The Signet Book of American Essays

by M. Jerry Weiss (Editor), Helen Weiss (Editor)

Featuring Essays by Benjamin Franklin • Ralph Waldo Emerson • W.E.B. Du Bois  • Albert Einstein • Gloria Steinem • Henry David Thoreau • Martin Luther King, Jr. • Mark Twain • Erma Bombeck • Abraham Lincoln • John F. Kennedy • and More... These are Americans who had something important to say—and said it in powerful, convincing ways. A compendium of commentary, criticism, and oratory excellence from throughout the nation’s history, The Signet Book of American Essays is a perfect resource for those searching for the most timeless essays ever conceived by America’s notable scientists, philosophers, politicians, and writers. From the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin to the outspoken empowerment of Gloria Steinem, from the biting satire of Mark Twain to the grave seriousness of Franklin D. Roosevelt, this collection offers the opportunity to learn the subtle arts of persuasion and rational argument as exemplified in these great American dissertations crafted by some of the country’s most brilliant and intriguing citizens.

Genres: High School, Classics

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

M. Jerry Weiss is Distinguished Service Professor of Communications Emeritus, New Jersey City University. A teacher, writer, and lecturer, he has won numerous awards and honors, including the 1997 International Reading Association Special Service Award and the National Council of Teachers of English Distinguished Service Award. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The US constitution addresses freedom of speech of citizens presumably to nurture expression of different ideas and have a country that is mature enough to hear them even when we do not agree. Sadly, hostile rhetoric has taken grasps of this freedom, which is meant to promote reasonable persuasion. Reading over these essays, most of them written by 20th century ponderers but not all I wonder if there ought to be an assignment to every native and immigrant person, liberal or conservative, all ethnicities and races to read this book before forming their own arguments. None of these essays divines one whole truth but collectively they do share a sentiment that there is moral, social, and political necessity in sound thinking and speech rendered for collective good. These women and men had thoughts masterfully woven in somber, humorous, and eloquent speech and communications for a purpose. It is wondrous that what they have said has something to teach even now in this 140 character social media age. I wish we all knew how to communicate as well as these essays have so done. At least then our ideas and speech might still not be agreed upon but we still could says them without wanting to destroy each other but form a better present condition than what we currently live in this country.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good collection of essays. I thoroughly enjoyed reading most of them, and from some I had gained new perspectives. One issue I find from this book though, is that it halted my reading progress altogether. I find that trying to read this book entirely from cover to cover can be extremely exhausting. Because of my own lack of understanding on America’s military, J.F.K’s 1961 “Special Message To The Congress On The Defense Budget” was quite a boring read. It was only slightly interesting coming after Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 “Farewell Address”- it connected oddly to me. Besides that complaint though, I found the sections on Education and Intellectual Freedom especially interesting. Abraham Joshua Heschel’s “The Meaning of This Hour” and Gloria Steinem’s “A New Egalitarian Life Style” both intrigued me as well. While not the most thrilling or necessarily interesting read, it was definitely worthwhile and an easy way to explore some important authors on America.

[Daniel Recinos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of essays that provide an introspective look on the human and social history of the United States. Some of my favorites were ‘Of the Coming of John’ by WEB Dubois and ‘Composing a Life’ by Sam Pickering.

I had the following thought while reading: we are currently in a familiar moment in our history where a select few would like to dictate what the definition of an American is. But it becomes glaringly obvious that those that seek to push us down that path are acting in direct opposition to the spirit that has kept this nation moving forward for 250 years. Unfortunately, we have been engulfed in a collective trance where we can’t seem to remember our history. We can find some kind of solace in the fact that those ideas have been as unsuccessful as they have been destructive.

[Rachael Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had some very interesting essays. It had some boring ones as well