Fifty Great Essays (Penguin Academic Series) Book

The book Fifty Great Essays is filled with interesting passages that author Robert DiYanni deems are "great". Most of the essays in the book were exciting, but during a few of them I got bored after the first few paragraphs. Even though some of the passages didn't have interesting story lines, all of them contained great grammar and organization. I believe this book is great for a person who has to write a lot because it will help the reader get an idea of what is a good essay and what is not.
My most favorite essay in the book is "Toys" by Roland Barthes. The selection's overall theme is that "All the toys one commonly sees are essentially a microcosm of the adult world." (Diyanni 59). For example, operating theaters for dolls replicate the practice of medicine and Martian toys are science. My second favorite essay is "Cat People vs Dog People" by Laura Miller. In this essay, Laura contrasts the personalities and behaviors of people who own cats and people who own dogs. In the end, Laura thinks " The canine contingent has the edge." (231).
The two most powerful essays in the book were "The Gettysburg Address" and "Letter from Birmingham Jail". Even though I knew the gists of these essays before I read them, I had never realized how important and beneficial they were to history. Abraham's famous "Four score and seven years ago," (215) speech was very well written, he took the time to make each sentence as perfect as possible. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter to the clergymen, he says, "We have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure." (195). I would like to commend Robert DiYanni for including these two selections in his book because they truly are great.
I definitely would recommend this book to a friend because even if they don't like books like this, they will still benefit from reading it. Also, Robert DiYanni's experience as an English professor has helped him make sure that the selections he has chosen will help readers understand what a good essay is. If you do read this book, be sure to read "Why I Went to the Woods", "Cyclops", and "How to Tame a Wild Tongue".