Written in 1792 it is one of the earliest works on "the woman question". The controversial life of its author caused the earliest feminists to distance themselves from the work. Some major themes include education for girls, the debased position of women in society, the necessary equality of men and women, and the right of women to work.

By the time Dickens set out for America in 1842, he was already a well known author and celebrity. His illuminating book American Notes is his depiction of the New World, a place with both admirable (well run hospitals, prisons, law courts) and despicable (slavery, unsavoury manners) qualities. When first published, his accounts and opinions incited hostile reactions on both sides of the Atlantic.

First published in 1878 and still widely read The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy was the most influential interpretation of the Italian Renaissance in the 19th century. Burkhardt considered the study of ancient history an intellectual necessity and deals with all aspects of Renaissance society; its painting, sculpture and architecture, and the social institutions of its daily life.

Lessig's "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" was published in 1999. The book quickly began to define a certain vocabulary for thinking about the regulation of cyberspace. More than any other social space, cyberspace would be controlled or not depending upon the architecture, or "code," of that space. And that meant regulators, and those seeking to protect cyberspace from at least some forms of regulation, needed to focus not just upon the work of legislators, but also the work of technologists.

Code v2 updates the original work. It is not, as Lessig writes in the preface, a "new work." Written in part collectively, through a Wiki hosted by JotSpot, the aim of the update was to recast the argument in the current context, and to clarify the argument where necessary.

Democracy in Brief gives a concise account of the intellectual origins, history, and basic values of democratic systems of government. The book touches on topics such as rights and responsibilities of citizens, free and fair elections, the rule of law, the role of a written constitution, separation of powers, a free media, the role of parties and interest groups, military-civilian relations and democratic culture.