Essay¶
Analysis, criticism, theory, or scientific/humanistic in-depth study of any length. Includes exhibition and collection catalogues with critical content (e.g. Essay/Sculpture/Catalogue).
Genre hierarchies¶
| Classification | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Essay/Anthropology/Critique |
Critical essays on anthropology | The Interpretation of Cultures (Clifford Geertz) → Essay/Anthropology/Critique |
Essay/Anthropology/History |
History of anthropology | A History of Anthropology (Thomas Hylland Eriksen) |
Essay/Anthropology/History/<Country> |
History of anthropology in a specific country | Anthropology and the Will to Meaning → Essay/Anthropology/History/United States |
Essay/Anthropology/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in anthropology | Margaret Mead: A Life (Jane Howard) |
Essay/Anthropology/Theory |
Theoretical study of anthropology | Structural Anthropology (Claude Lévi-Strauss) |
Essay/Archaeology/Critique |
Critical essays on archaeology | Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries (Kenneth Feder) |
Essay/Archaeology/History |
History of archaeology | A History of Archaeology (Glyn Daniel) |
Essay/Archaeology/History/<Country> |
History of archaeology in a specific country | Roman Pompeii → Essay/Archaeology/History/Italy |
Essay/Archaeology/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in archaeology | Heinrich Schliemann: The Man Who Discovered Troy (David Traill) |
Essay/Archaeology/Theory |
Theoretical study of archaeology | Archaeological Theory (Matthew Johnson) |
Essay/<Arts>/Catalogue |
Exhibition/collection catalogue | The Barnes Foundation → Essay/Painting/Catalogue |
Essay/<Arts>/Critique |
Critical essays on an art | Ways of Seeing (John Berger) → Essay/Painting/Critique |
Essay/<Arts>/History |
History of an art | The Story of Art (E.H. Gombrich) → Essay/Painting/History |
Essay/<Arts>/History/<Country> |
History of an art in a specific country | A History of Italian Renaissance Art → Essay/Painting/History/Italy |
Essay/<Arts>/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in an art | Picasso (Roland Penrose) → Essay/Painting/Monograph |
Essay/<Arts>/Theory |
Theoretical study of an art | On Photography (Susan Sontag) → Essay/Photography/Theory |
Essay/Astronomy/Critique |
Critical essays on astronomy | The Sleepwalkers (Arthur Koestler) |
Essay/Astronomy/History |
History of astronomy | The Great Copernicus Chase (Owen Gingerich) |
Essay/Astronomy/History/<Country> |
History of astronomy in a specific country | Astronomy in the Islamic World → Essay/Astronomy/History/Persia |
Essay/Astronomy/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in astronomy | Galileo: A Life (Stillman Drake) |
Essay/Astronomy/Theory |
Theoretical study of astronomy | Cosmos (Carl Sagan) |
Essay/Biology/Critique |
Critical essays on biology | What is Life? (Erwin Schrödinger) |
Essay/Biology/History |
History of biology | A History of Biology (Erik Nordenskiöld) |
Essay/Biology/History/<Country> |
History of biology in a specific country | Biology in Britain → Essay/Biology/History/United Kingdom |
Essay/Biology/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in biology | Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist (Adrian Desmond) |
Essay/Biology/Theory |
Theoretical study of biology | The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins) |
Essay/Botany/Critique |
Critical essays on botany | The Cabaret of Plants (Richard Mabey) |
Essay/Botany/History |
History of botany | The Golden Age of Botanical Art (Martyn Rix) |
Essay/Botany/History/<Country> |
History of botany in a specific country | Botany in Colonial India → Essay/Botany/History/India |
Essay/Botany/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in botany | Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist (Wilfrid Blunt) |
Essay/Botany/Theory |
Theoretical study of botany | Plant Systematics (Michael G. Simpson) |
Essay/Chemistry/Critique |
Critical essays on chemistry | The Periodic Table (Primo Levi) |
Essay/Chemistry/History |
History of chemistry | The History of Chemistry (John Hudson) |
Essay/Chemistry/History/<Country> |
History of chemistry in a specific country | Chemistry in 18th-Century France → Essay/Chemistry/History/France |
Essay/Chemistry/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in chemistry | Lavoisier (Jean-Pierre Poirier) |
Essay/Chemistry/Theory |
Theoretical study of chemistry | The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Thomas Kuhn) |
Essay/Communication/Critique |
Critical essays on communication | Understanding Media (Marshall McLuhan) |
Essay/Communication/History |
History of communication | A History of Communication (Paddy Scannell) |
Essay/Communication/History/<Country> |
History of communication in a specific country | Communication in America → Essay/Communication/History/United States |
Essay/Communication/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in communication | McLuhan: The Man and His Message (George Sanderson) |
Essay/Communication/Theory |
Theoretical study of communication | Communication Theory (Denis McQuail) |
Essay/Ecology/Critique |
Critical essays on ecology | Silent Spring (Rachel Carson) |
Essay/Ecology/History |
History of ecology | A History of Ecology (Joachim Radkau) |
Essay/Ecology/History/<Country> |
History of ecology in a specific country | Ecology in Germany → Essay/Ecology/History/Germany |
Essay/Ecology/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in ecology | Alexander von Humboldt: The Invention of Nature (Andrea Wulf) |
Essay/Ecology/Theory |
Theoretical study of ecology | Fundamentals of Ecology (Eugene Odum) |
Essay/Economics/Critique |
Critical essays on economics | Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Thomas Piketty) |
Essay/Economics/History |
History of economics | The Worldly Philosophers (Robert Heilbroner) |
Essay/Economics/History/<Country> |
History of economics in a specific country | Economic History of Britain → Essay/Economics/History/United Kingdom |
Essay/Economics/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in economics | Keynes: The Return of the Master (Robert Skidelsky) |
Essay/Economics/Theory |
Theoretical study of economics | Principles of Economics (Alfred Marshall) |
Essay/Esotericism |
Esoteric and initiatory traditions | The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall) |
Essay/History/Ancient |
History of the Ancient era | The Histories (Herodotus), SPQR (Mary Beard) |
Essay/History/Contemporary |
History of the Contemporary era | Postwar (Tony Judt) |
Essay/History/Critique |
Critical essays on history | What is History? (E.H. Carr) |
Essay/History/<Country> |
History of history as a discipline in a specific country | The Landscape of History in Italy → Essay/History/History/Italy |
Essay/History/Medieval |
History of the Medieval era | A World Made by Men (Susan Wise Bauer) |
Essay/History/Modern |
History of the Modern era | The Pursuit of Power (William H. McNeill) |
Essay/History/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in history | Napoleon: A Life (Andrew Roberts) |
Essay/History/Theory |
Theoretical study of history | The Idea of History (R.G. Collingwood) |
Essay/Mathematics/Critique |
Critical essays on mathematics | A Mathematician's Apology (G.H. Hardy) |
Essay/Mathematics/History |
History of mathematics | A History of Mathematics (Carl B. Boyer) |
Essay/Mathematics/History/<Country> |
History of mathematics in a specific country | Mathematics in Ancient Greece → Essay/Mathematics/History/Greece |
Essay/Mathematics/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in mathematics | The Man Who Loved Only Numbers (Paul Hoffman) → Essay/Mathematics/Monograph |
Essay/Mathematics/Theory |
Theoretical study of mathematics | Principia Mathematica (Bertrand Russell, Alfred North Whitehead) |
Essay/Medicine/Critique |
Critical essays on medicine | The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Anne Fadiman) |
Essay/Medicine/History |
History of medicine | The Greatest Benefit to Mankind (Roy Porter) |
Essay/Medicine/History/<Country> |
History of medicine in a specific country | Medicine in Ancient Egypt → Essay/Medicine/History/Egypt |
Essay/Medicine/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in medicine | The Emperor of All Maladies (Siddhartha Mukherjee) |
Essay/Medicine/Theory |
Theoretical study of medicine | The Web of Life (Fritjof Capra) |
Essay/Music/Classical |
History and analysis of classical music | The Rest Is Noise (Alex Ross) |
Essay/Music/Critique |
Critical essays on music | Listen to This (Alex Ross) |
Essay/Music/Electronic |
History and criticism of electronic music | Energy Flash (Simon Reynolds) |
Essay/Music/History |
History of music | A History of Western Music (J. Peter Burkholder) |
Essay/Music/History/<Country> |
History of music in a specific country | Music in Italy → Essay/Music/History/Italy |
Essay/Music/<Instrument> |
Essays on a specific instrument | The Piano: An Encyclopedia (Robert Palmieri) → Essay/Music/Piano |
Essay/Music/Jazz |
History and criticism of jazz | The History of Jazz (Ted Gioia) |
Essay/Music/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in music | Mozart: A Life (Maynard Solomon) → Essay/Music/Monograph |
Essay/Music/Opera |
Libretti and critical essays | The Opera: A History (Donald Jay Grout) |
Essay/Music/Pop |
History and criticism of pop music | Yeah Yeah Yeah (Bob Stanley) |
Essay/Music/Rock |
History and criticism of rock | The Sound of the City (Charlie Gillett) |
Essay/Music/Theory |
Music theory | Treatise on Harmony (Arnold Schoenberg) |
Essay/Mythology/<Culture> |
Mythology of a specific culture | Mythology (Edith Hamilton) → Essay/Mythology/Greece |
Essay/Nature/Critique |
Critical essays on nature | The Sixth Extinction (Elizabeth Kolbert) |
Essay/Nature/History |
History of nature | The Natural History of Selborne (Gilbert White) |
Essay/Nature/History/<Country> |
History of nature in a specific country | Nature in America → Essay/Nature/History/United States |
Essay/Nature/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in nature | John Muir: Nature's Visionary (Graham White) |
Essay/Nature/Theory |
Theoretical study of nature | A Sand County Almanac (Aldo Leopold) |
Essay/Neuroscience/Critique |
Critical essays on neuroscience | The Brain that Changes Itself (Norman Doidge) |
Essay/Neuroscience/History |
History of neuroscience | A History of the Brain (Stanley Finger) |
Essay/Neuroscience/History/<Country> |
History of neuroscience in a specific country | Neuroscience in America → Essay/Neuroscience/History/United States |
Essay/Neuroscience/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in neuroscience | Santiago Ramón y Cajal → Essay/Neuroscience/Monograph |
Essay/Neuroscience/Theory |
Theoretical study of neuroscience | Principles of Neural Science (Eric Kandel) |
Essay/Philosophy/Critique |
Critical essays on philosophy | Critique of Pure Reason (Immanuel Kant) |
Essay/Philosophy/History |
History of philosophy | A History of Western Philosophy (Bertrand Russell) |
Essay/Philosophy/History/<Country> |
History of philosophy in a specific country | German Philosophy → Essay/Philosophy/History/Germany |
Essay/Philosophy/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in philosophy | Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography (Rüdiger Safranski) |
Essay/Philosophy/Theory |
Theoretical study of philosophy | Being and Time (Martin Heidegger) |
Essay/Physics/Critique |
Critical essays on physics | The Character of Physical Law (Richard Feynman) |
Essay/Physics/History |
History of physics | A History of Physics (Florian Cajori) |
Essay/Physics/History/<Country> |
History of physics in a specific country | Physics in Britain → Essay/Physics/History/United Kingdom |
Essay/Physics/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in physics | Einstein: His Life and Universe (Walter Isaacson) |
Essay/Physics/Theory |
Theoretical study of physics | The Feynman Lectures on Physics (Richard Feynman) |
Essay/Poetry/Critique |
Critical essays on poetry | The Sounds of Poetry (Robert Pinsky) |
Essay/Poetry/History |
History of poetry | A History of English Poetry (John Wain) |
Essay/Poetry/History/<Country> |
History of poetry in a specific country | Poetry in America → Essay/Poetry/History/United States |
Essay/Poetry/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in poetry | T.S. Eliot: A Life (Peter Ackroyd) |
Essay/Poetry/Theory |
Theoretical study of poetry | The Art of Poetry (Ezra Pound) |
Essay/Politics/Critique |
Critical essays on politics | The Origins of Totalitarianism (Hannah Arendt) |
Essay/Politics/History |
History of politics | A History of Political Theory (George H. Sabine) |
Essay/Politics/History/<Country> |
History of politics in a specific country | Political History of Italy → Essay/Politics/History/Italy |
Essay/Politics/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in politics | Churchill: A Biography (Roy Jenkins) |
Essay/Politics/Theory |
Theoretical study of politics | The Republic (Plato) |
Essay/Psychology/Analysis |
Psychoanalysis | The Interpretation of Dreams (Sigmund Freud) |
Essay/Psychology/Behavioral |
Behavioral psychology | Beyond Freedom and Dignity (B.F. Skinner) |
Essay/Psychology/Clinical |
Clinical psychology | The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog (Bruce Perry) |
Essay/Psychology/Cognitive |
Cognitive psychology | Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman) |
Essay/Psychology/Critique |
Critical essays on psychology | The Cult of Personality Testing (Annie Murphy Paul) |
Essay/Psychology/Development |
Developmental psychology | Childhood and Society (Erik Erikson) |
Essay/Psychology/History |
History of psychology | A History of Modern Psychology (David Hothersall) |
Essay/Psychology/History/<Country> |
History of psychology in a specific country | Psychology in Germany → Essay/Psychology/History/Germany |
Essay/Psychology/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in psychology | Freud: A Life for Our Time (Peter Gay) |
Essay/Psychology/Social |
Social psychology | The Social Animal (Elliot Aronson) |
Essay/Psychology/Theory |
Theoretical study of psychology | Principles of Psychology (William James) |
Essay/Religion/<Faith> |
Essays on a specific faith | The Varieties of Religious Experience (William James) → Essay/Religion/Christianity |
Essay/Religion/<Faith>/History |
History of a specific faith | A History of Christianity (Diarmaid MacCulloch) → Essay/Religion/Christianity/History |
Essay/Religion/<Faith>/Institution |
Essays on religious institutions (Church, Vatican, etc.) | The Vatican (Martin Malachi) → Essay/Religion/Catholic/Institution |
Essay/Religion/History |
History of religion | A History of God (Karen Armstrong) |
Essay/Sport/<Sport> |
Essays on a specific sport | The Inner Game of Tennis (W. Timothy Gallwey) → Essay/Sport/Tennis |
Essay/Theatre/Critique |
Theatre criticism | The Empty Space (Peter Brook) |
Essay/Theatre/History |
History of theatre | A History of the Theatre (Glynne Wickham) |
Essay/Theatre/History/<Country> |
History of theatre in a specific country | Theatre in Britain → Essay/Theatre/History/United Kingdom |
Essay/Theatre/Monograph |
Study of a single personality in theatre | Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Bill Bryson) |
Essay/Theatre/Theory |
Theoretical study of theatre | The Theatre and Its Double (Antonin Artaud) |
<Arts> is a placeholder for any Art (Dance, Photography, Painting, Architecture, Cinema, Design, Fashion, Music, Sculpture, Graphics, Comics, Animation, Theatre, Installation, Performance, Literature). The Common Essay Subgenres (Critique, History, History/<Country>, Monograph, Theory) apply to most disciplines and arts.