The Complete Harvard Classics and Shelf of Fiction

Charles W. Eliot, Reading Time

Summary

( newly updated TOC )

The Harvard Universal Classics, originally known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, is a 51-volume anthology of classic works from world literature, compiled and edited by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot and first published in 1909.

Eliot had stated in speeches that the elements of a liberal education could be obtained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from a collection of books that could fit on a five-foot shelf. (Originally he had said a three-foot shelf.) The publisher P. F. Collier and Son saw an opportunity and challenged Eliot to make good on this statement by selecting an appropriate collection of works, and the Harvard Classics was the result.

Eliot worked for one year with William A. Neilson, a professor of English; Eliot determined the works to be included and Neilson selected the specific editions and wrote introductory notes. Each volume had 400–450 pages, and the included texts are "so far as possible, entire works or complete segments of the world's written legacies." The collection was widely advertised by Collier and Son, in Collier's and elsewhere, with great success.

Eight years later Eliot added a further 20 volumes as a sub-collection titled 'The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction', offering some of the greatest novels and short stories of world literature. The exhaustive anthology of the 'The Harvard Classics' comprises every major literary figure, philosopher, religion, folklore and historical subject up to the twentieth century.

Available since: 05/03/2019.

Other books that might interest you

La Grenadiere

Honoré de Balzac

La Grenadiere by Honoré de Balzac. Translated by Ellen Marriage

libreka classics – These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. 
Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!

Show book

More than 1000 Useful Words in...

Uncle Brazil

Welcome to Uncle Brazil!  
My name is Rodrigo and I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  
I can communicate in 6 languages and I have a degree in Social Communication.   
As a Portuguese teacher for foreigners, working with people from around the world, I have identified and made it easy to learn the most common words you need to know. 
These words are helping my students and 
I expect they will help you too :)

Show book

You Have a Book In You - Make...

Mark Victor Hansen

When you start to write a book, you're doing more than just typing words on a keyboard. You're entering the book business—and like every other business, the book business has many different elements. The author wants you to be 100 percent successful in dealing with all those elements, so he has written this book to share with you his insider's story.Mark Victor Hansen covers marketing, finances, and all elements of the business while encouraging would-be authors to achieve what Freud said were the three reasons people set out to write books: "Fame, Love, and Money."As you move through the writing journey and your book begins to get read, you'll realize that you have the power to influence others through your writing. Your book will be a platform to get your message to others and a printed legacy that will last for all time. Your descendants into many generations will revel in reading their ancestor's work.Let Mark inspire you to release your potential for writing greatness. The writer's challenges and opportunities have never been greater, so roll up your sleeves and get ready to enter the exciting world of authorship . . . it is a legacy worth leaving.

Show book

How to Give a Damn Good Speech

Philip R. Theibert

The best advice, openings, stories, and facts for a standout speech—from a professional speechwriter for CEOs, political figures, and other top officials.

Don’t let the mere thought of presenting a speech tie your stomach in knots and put you in state of sheer panic. Philip Theibert, author of Business Writing for Busy People, has written How to Give a Damn Good Speech to help you give any speech, sounding like a seasoned pro. He provides a blueprint for producing a professional, thought-provoking, friendly, and authoritative speech, even when you have very little time to prepare.

How to Give a Damn Good Speech provides you with professional speech writers’ techniques to make each and every speech a powerful presentation. Theibert has done years of research and has read thousands of speeches in an effort to better illustrate his points and bring you the best examples possible. You can read the book in its entirety or, if you simply need a refresher, you can read the section that best suits your needs. This format allows you to focus on areas of your speech that most need help. Topics covered include:How to organize and write a speech100 important things you need to know about giving an effective speechInteresting and entertaining stories to use in any speechBest quotations ever heardHistorical anecdotes for each day of the year

How to Give a Damn Good Speech, with its easy-to-read, accessible style, makes writing and giving speeches a breeze, and will prevent you from turning green the next time you’re asked to give a speech.

Show book

Spanish Slang: Do You Speak Real...

My Daily Spanish

Speak Spanish Slang Like a Native 
This audiobook is the perfect learning material if you want to speak and understand Spanish slang as currently spoken in different Spanish-speaking countries.   500 Spanish slang terms translated into English with example sentences to give context.Simple, logical categories for easy learning.Learn slang from 19 different Spanish-speaking countries. 
Simple, Logical Categories for Easy Learning  
The different Spanish slang terms in this book are sorted according to two different categories:    By country. You will be able to learn slang words and expressions from 19 different Spanish-speaking countries: Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, and El Salvador.By topic. The slang terms are sorted according to 18 topics: Greetings, People and Descriptions, Body Parts and Body Problems, Actions, Eating and Drinking, Money, Work and Career, Clothing, Bad Behavior, Law and Crime, Insults, and more. 
As supplementary material, a PDF document comes with the purchase of the audiobook. You can follow along to the text in both Spanish and English as you listen to the audio.

Show book

How Poetry Can Transform Our Lives

Jane Hirshfield

Jane Hirshfield believes that poetry can play a transformative role in our lives. “What poems are doing is counterbalancing the mainstream tenor of our culture, which is to do, to be active, to be energetic and to prove one’s self… and one of the messages underlying all poems that move us is that we have nothing at all to prove.” She offers her perspective on beauty and how it cannot exist alone. She takes us behind the scenes into the mind of the poet, and treats us to some of her own poems and her thinking behind them. She also reminds us that a reader can benefit from a poem without knowing what the poet is thinking, but by thinking for him- or herself. Poetry encourages us to ask questions, open up to the unknown, and see our vulnerabilities. Her own process includes the constant practice of questioning, searching, and listening. Poems can present life to us through a different lens, she says. “One of the things that poetry helps us with is to remain open to what is not sure, what is not guaranteed, what makes us feel vulnerable.”

Show book