, intending to establish a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. With stirring slogans, they set out to create utopia. However, the rebellion is betrayed and the farm ends up in a state worse than it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon. This is the setting for one of the most revealing satiric fables of all time.

The Ethics of Ambiguity was Simone de Beauvoir's second major work of non-fiction. It consists of three parts and a short conclusion. 

The Elements of Style is an American English writing style guide originally composed by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, and published by Harcourt in 1920, comprising eight elementary rules of usage, 10 elementary principles of composition, a few matters of form, a list of 49 words and expressions commonly misused, and a list of 57 words often misspelled. William Strunk concentrated on specific questions of usage, and the cultivation of good writing, with the recommendation "Make every word tell". 

The Science of Getting Rich by the New Thought Movement author Wallace D. Wattles was published in 1910 and is still in print. This book is based on guiding one’s thoughts towards cultivating creativity and faith. It includes chapters on gratitude and how to use the will. The author explains how creation instead of competition is the hidden key to wealth attraction. 

Alain-Fournier was the pseudonym of Henri-Alban Fournier (1886 - 1914), a French author who died in World War I. His only novel, The Lost Estate, is set in a small French town and narrated by the boy François Seurel, in a dream-like style, like a fable. The hero is the slightly older and highly charismatic boy Augustin Meaulnes. One day, he disappears for a few days and on his return tells a riveting story of how he lost his way and found himself in a seemingly abandoned estate with a chateau in which a party was going on.

Wallace D. Wattles was a metaphysician and motivational author in the New Thought tradition who wrote about various aspects of success, health, and fulfilment. His vision was of a complete human being who was healthy, purposeful, living in harmony with family and society, and wealthy enough to enjoy all that is good in life. 

This simplistic and ingenious allegory from one of the fathers of Western philosophy casts light on society’s naiveté and ignorance.

 Faust is a tragic play in two parts that reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant but disillusioned scholar who makes a deal with the devil. it is widely considered to be Goethe's masterpiece and the greatest work of German literature. The novel Elective Affinities is the story of Eduard and Charlotte, an aristocratic couple enjoying an idyllic but rather dull life on their rural estate. They invite the Captain, Eduard's childhood friend, and Ottilie, the orphaned niece of Charlotte, to live with them, with tragic results. 

Faust is a tragic play in two parts that reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant but disillusioned scholar who makes a deal with the devil. Faust is considered by many to be Goethe's masterpiece and the greatest work of German literature. Part I sets out Faust’s despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his love for Gretchen. Part II deals with Faust’s life at court, the wooing and winning of Helen of Troy, and his purification and redemption. 

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the greatest naval battle of World War II and the largest ever engagement of battleships. The battle was fought near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon, from October 23-26, 1944. This engaging work gives a comprehensive account of the composition, strategies, and actions of the Japanese and the US Navy in October 1944.  

The Chisholm Trail was approximately 800 miles long, running from San Antonio, Texas to the shipping pens at Abilene, Kansas. This trail was an important part of the old west and part of the lives of thousands of cowboys of the 19th and into the early 20th century. Millions of cattle and horses accompanied their drivers on the two to three month journey; its economic importance extended across the nation to the east as the livestock moved over this trail was headed to market to feed much of the United States. 

Parzival is a romantic poem written by Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, the romance was the most popular vernacular verse narrative in medieval Germany. Dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, the poem tells the story of the Arthurian hero Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail. The most notable elements of the work are an emphasis on the importance of humility, compassion, and sympathy. Richard Wagner based his famous opera Parsifal on Parzival.

James Petigru Boyce (1827 - 1888) was the founding President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and also served as its first professor of Theology. His Abstract of Systematic Theology is a practical textbook for pastors and students. A philosophical introduction on the science of theology is followed by 16 chapters devoted to the study of God. Boyce then proceeds to creation, providence, the fall of man, Christology, salvation, sanctification, and eschatology. 

The Ottoman Empire was one of the longest standing empires in the world. Started in 1299, the Ottomans would conquer much of the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeastern Europe. This classic by William Deans covers 600 years of Ottoman rule. 

Parzival is a medieval epic poem written by the knight-poet Wolfram von Eschenbach. It is divided into 16 books, each composed of several 30-line stanzas of rhyming couplets. Regarded as one of the literary masterpieces of the Middle Ages, the romantic poem commonly dated to the early part of the 13th century. The verse narrative focuses on the Arthurian hero Parzival and his long quest for the Holy Grail after his initial failure to achieve it. 

In The Science of Being Great, the motivational author Wallace D. Wattles contends that in order to become great, the individual must become a creator, not a competitor. He believes that the best thing one can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself. The author covers various important aspects of living well, like having a positive mental outlook, maintaining a cohesive concept of self, and leading an exemplary life. The text contains illuminating explanations, quotes, and examples from history on how to align one’s thinking to become the best that you can be.