Set in the days of the Empire, with the British ruling in Burma, Orwell's book describes corruption and imperial bigotry. Flory, a white timber merchant, befriends Dr. Veraswami, a black enthusiast for the Empire, whose downfall can only be prevented by membership at an all-white club.

Orwell draws on his years of experience in India to tell this story of the waning days of British imperialism. A handful of Englishmen living in a settlement in Burma congregate in the European Club, drink whiskey, and argue over an impending order to admit a token Asian.

George Orwell’s triumphant first novel. Informed by his experiences as a police officer in Burma, the novel paints a vivid portrait of the waning days of British imperial rule, and the racism and corruption that ran rampant. It centres on John Flory, a European businessman in colonial Burma, disenfranchised by the bigotry he sees around him and his persistent feeling of being out of place.

The World of Yesterday is a profound memoir by the renowned Austrian author, Stefan Zweig. This masterpiece stands as one of his most significant works, providing a rich source for understanding modern European culture.

Zweig offers an eyewitness account of the pivotal events that shaped modern European history. Through his vivid recollections, he captures the atmosphere of Europe's cities and shares encounters with some of its most notable personalities.

This autobiography serves as a mirror to an era and a poignant reflection on the cultural and historical transformations of his time.

The Family of Pascual Duarte reflects the crude reality of rural Spain during Franco's time. It is a narrative rich in human power and offers deep social insight. Cela writes with great detail, yet maintains a beautiful simplicity throughout the story.

Ecce Homo is an extraordinary autobiography penned by the renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in late 1888, just weeks before his final descent into madness. This remarkable work stands as one of the most intriguing and bizarre examples of the genre ever written.

In this compelling narrative, Nietzsche provides a profound exploration of his life, philosophical journey, and intellectual development. He examines the heroes he has identified with, struggled against, and ultimately overcome, including Schopenhauer, Wagner, Socrates, and Christ. Through this examination, Nietzsche predicts the cataclysmic impact of his forthcoming revelation of all values.

Both self-celebrating and self-mocking, penetrating and strange, Ecce Homo offers the final, definitive expression of Nietzsche's main beliefs and serves as his last testament.

This essential reading challenges traditional morality, encourages the establishment of autonomy, and promotes a commitment to creativity.

In 1888, the last sane year of his life, Nietzsche produced these two brief but devastating books. Twilight of the Idols, "a grand declaration of war" on all the prevalent ideas of his time, offers a lightning tour of his whole philosophy. It also prepares the way for The Anti-Christ, a final assault on institutional Christianity.

Yet although Nietzsche makes a compelling case for the 'Dionysian' artist and celebrates magnificently two of his great heroes, Goethe and Cesare Borgia, he also gives a moving, almost ecstatic portrait of his only worthy opponent: Christ.

Both works show Nietzsche lashing out at self-deception, astounded at how often morality is based on vengefulness and resentment. Both combine utterly unfair attacks on individuals with amazingly acute surveys of the whole contemporary cultural scene. Both reveal a profound understanding of human mean-spiritedness which still cannot destroy the underlying optimism of Nietzsche, the supreme affirmer among the great philosophers.

Michel Foucault takes us into the first two centuries of our own era, into the Golden Age of Rome, to reveal a subtle but decisive break from the classical Greek vision of sexual pleasure.

He skillfully explores the whole corpus of moral reflection among philosophers such as Plutarch, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, and physicians of the era. Foucault uncovers an increasing mistrust of pleasure and growing anxiety over sexual activity and its consequences.

Written over three centuries ago by a Samurai warrior, this book has been hailed as a limitless source of psychological insight for businessmen—or anyone who relies on strategy and tactics for outwitting the competition.